TradeDay Refund Policy: Can You Get Your Money Back?

Written by Paul

Published on

January 14, 2026

No refunds. TradeDay's refund policy is simple and absolute: once you purchase an evaluation subscription or reset, you will not get your money back under any circumstances. Cancel after one day? No refund. Hate the platform after one week? No refund. Pass evaluation on Day 8 but already paid for the full month? No refund for unused days.

This is TradeDay's official policy stated across their website, terms of service, and FAQ: "TradeDay works with a number of third-party service providers that require immediate commitment from TradeDay when an account is opened, as such we are unable to offer a refund after purchase."

Quick heads-up: This article is based on my real experience with TradeDay and the info available when I published/updated this. Things change in prop trading — rules, payouts, promos, all of it.

For the absolute latest, check TradeDay´s website or their faq page.

The no-refund policy covers every TradeDay product and service: monthly evaluation subscriptions ($75-375/month), paid resets ($99-139 per reset), CoPilot membership ($24/month), and activation fees ($139 when passing evaluation). Once you click "purchase" and your payment processes, that money is gone regardless of whether you trade for 30 days or 30 seconds.

The policy extends to failures, cancellations, technical issues, and even passing early. If you sign up on January 1, pass evaluation on January 8, you paid for 30 days but used 8—no prorated refund for the unused 22 days. TradeDay considers "all membership fees used in full" the moment you purchase.

Why TradeDay Doesn't Refund

TradeDay's no-refund stance comes from their operational structure. When you purchase an evaluation, TradeDay immediately commits resources through third-party service providers:

Platform Provisioning:

Your evaluation account gets provisioned through Tradovate, NinjaTrader, or TradeDayX within minutes of purchase. These platforms charge TradeDay for account setup, market data access, and platform hosting. Once that account is created, TradeDay has paid third-party costs that they can't recover even if you immediately cancel.

Market Data Fees:

Every evaluation account includes real-time Level 1 market data from CME Group exchanges. This data costs money—CME charges data fees per connection. The second your account activates, TradeDay is paying for your market data access whether you place one trade or one thousand.

Broker Integration:

TradeDay partners with brokers who execute trades in the simulated environment during evaluation and Funded Sim phases. These brokers provision accounts, maintain connections, and process order flow. They bill TradeDay for these services immediately when accounts open.

The Business Reality:

TradeDay operates on razor-thin margins. Monthly subscriptions ($75-375) barely cover platform costs, data fees, educational resources, and support overhead. They make money when traders fail evaluations and purchase resets, or when traders pass and eventually move to Funded Live accounts where TradeDay earns from spread/commission revenue.

Offering refunds would destroy this model. If every trader who struggled in Week 1 could get refunded, TradeDay would lose money on every account—they'd pay third-party provider costs but receive no subscription revenue.

What's NOT Refundable

TradeDay's no-refund policy applies to every product and fee type:

Monthly Evaluation Subscriptions:

Once your $75-375/month charge processes for your evaluation account, it's non-refundable. Cancel after 1 day, 10 days, or 29 days—doesn't matter. No prorated refunds, no partial credits.

Example:

Day 1: Purchase $50K EOD evaluation, pay $105
Day 5: Realize you hate EOD drawdown, want to cancel
Day 5: Cancel subscription
Refund received: $0
Days paid for but unused: 25 days = $87.50 worth of subscription lost

Paid Resets:

When you violate evaluation rules, you can purchase an instant reset for $99-139 depending on account size. This reset fee is non-refundable even if you:

Purchase reset and violate again within hours
Purchase reset accidentally (clicked wrong button)
Purchase reset then decide to cancel subscription entirely
Purchase reset when you could have waited 2 days for free monthly renewal reset

CoPilot Membership:

The $24/month education-only membership is non-refundable. If you sign up for CoPilot, attend one webinar, and decide it's not valuable, you don't get $24 back when you cancel.

Activation Fees:

When you pass evaluation, there's typically a $139 activation fee to transition to funded status (often waived by promo codes). If you pay this fee then change your mind about accepting funding, no refund. The $139 is gone.

Example Where Everything Is Non-Refundable:

January 1: Purchase $100K Intraday for $132/month
January 7: Violate max drawdown
January 7: Purchase $99 instant reset
January 9: Violate again
January 9: Cancel subscription entirely, give up on TradeDay
Total spent: $132 + $99 = $231
Total refunded: $0
Evaluation time used: 9 days out of 30 paid

Technical Issues Are Not Refundable

TradeDay explicitly states: "There are no refunds for technical issues including, but not limited to, stuck orders, loss of connectivity, market data issues, platform issues, and other technology-related issues."

