City Traders Imperium Rules Explained: Drawdown, Profit Targets & Time Limits (2026)

City Traders Imperium Rules Overview

City Traders Imperium is a South African proprietary trading firm founded in 2018 that provides funded trading accounts for forex, indices, commodities, and metals. The firm operates on an evaluation model where traders complete a standardized assessment before gaining access to funded capital, with funding amounts ranging from $10,000 to $200,000. The company distinguishes itself through an integrated trading academy, mentorship programs, and profit splits reaching 80%, making it accessible to developing traders while maintaining institutional-grade risk controls.

Unlike some prop firms that use proprietary platforms, City Traders Imperium operates through broker integration, allowing traders to use familiar trading environments while adhering to firm-specific rules and risk parameters. The evaluation pathway is designed to assess trading consistency, risk management, and psychological discipline before real capital allocation.

Account Types and Pricing

City Traders Imperium offers four primary evaluation account tiers, each with distinct pricing and corresponding funded account sizes:

Evaluation Tier	Monthly Cost	Funded Account Size	Best For
$10K Evaluation	$97/month	$10,000	Beginners testing the platform
$25K Evaluation	$147/month	$25,000	Intermediate traders building consistency
$50K Evaluation	$247/month	$50,000	Advanced traders seeking larger capital
$100K Evaluation	$397/month	$100,000	Professional traders targeting maximum accounts

Note: City Traders Imperium also offers direct funding pathways for traders who prefer to skip the evaluation phase and receive funded accounts immediately, with pricing structures adjusted based on the funding amount requested.

There is no free tier available. All account access requires a paid evaluation subscription. Monthly fees are non-refundable if the evaluation is not passed.

Profit Targets

City Traders Imperium structures profit targets in two phases to assess trader consistency and risk awareness:

• Phase 1 Profit Target: Traders must achieve a specified percentage gain on the evaluation account (specific percentage not publicly disclosed; varies by tier and current market conditions). Phase 1 typically allows traders to demonstrate initial profitability over 30-60 days.
• Phase 2 Profit Target: Once Phase 1 is achieved, traders advance to Phase 2, where a secondary profit target must be reached, usually set lower than Phase 1 to acknowledge that traders now understand firm rules and have proven basic competency.

How Targets Are Calculated: Profit targets are calculated as a percentage of the initial account balance. For example, a $25,000 account with a 10% Phase 1 target would require $2,500 in verified net profits. Targets are measured on a daily close basis, meaning intraday profits that are later lost do not count toward the target.

Verification Method: Profits are tracked automatically through the broker integration and verified daily. Once a trader's account reaches the target through legitimate trading, Phase advancement occurs automatically. Traders cannot reset targets or extend timelines unless specific firm conditions are met (e.g., technical platform issues).

Drawdown Rules

Drawdown management is critical to City Traders Imperium's risk framework. The firm enforces both daily and maximum (trailing) drawdown limits to protect capital:

• Daily Drawdown Limit: Traders cannot lose more than 5% of the evaluation account balance in a single trading day. A loss exceeding this threshold triggers immediate account termination.
• Maximum Drawdown (Trailing): The maximum drawdown is calculated as 10% of the highest account balance achieved since account creation. If the account balance drops below this trailing maximum by 10%, the evaluation is failed and the account is closed.

Example of Trailing Drawdown: If a $25,000 account reaches a peak balance of $28,000, the trailing maximum becomes $28,000. A 10% drawdown from this peak would be $2,800, meaning the account cannot fall below $25,200. If it drops to $25,100, the evaluation fails.

Reset Conditions: The trailing maximum is updated whenever the account reaches a new all-time high. Daily drawdown resets at market close (typically 5 PM EST), meaning traders can recover from daily losses on subsequent trading days, provided the maximum drawdown limit is not breached.

Important Note: Drawdown limits apply to both Phase 1 and Phase 2 evaluations. Exceeding either threshold results in immediate account termination with no appeal process or refund of monthly fees.

