What's new on StartTrader from October 21, 2026? (Soft Breach, payouts, and purchase rules)
This article applies to StartTrader accounts purchased from October 21, 2026. If your account is older, nothing here applies to you — see the note at the bottom of this article.
What changed compared to the previous StartTrader?
Rule | Accounts purchased before October 21, 2026 | Accounts purchased from October 21, 2026 |
Challenge structure | 3 phases | 1 phase |
Profit target (challenge phase) | 2% / 3% / 6% | 3% |
Daily Loss Limit | 3% | 2% (first hit = Soft Breach) |
Max Loss Limit | 6% | 8% |
Consistency rule | Yes | No |
Time limit | Max 180 calendar days per phase | Min 3 trading days, max 60 calendar days |
Performance reward | Dynamic Performance Reward (DPR) | 80% flat |
Minimum profit for payout | – | 2% |
Instant payouts | Yes | No |
Soft Breach
What is a Soft Breach?
Hitting your Daily Loss Limit (2% of your end-of-day equity) for the first time does not close your account. Instead, all open positions are closed and your account is switched to read-only until 00:00 UTC — you can't open new trades. This is what makes StartTrader different from our other programs: a Soft Breach is a second chance, not a failure.
What happens at midnight UTC?
At 00:00 UTC your account automatically reactivates and you can trade again. Your Daily Loss Limit is recalculated from your end-of-day equity for the new day, your profit target and your Max Loss Limit (calculated from your starting balance) stay the same, and your balance reflects the positions that were closed when the Soft Breach happened.
Is there a limit to how many Soft Breaches I can have?
Yes. If you hit the Daily Loss Limit a second time, your account receives a standard (hard) breach and is closed, the same as breaching the Max Loss Limit. The Soft Breach applies separately to each stage: your Challenge account and your virtually funded account each allow one Soft Breach.
Does a Soft Breach affect my Performance reward or Profit target?
No. Your performance reward (80%) and your profit target stay the same. Open positions are closed when a Soft Breach happens, so any realised result is reflected in your balance, just as if you had closed them yourself.
Payout cap and payout requests
How much can I receive from a StartTrader virtually funded account?
StartTrader accounts have a total payout cap of $400 / ¥80,000 / €400 / 8,000 CZK per account, across the account's whole lifetime.
How many payout requests can I make?
Up to two payout requests, adding up to the total cap above ($400 / ¥80,000 / €400 / 8,000 CZK combined — not per request). You can request the full amount at once, or split it across both requests — each request still needs to meet the minimum profit requirement of 2% ($100 / €100 / ¥20,000 / 2,000 CZK) to be eligible. Any profit above the cap stays on the account and payout does not include it.
What happens when I reach the payout cap?
Once your total payouts reach the cap, your account closes automatically. This isn't a breach — it's a "Maximum profit reached" milestone, and we'll be in touch about moving you to one of our higher-tier programs (ProTrader, SwiftTrader).
Why is there a cap on StartTrader specifically?
StartTrader is designed as the easiest, lowest-cost way to start with Fintokei and prove yourself as a trader. Once you've reached the payout cap, you've already shown consistent results — the natural next step is to graduate to a program with a higher payout ceiling.
Purchase eligibility
Who can purchase StartTrader?
StartTrader is reserved for clients who are completely new to Fintokei — it can only be your first, or first and second, purchase with us. If you've already purchased any other Fintokei program (ProTrader, SwiftTrader, etc.) before or between StartTrader purchases, you won't be eligible. A StartTrader account obtained through a voucher, gift or the Loyalty Program counts as a purchase. If your purchase is not eligible, it will be cancelled. For refund conditions, see Can I get a refund for my purchase?
If you're an experienced prop trader, StartTrader likely isn't the best fit for you — check out our other programs, or ask Support about current promotions for larger account sizes.
How many StartTrader accounts can I purchase, and at what size?
A maximum of two, over your lifetime as a Fintokei client, and only if no other Fintokei program was purchased in between the two. At launch, StartTrader is only available at the $5,000 / €5,000 / ¥1,000,000 / 100,000 CZK tier.
Can I have two StartTrader accounts open at the same time?
No. You can only have one active StartTrader account at a time. Your first account needs to be completed (breached, expired or closed after reaching the payout cap) before you can purchase a second one.
If your account is older
If you purchased or opened a StartTrader account before October 21, 2026, none of the above applies — it keeps running under the exact rules that applied when you bought it (3-phase structure, 3%/6% Daily/Max Loss limits, consistency rule, etc.). We are not applying any of the new rules retroactively.