If Tradovate crashes mid-trade and you violate max drawdown because you couldn't exit a position, too bad. If your internet drops, positions stay open, and you hit drawdown, no refund. If market data freezes and you trade on stale quotes that result in unexpected fills, no refund.

Why This Is Harsh:

Technical failures aren't always the trader's fault. Platform bugs happen. Internet outages occur. But TradeDay's stance is: these issues are "out of TradeDay's control and we are not liable for any losses that may arise in such instances."

Your Recourse:

None. You can contact support@tradeday.com and explain what happened. They might—might—show leniency if it's clearly a platform bug (like an order routing error) and offer a free reset or account reinstatement. But they're under no obligation to do anything, and their default answer is no refund.

Real Example from TradeDay Traders:

Trader places stop loss at breakeven. TradeDayX platform glitches and stop loss doesn't execute when price hits trigger. Trade continues running against trader, violates max drawdown. Trader contacts support with screenshots of stop loss placement and platform logs showing execution failure.

TradeDay's response: "We've noted the technical issue in our logs and will investigate platform behavior. However, per our refund policy, we cannot offer refunds for technical issues. You can purchase a reset to continue your evaluation."

Translation: We see the bug, but you're still paying $99 to reset.

Early Cancellation Penalties

While there's no refund when you cancel, there's also no penalty beyond losing what you've already paid. If you're on Day 10 of a 30-day cycle and cancel, you don't get charged for Day 11-30 (billing stops immediately), but you also don't get back the $75-375 you paid for Days 1-30.

Cancellation Process:

Log into members.tradeday.com
Profile menu → Cancel Membership
Confirm cancellation
Billing stops immediately
Platform access terminates within hours
No refund issues

You're free to cancel anytime without additional charges, but you forfeit any unused portion of your current subscription period.

Scenario	Money Spent	Refund Received
Cancel after 1 day	$105 (full month)	$0 - No refund for unused 29 days
Violate on Day 3, buy reset, violate Day 5	$105 + $99 = $204	$0 - Reset fee non-refundable
Pass evaluation Day 8, paid for full month	$105	$0 - No prorated refund for unused 22 days
Platform bug causes violation	$105	$0 - Technical issues not refundable
Change mind after signup, never trade	$105	$0 - No refunds after purchase

Passing Evaluation Doesn't Trigger Refunds

Some traders expect a partial refund when they pass evaluation early. Logic: "I paid for 30 days but only needed 12 days to pass. I should get refunded for the unused 18 days."

TradeDay's position: No. Passing evaluation early doesn't entitle you to any refund. You paid for access to the evaluation environment for 30 days. Whether you use 8 days or 30 days is irrelevant—the subscription covers the full period, and TradeDay considers the service "fully delivered" once you have access.

Why Traders Get Frustrated:

If you pass on Day 8, your subscription billing stops automatically—you won't be charged on Day 31 for the next cycle. But you don't get back any portion of Days 9-30 from the current paid period.

Example:

Paid: $165 for $100K EOD on January 1
Passed: January 12 (12 days used)
Billing stopped: January 12 (no Day 31 charge)
Refund for Days 13-30: $0

You effectively paid $165 for 12 days of use = $13.75/day. If you'd taken the full 30 days, it would've been $5.50/day. Passing early costs you more per day, with no credit for efficiency.

Disputing Charges via Credit Card

Some traders, frustrated by the no-refund policy, attempt to dispute the charge with their credit card company (chargeback). This is explicitly prohibited in TradeDay's Terms of Service and will result in permanent ban.

TradeDay's Chargeback Policy:

"If you lodge an unjustifiable complaint regarding the paid fee or dispute the paid fee with your bank or payment service TradeDay (e.g., through chargeback services, dispute services, or other similar services), TradeDay is entitled to stop providing to you any Services and refuse any future provision of any Services."

Translation:

File a chargeback → Permanent ban from TradeDay. Your current account terminates immediately. Any pending payouts disappear. You can never sign up for TradeDay again using your name, email, address, or payment method.

When Chargebacks Might Seem Justified:

You were charged twice by mistake
You cancelled but TradeDay kept charging you
You never received access to the service you paid for
Clear billing error (charged $200 instead of $105)

Even in these cases, contact support@tradeday.com FIRST. Chargebacks should be absolute last resort after exhausting all direct communication with TradeDay, and only for clear billing errors where TradeDay is unresponsive.