Trading Restrictions

City Traders Imperium enforces specific trading rules to prevent excessive risk-taking and ensure consistent risk management:

Time and Market Access

• Trading is permitted during all forex market hours (Sunday 5 PM EST through Friday 5 PM EST).
• Weekend gaps and gaps created by market holidays do not reset daily drawdown limits; losses from Friday close through Monday open accumulate under the same daily limit.
• Indices and commodities trading follows exchange hours; trades placed outside these windows may be subject to restrictions or execution delays.

Restricted Instruments and News Trading

• News Trading: Trading during high-impact economic announcements (e.g., non-farm payroll, central bank decisions) is restricted. Trades opened within 2 minutes before and 5 minutes after scheduled economic releases are subject to automatic closure or margin adjustment.
• Restricted Pairs: Exotic currency pairs with extremely low liquidity are prohibited to prevent slippage-related losses.
• Commodity Restrictions: Certain commodity futures (e.g., crude oil, natural gas) may have position limits based on volatility; check the platform for current restrictions.

Position Sizing and Lot Limits

• Maximum lot size per trade is determined by account size. For a $25,000 account, maximum position size is typically 10 standard lots.
• Total open positions (sum of all active trades) cannot exceed 20 standard lots, regardless of account size tier.
• Margin utilization cannot exceed 70% of available margin at any time; exceeding this triggers automatic position closure.

Automated Trading and Expert Advisors

• Expert Advisors (EAs) and Algorithmic Trading: Automated trading is permitted, but all EAs must be registered with the firm prior to use. The firm maintains the right to disable EAs that violate trading restrictions (e.g., martingale strategies).
• Prohibited Strategies: Martingale, grid trading, and other strategies designed to recover losses through exponential position increases are explicitly prohibited.
• Copy Trading: Copy trading and signal-following services are not permitted. Traders must make independent trading decisions; trades that mirror other traders' accounts are subject to investigation and potential disqualification.

Weekend and Overnight Holding

• Weekend positions are permitted; however, traders bear the risk of Monday gap risk. The firm does not adjust drawdown calculations for weekend gaps.
• Holding positions over high-impact economic events is discouraged and may subject traders to stricter margin requirements during the event window.

Profit Split and Payouts

Profit Sharing Structure: Once a trader passes both Phase 1 and Phase 2 evaluations and is approved for a funded account, profits are split between the trader and City Traders Imperium. The firm offers profit splits up to 80%, meaning funded traders retain 80% of verified net profits and the firm retains 20%.

Profit Split Tiers:

• Initial Funded Account: 70% profit split (trader keeps 70%)
• After First Withdrawal: 75% profit split
• Loyalty Milestone (12 months trading): 80% profit split

Withdrawal Policy:

• Minimum Withdrawal: $100 per withdrawal request
• Withdrawal Frequency: Withdrawals can be requested weekly (once per calendar week)
• Processing Time: Withdrawals are processed within 3-5 business days after request submission. Wire transfers may take an additional 1-2 business days depending on the receiving bank.
• Withdrawal Methods: Supported methods include bank wire transfer, cryptocurrency transfers, and card payouts (availability varies by region).

Monthly Fees During Funded Trading: Once approved for a funded account, monthly evaluation fees are waived; traders no longer pay $97-$397/month. They are only charged the 20-30% commission on profits generated.

Loss Handling: Monthly losses do not result in additional fees to the trader. The firm absorbs losses on funded accounts; traders' liability is limited to their initial evaluation fee.

Scaling Plan

City Traders Imperium allows successful traders to increase their funded account sizes through a scaling mechanism:

• Automatic Scaling: After 3 consecutive profitable months on a funded account, traders become eligible for a 25% account increase at no additional cost. A $25,000 account would scale to $31,250.
• Manual Scaling: Traders can request custom scaling increases at any time. Scaling requests are reviewed based on trading history, consistency, and drawdown adherence.
• Maximum Account Size: The firm caps funded accounts at $200,000, regardless of trading performance. This is the absolute maximum available under City Traders Imperium's current risk management framework.
• Scaling Requirements: To qualify for automatic scaling, traders must maintain a maximum drawdown below 5%, achieve positive P&L in the evaluation period, and pass a firm consistency review.

