Pre-Deposit Checklist: 9 Things to Verify Before Joining Any Prop Firm
A practical 9-point checklist to audit a prop firm before wiring money. Covers drawdown model, payout track record, withdrawal method, customer support response time, and regulatory risk.
Most traders deposit within 2 hours of seeing a discount coupon. These 9 checks take 20 minutes and can save your evaluation fee — and your funded account. Each item has cost you (or a trader you know) real money at some point.
Identify the drawdown model
Ask: static, EOD trailing, or intraday trailing? Do not rely on the marketing page — ask support directly and get the answer in writing.
Read the consistency rule in the ToS
The marketing page will never mention a single-day profit cap. Open the actual Terms of Service and search for "consistency," "payout eligibility," and "profit distribution."
Check 1-star Trustpilot reviews
Filter Trustpilot to 1-star only. Search for "payout denied," "account breach," and "rule change." Recurring patterns across multiple reviewers are a red flag.
Verify the withdrawal method is available in your country
Confirm that VietQR, crypto, or bank wire is available to your specific country. Some firms block crypto withdrawals by jurisdiction.
Check minimum withdrawal and first payout window
Some firms require 30+ trading days before the first withdrawal. Others have a $100 minimum. Know these before you fund.
Confirm whether the evaluation fee is refundable
FTMO and many firms refund the challenge fee on first payout. Others do not. This changes the effective cost of the evaluation significantly.
Test support response time before buying
Send a pre-sales question and time the response. If they take more than 4 hours to respond to a potential customer, expect worse service when you have a payout issue.
Check for a history of rule changes after funding
Search "[firm name] rule change" on Reddit and prop firm review forums. Firms that change drawdown or consistency rules mid-account are high-risk.
Verify the legal entity and company registration
Look for the firm's registered company name, jurisdiction, and registration number. Red flags: no physical address, no registration number, incorporated in a jurisdiction with no trader protection.
A firm that passes all 9 checks is not guaranteed to be perfect — but it dramatically reduces your risk of surprise rule enforcement, frozen payouts, or account breach on technicalities.