The One Exception: Passing Evaluation Might Get Refund (With Penalties)

TradeDay's refund policy document mentions ONE scenario where refunds are theoretically possible: passing evaluation. But it comes with a 20% penalty fee.

"Because of the costs imposed on TradeDay at the time of renewal, there is a 20% deduction in the refund."

This language is confusing and rarely invoked. The practical interpretation: If you pass evaluation very close to your renewal date (like Day 28-30), and your next billing cycle charges before TradeDay processes your passing status, you might—might—get a refund of the erroneously charged renewal fee minus 20%.

Example:

Day 28: Pass evaluation
Day 30: Renewal charge processes ($105)
You contact support: "I passed on Day 28, why was I charged for Day 31-60?"
TradeDay: "Our system didn't cancel billing fast enough. We'll refund 80% of the charge: $84. You forfeit $21 (20% penalty) to cover processing costs."

This is the ONLY refund scenario, and it's extremely rare because TradeDay usually stops billing within hours of passing evaluation. Most traders never encounter this situation.

Alternative to Refunds: The Free CoPilot Trial

TradeDay used to offer a 14-day free trial (discontinued in 2025). The current alternative is CoPilot membership at $24/month. This is TradeDay's "try before you commit" option.

CoPilot provides:

Access to all educational webinars and courses
Daily market meetings at 8:30 AM CT
Discord community access
Live market commentary
Research reports and analysis

CoPilot does NOT provide:

Trading platform access
Evaluation account
Ability to work toward funding

Strategic Use of CoPilot:

If you're unsure about TradeDay, subscribe to CoPilot for $24. Attend webinars for a week. Get a feel for the community, teaching style, and whether TradeDay's approach fits you. If you like it, upgrade to full evaluation. If you hate it, cancel after one month—you're only out $24 instead of $75-375.

CoPilot subscriptions are also non-refundable, but $24 is much less painful to lose than $105-375 if you realize TradeDay isn't for you.

What Happens If You're Unhappy

If you purchase an evaluation and immediately regret it, you have options—none involve refunds, but they minimize further losses:

Option 1: Cancel Immediately

Cancel within hours of purchase. You lose what you paid (no refund), but billing stops so you're not charged next month. Cut your losses at one subscription payment.

Option 2: Pause Your Approach

TradeDay doesn't allow pausing subscriptions, but you can simply not trade. Your subscription continues billing monthly, but you can take a month off without actively trading. Downside: you're paying $75-375/month for a service you're not using. Upside: you don't lose evaluation progress if you've already completed several trading days.

Option 3: Use the Subscription You Paid For

You paid for 30 days of access. Even if you're frustrated, extract value from what you paid for:

Attend webinars and morning meetings
Study other traders' approaches in Discord
Paper trade or demo trade to practice without risking evaluation account
Read TradeDay's educational resources
Watch recorded coaching sessions

You're not getting money back, so maximize what the subscription provides.

Option 4: Contact Support with Legitimate Issues

If you have a genuine problem (platform completely non-functional, account never provisioned, charged wrong amount), email support@tradeday.com. Provide specifics, screenshots, transaction IDs. While refunds are unlikely, TradeDay support might offer:

Free reset if technical issue caused violation
Extension of subscription if platform was down for days
Credit toward future purchase

Don't expect refunds, but legitimate issues sometimes get non-refund accommodations.

Red Flags That Won't Get Refunds

Traders often contact TradeDay requesting refunds for reasons that are clearly stated as non-refundable:

"I didn't read the rules and violated immediately"

Not refundable. Rules are displayed before purchase and during account setup. Ignorance of rules doesn't justify refund.

"The evaluation is too hard, I can't pass"

Not refundable. Difficulty is subjective. TradeDay's pass rate (28.2% between Oct 2023-Mar 2024) is publicly disclosed. Hard evaluations are the point—they're testing your ability to trade profitably under risk constraints.

"I thought I was buying funded account, not evaluation"

Not refundable. TradeDay clearly labels products as "Evaluation" with pass requirements. If you misunderstood the product, that's not TradeDay's fault.

"I changed my mind about prop trading"

Not refundable. You can cancel to stop future charges, but you don't get back what you've paid.