City Traders Imperium Rules vs Competitors

The following comparison highlights how City Traders Imperium's rules align with industry standards and competitor offerings:

Rule Category	City Traders Imperium	FTMO	Topstep
Daily Drawdown	5% of account	5% of account	4% of account
Maximum Drawdown	10% trailing	10% trailing	8% trailing
Profit Split	Up to 80%	Up to 90%	Up to 100% (after fees)
Evaluation Cost (10K)	$97/month	$149 one-time	$99/month
Max Account Size	$200,000	$500,000	$400,000
News Trading	Restricted (2 min before, 5 min after)	Restricted (key events)	Allowed with disclaimers
EA/Scalping	EAs permitted (registered)	EAs prohibited	EAs and scalping allowed

Comparative Analysis:

• Drawdown Strictness: City Traders Imperium's 5% daily and 10% maximum drawdown mirrors FTMO's standards, making it more lenient than Topstep's 4% daily limit. Traders seeking stricter oversight will find Topstep more appropriate; those seeking flexibility should evaluate Topstep's 100% profit split model.
• Profit Split: While FTMO offers up to 90% and Topstep offers 100%, City Traders Imperium's 80% maximum is competitive for firms offering mentorship and educational integration. The educational component justifies the 10-20% lower split compared to pure prop firms.
• Evaluation Model: City Traders Imperium uses a monthly subscription model ($97-$397/month), whereas FTMO charges a flat one-time fee ($149). For traders taking longer to pass evaluations, FTMO becomes more cost-effective; for rapid passers, the monthly model may be cheaper.
• Automation Flexibility: City Traders Imperium permits registered EAs, while FTMO prohibits them entirely. Traders relying on algorithmic strategies should prioritize City Traders Imperium or Topstep.

Red Flags and Fine Print

Traders evaluating City Traders Imperium should be aware of the following considerations:

• Monthly Fee Structure: Unlike one-time evaluation fees (FTMO), monthly subscriptions mean repeated charges if evaluations are failed or extended. A trader taking 4 months to pass the $50K evaluation would pay $988 ($247 × 4) versus a competitor's one-time $149 fee.
• South African Regulation: City Traders Imperium is based in Cape Town, South Africa. Traders should verify that the firm holds appropriate financial licenses and regulatory oversight in their jurisdiction. Regulatory protections may differ from US or EU-based firms.
• Limited Platform Transparency: The firm does not offer a proprietary trading dashboard; traders rely on broker-provided tools for performance tracking. This may complicate profit verification during withdrawal requests.
• Profit Split Tiers Complexity: The tiered profit split system (70% → 75% → 80%) creates administrative overhead. Traders must track when they qualify for upgrades and may need to request manual adjustments if the system does not auto-update.
• Copy Trading and Signal Restrictions: The prohibition on copy trading is strictly enforced. Traders using signal services or mirror accounts risk account termination without refund of monthly fees.
• Scaling Discretion: While automatic scaling occurs after 3 profitable months, manual scaling requests are subject to firm discretion. There is no guaranteed timeline for approval, potentially delaying capital increases.
• Non-Refundable Fees: Monthly evaluation subscriptions are non-refundable if evaluations are not passed. This is standard in the industry but represents a significant commitment for traders uncertain of their ability to meet targets.
• Community and Mentorship Quality: While mentorship is marketed as a key differentiator, the quality, availability, and responsiveness of mentors are not independently verified. Traders should request references or trial periods before committing to longer evaluation timelines.

Recommendation: City Traders Imperium is best suited for developing to intermediate traders seeking educational support alongside funding. Traders prioritizing maximum profit retention, larger account sizes, or strict regulatory oversight should compare against FTMO and Topstep. For a detailed comparison of all available options, see our comprehensive prop firm comparison guide.