Where the model came from
The standard prop firm model prices risk in advance. You pay an evaluation fee, you get a set of drawdown limits and a profit target, and whether you pass or fail the fee is already spent. Because most traders fail, evaluation fees became the dependable revenue line for the industry — which quietly changed the incentive: a firm can be profitable on failures alone.
Pay after passing exists to break that incentive. If the meaningful part of the fee is only collected on a passing account, the firm cannot be funded by failures. It has to make its money the same way the trader does — from a funded account that actually performs. That alignment is the entire point of the model; the low entry price is a side effect, not the pitch.
How the fee actually works
There are two payments and never more than two. The setup fee is charged at signup and covers issuing the evaluation account. The activation fee is charged once — and only once — after the account has met its profit target, at the point the funded account is created.
| Setup fee (charged today) | $5 |
| Activation fee (charged only on a pass) | $150 |
| Total cost of a funded account | $155 |
| Total cost if you fail | $5 |
| Charged for a failed account | Nothing further |
The cost math nobody shows you
Deferred fees are worth comparing on expected cost, not headline price. Take a trader who needs three attempts to pass a $50,000 evaluation. Under an upfront model they pay the full challenge fee three times over. Under PAPP they pay $5 three times and the $150 once, on the attempt that succeeded.
| Attempt 1 — failed | $5 |
| Attempt 2 — failed | $5 |
| Attempt 3 — passed | $5 + $150 |
| Total spent to reach a funded $50,000 account | $165 |
Compare that against whatever your current firm charges per attempt, multiplied by the number of attempts you realistically expect to need. That number — not the sticker price — is the true cost of getting funded.
The MixFunded PAPP specification
| Account size | $50,000 |
| Profit target | 10% |
| Daily drawdown limit | 3% |
| Maximum overall drawdown | 8% |
| Leverage — forex | 1:50 |
| Leverage — crypto | 1:10 |
| Profit split | 80 / 20 |
| Time limit | None |
| Payout schedule | Every Monday, USDT (TRC-20) |
The drawdown limits are tighter than our standard evaluations (5% daily / 10% maximum) because the account is issued before the fee is fully paid. That is the trade: cheaper entry, less rope. Full rulebook.
Pay after passing vs the alternatives
| Model | Cost to start | Cost of failing |
|---|---|---|
| Pay after passing | $5 | $5 |
| Standard evaluation | Full fee up front | Full fee, per attempt |
| Instant funding | Largest fee up front | Full fee |
Our own pricing for each of those is on the programs page, and instant funding vs evaluation goes deeper on that comparison.
How to spot a bad deferred-fee offer
The model is sound; some implementations are not. Run any pay-after-passing offer through this list before you put money in.
- The activation fee is not shown before you pay the setup fee. If you have to pass to find out what passing costs, walk away.
- The activation fee is larger than a comparable upfront challenge. Deferral should not be a markup in disguise.
- There is more than one fee after the pass — 'processing', 'verification', or 'KYC' charges stacked on top of activation.
- No published payout record. If a firm cannot show payments it has actually made, its funding model is unverified.
- Drawdown rules that are not stated in percentage terms up front, or that change once the account is funded.
- Payout terms with no fixed schedule, or discretionary approval language that lets the firm delay indefinitely.
How we answer those questions
Every completed payout, with its transaction hash, is on the public ledger.
Frequently asked questions
What is a pay after passing prop firm challenge?
A pay after passing (PAPP) challenge is an evaluation where the bulk of the fee is deferred until you pass. You pay a small setup fee to start — $5 at MixFunded — and the activation fee of $150 is only charged once the account has met its profit target and is ready to be funded. If you fail, no activation fee is owed.
How much does MixFunded's pay after passing account cost?
$5 to start and $150 activation once you pass. Total cost for a funded $50,000 account is $155, and the $150 is only ever charged on a passing account.
What are the rules on a pay after passing account?
10% profit target, 3% daily drawdown, 8% maximum overall drawdown, 1:50 forex leverage and 1:10 crypto leverage, on an 80/20 profit split. There is no time limit on the evaluation.
Is pay after passing a scam?
The model itself is legitimate — the firm is simply moving its fee to the point where it can verify you can trade. It becomes a problem when the deferred fee is undisclosed, when the activation fee is far larger than a comparable upfront challenge, or when the firm has no verifiable record of paying traders. Check the fee before you start and check whether payouts are published.
Do you have to pay the activation fee if you fail?
No. If the account breaches a drawdown limit before hitting the profit target, the evaluation ends and nothing further is charged. Your total cost stays at the $5 setup fee.
Is the activation fee refunded?
The activation fee is a one-time charge for issuing the funded account, not a deposit, so it is not returned separately. It is charged once and the account is then live on an 80/20 split.
How do payouts work on a pay after passing account?
Payouts are processed every Monday in USDT on the TRC-20 network. Completed payouts are published on the public ledger with their transaction hashes so anyone can verify them on-chain.
Start a pay after passing account
$5 today. $150 only if you pass. $50,000 account on an 80/20 split, payouts every Monday in USDT (TRC-20).