Which prop firms refund the challenge fee?

Short answer: at most prop firms the challenge fee is not refunded when you pass. If it comes back at all, it comes back later — once you are funded or paid — and often only on some programs. Of the 13 firms we checked, six describe a refund after you are funded: FTMO (2-Step), The5ers, Maven, AudaCity Capital, FundedHero and FundedElite. In the terms we read, E8 Markets, Trade The Pool, For Traders, Atmos Funded, Instant Funding, Bulenox and City Traders Imperium do not.

Refund rules at a glance

The table links to each firm’s own policy page, not to referral links. Some other links on this site are affiliate links; see our review method.

Firm-by-firm answers

Does FTMO refund the challenge fee?

FTMO refunds the fee on its 2-Step Challenge when you request your first Reward withdrawal, using the payment method you paid with. It does not refund the fee on the 1-Step Challenge or the Instant Account. See our FTMO review.

Does The5ers refund the challenge fee?

On its High Stakes program, The5ers returns the fee in three stages: 10% as HUB credits after Phase 1, 20% as HUB credits when you reach the funded stage, and the remaining 70% as cash with your third profit payout. See our The5ers review.

Does E8 Markets refund the challenge fee?

Only before you trade. E8 Markets refunds the initial fee if you are still in Phase 1, have placed no trades and bought less than 30 days ago, and it cannot refund crypto payments. E8 states it does not currently refund the fee with the first payout. See our E8 Markets review.

Does Maven refund the challenge fee?

Yes, after your third reward from a simulated funded account, according to Maven’s FAQ. The refund is sent separately from the rewards. See our Maven review.

Does Trade The Pool refund the challenge fee?

Only before you start the Evaluation: in full within 5 days of purchase, and as Hub Credit after that. The terms say the Evaluation fee is non-refundable once trading starts, and we found no refund linked to a payout. See our Trade The Pool review.

Does For Traders refund the challenge fee?

The terms we read contain no refund after you pass or get paid. They say the fee is not refundable if you cancel, stop using the service early, fail the challenge or break the T&C. Ask support in writing if you were told otherwise. See our For Traders review.

Does FundedElite refund the challenge fee?

Sometimes. FundedElite’s terms say the Evaluation fee may be refunded when you reach Elite status, where the program page specifies it, and allow a discretionary refund within 14 days if you have not traded. See our FundedElite review.

Does FundedHero refund the challenge fee?

Yes, 100% across your first two payouts, but not if a discount code was applied at checkout and not on Instant accounts. See our FundedHero review.

Does AudaCity Capital refund the challenge fee?

Yes, on the Ability Challenge and Ability One programs only. AudaCity Capital processes the refund together with your first payout from the live account, as long as the payout is larger than the fee and you have kept to the rules. See our AudaCity Capital review.

Does Atmos Funded refund the challenge fee?

Only before you trade. Atmos Funded refunds the fee if you have placed no trades and ask support within 14 calendar days of paying. After you place an order, fail the challenge or breach the terms, there is no refund. See our Atmos Funded review.

Does Instant Funding refund the challenge fee?

Not in practice once you start. Instant Funding’s terms say fees are non-refundable after 1 placed trade or 14 days, and there is no refund if you quit early, fail the Challenge or break the terms. See our Instant Funding review.

Does Bulenox refund the challenge fee?

No. Bulenox’s Terms of Use say all sales are final and no refunds are issued. The version we read is dated July 2021, so confirm with support if you need certainty. See our Bulenox review.

Does City Traders Imperium refund the challenge fee?

Only if the account has not been used. City Traders Imperium refunds on request within 7 calendar days when no trades were made and no more than 3 lessons were opened; once a simulated trade is placed, no refund is issued. See our City Traders Imperium review.

What can cancel your refund

• A discount code. FundedHero states that a challenge bought with a discount code is not eligible for the fee refund.
• The program you buy. FTMO refunds the 2-Step fee but not the 1-Step or Instant fee; FundedHero does not refund Instant accounts.
• How you pay. E8 Markets cannot refund crypto payments, even when no trades were placed.
• Breaking the rules. FundedElite says a termination for breach ends any right to a refund.
• Waiting too long. The pre-trading refund windows are short: 5 days at Trade The Pool, 7 days at City Traders Imperium, 14 days at Atmos Funded, FundedElite and Instant Funding (or until the first trade there), and 30 days at E8 Markets.
• Placing a single trade. At Atmos Funded, City Traders Imperium, Instant Funding and Trade The Pool, the pre-trading refund ends once you place a trade.
• Earning less than the fee. AudaCity Capital refunds the fee with your first payout only if that payout is larger than the fee.
• Getting credits instead of cash. The5ers pays the first 30% of the refund as HUB credits and only the last 70% as withdrawable cash.

When a firm’s own pages disagree

A firm’s headline can say more than its refund rule. FundedHero’s homepage advertises “100% refundable fees” on every evaluation challenge, while its refund FAQ excludes challenges bought with a discount code and its Instant accounts are not refundable. When a marketing page and a terms or FAQ page differ, the terms or FAQ page is the one that applies.

How to check a refund before you pay

• Find the refund clause in the firm’s Terms or FAQ, not on the sales page.
• Note the trigger: passing, the first payout or the third payout.
• Check whether your program, payment method or discount code is excluded.
• Ask support to confirm the rule in writing and keep the reply.
• Check whether the refund is paid in cash, in credits or in stages.

Frequently asked questions

Is the challenge fee refunded when I pass?

Mostly no. At the firms we checked the refund arrives after funding or with payouts: the first two payouts at FundedHero, the first Reward withdrawal on FTMO’s 2-Step, the first payout at AudaCity Capital, and the third reward at Maven. The5ers is the exception: it returns 10% of the fee as HUB credits when you pass Phase 1. Seven of the 13 firms describe no refund after funding at all.

Do discount codes cancel the refund?

At FundedHero, yes: a challenge bought with a discount code is not eligible for a refund. For the other firms in the table we found no such rule in the refund wording we read, but we did not read every promotion’s terms, so check before you buy.

Can I get my money back before I start trading?

At some firms, if you have not traded. Trade The Pool allows a full refund within 5 days, City Traders Imperium within 7 days, Atmos Funded within 14 days, FundedElite a discretionary refund within 14 days, Instant Funding up to 14 days or your first trade, and E8 Markets within 30 days (not for crypto payments). Bulenox does not refund at all.

Firms we have not checked yet

We have not yet read the refund wording of The Trading Pit, so it is not in the table: its support center did not load from our network when we checked on October 28, 2026. We add a firm only after reading its own terms or FAQ. Until then, ask its support for the refund rule in writing before you pay.

How we checked

Between October 15 and 28, 2026 we read each firm’s refund wording in its own FAQ, help center or terms, linked in the table. We do not treat sales pages, blogs or third-party sites as policy. Refund rules change, sometimes without notice. If you find that a row is out of date, email contact@reviewpropfirm.net with a link to the page and we will recheck it.