"My spouse/parent/friend signed me up without permission"

Not refundable. Payment processed from a valid payment method with confirmed billing details. This is between you and whoever made the purchase.

Comparison to Other Prop Firms

TradeDay's no-refund policy is standard in the prop trading industry. Almost every evaluation-based prop firm has similar policies:

Firms With No Refund Policies:

TradeDay: No refunds after purchase
Apex Trader Funding: No refunds, no exceptions
TakeProfitTrader: No refunds on evaluations
TopStep: No refunds after account activation
Earn2Trade: No refunds after purchase

Firms With Limited Refund Windows:

Some smaller firms offer 48-hour refund windows if you haven't placed any trades
A few offer "satisfaction guarantees" where first-time customers can get refunded if they request within 7 days and haven't traded

TradeDay is not uniquely harsh—this is industry standard. The prop firm business model depends on collecting evaluation fees from traders who fail. Refund policies would undermine this model.

Legal Standing of No-Refund Policies

TradeDay's Terms of Service, which you agree to when purchasing, explicitly state no refunds. This is legally enforceable. You entered a contract where you paid for access to an evaluation service, and the terms clearly state fees are non-refundable.

Could You Sue for Refund?

Technically yes, anyone can file a lawsuit. Practically? You'd spend more in legal fees than you'd recover, and you'd almost certainly lose. TradeDay's terms are clear, you agreed to them, and courts generally uphold "no refund" clauses in service agreements where the service was actually provided (which it was—you got platform access, even if briefly).

Consumer Protection Angles:

In some jurisdictions, "no refund" policies have limits—particularly if the service was misrepresented or never delivered. If TradeDay charged you but never gave you platform access, never responded to support emails, and you can prove the service was never provided, you might have a consumer protection claim.

But if you used the service (logged in, placed trades, accessed educational content) and simply didn't like it or failed evaluation, no consumer protection law is going to override your agreement to the no-refund terms.

How to Avoid Needing Refunds

Since refunds aren't happening, the goal is never needing one:

Research Before Buying:

Read multiple TradeDay reviews, particularly from traders who've actually used the platform (like the comprehensive TradeDay review on PropTradingVibes). Understand the rules, drawdown types, and what you're actually paying for.

Start With Smallest Account:

Don't jump into a $150K evaluation at $210/month if you've never traded prop firms before. Start with $50K Intraday at $75/month. If you hate it, you're only out $75. If you love it, scale up.

Use CoPilot First:

Pay $24/month for CoPilot membership to test TradeDay's community, education, and overall vibe before committing $75-375 to actual evaluation.

Understand Drawdown Types:

Research the difference between Intraday, EOD, and Static drawdowns before selecting. Picking wrong drawdown type is the #1 reason traders regret their purchase and want refunds.

Read the Rules:

Actually read TradeDay's complete rule set before trading. Most violations and failures happen because traders didn't know specific prohibited practices or trading time restrictions.

FAQ: TradeDay Refunds

Can I get a refund if I cancel my TradeDay subscription?

No. TradeDay does not issue refunds when you cancel. You lose access to the service but receive no money back for unused days in your billing cycle.

What if I pass evaluation in the first week—do I get refunded for unused days?

No. TradeDay considers the subscription "fully used" once you have access. Passing early doesn't trigger partial refunds for unused days.

Are reset fees refundable if I violate again immediately after purchasing?

No. Reset purchases are final and non-refundable, even if you violate within hours of resetting.

Can I get a refund for technical issues that caused my evaluation failure?

No. TradeDay explicitly states no refunds for technical issues including platform bugs, connectivity problems, or market data issues.

What if TradeDay charged my card twice by mistake?

Contact support@tradeday.com immediately with transaction details. Billing errors might be corrected, but this is different from policy-based refund requests. Duplicate charges are mistakes that should be fixed.

If I file a credit card chargeback, what happens?

TradeDay will permanently ban you from all services. You'll lose your current account, forfeit any pending payouts, and be prohibited from signing up again.

Is CoPilot membership refundable?

No. The $24/month CoPilot subscription is non-refundable after purchase, just like evaluation subscriptions.

Can I get a refund if I never used the account after purchasing?

No. Refund policy applies whether you traded for 30 days or never logged in at all. Once you purchase, the fee is non-refundable.

Do any prop firms offer refunds on evaluations?

Very few. Most prop firms have similar no-refund policies. Some smaller firms offer short refund windows (24-48 hours) if you haven't traded, but this is rare and not standard.