How Does a Simulated Funded Trading Account Work?
What a simulated funded trading account is, how prices, orders and costs are simulated, how Demo and Real accounts differ at Fundzoria and how rewards are calculated.
“Funded account” is one of the most used phrases in prop trading, and one of the most misunderstood. At many firms, and at Fundzoria, a funded account is a simulated account: you trade virtual funds on market prices from a data feed, and your results are measured against published rules.
This guide explains what that means in practice, from the way prices and orders are simulated to how a reward is calculated, and what simulation can and cannot tell you about your trading.
What “simulated” means
A simulated account behaves like a trading account, with a balance, equity, margin and open positions, but the money is virtual. When you place an order, it is filled inside the platform’s own model instead of being sent to an exchange, a broker or a liquidity provider.
- You do not own, buy or sell any financial instrument.
- Virtual balances and simulated profits are not deposits, investments or cash held for you.
- You do not owe virtual losses. The cost of a breached account is the fee you paid for it.
Every account, from the first evaluation phase to the funded stage, is simulated with virtual funds. Orders are not sent to a real market.
Why prop firms use simulated accounts
Evaluating traders on live capital is expensive and risky for a firm. Simulation lets a firm measure many traders under identical rules, apply limits instantly and keep a full record of every order. For the trader, the cost of a mistake is limited to the fee rather than a real-money loss.
The trade-off is that a simulation is a model. Real markets include slippage, liquidity gaps and rejected orders that a model may not reproduce in full. A trustworthy firm says this openly, and we cover the limits further down.
How prices, orders and costs are simulated at Fundzoria
- Prices come from a third-party market data source and may be delayed, interrupted or different from prices at other venues.
- Fills: buys fill at the ask and sells at the bid, so the spread is a real cost in the simulation.
- Commission on forex and metals is $3.50 per lot, charged when a position opens and again when it closes.
- Orders: market, limit and stop orders, each with an optional stop loss and take profit, from 0.01 to 20.00 lots per order and up to 100 open positions and pending orders combined.
- Margin = lots × contract size × price ÷ leverage. If equity falls to 50% of the margin in use or lower, positions are closed and the account is breached.
- Market hours: forex and metals trade from Sunday 22:00 UTC to Friday 21:00 UTC, with a daily break from 21:00 to 22:00 UTC. Crypto trades 24/7.
- 1.00 lot EUR/USD at 1.10000 · 1:30
- $3,666.67
- 0.50 lot XAU/USD at 4,000.00 · 1:15 on 2-Step
- $13,333.33
- The same gold position on Lite · 1:10
- $20,000.00
Prices are illustrative. Leverage sets the margin a position needs; it does not change how much you gain or lose per pip.
The life of a Fundzoria account
- Evaluation (Demo). On 1-Step, 2-Step and Lite, you trade one or two evaluation phases. A phase passes when the target is reached in closed profit, every position is closed and the minimum trading days are complete.
- Funded simulation (Real). The account moves to the funded stage automatically and starts again at the initial balance. The same daily loss, maximum loss, inactivity and margin rules continue. Instant accounts start at this stage directly.
- Identity verification. Before a reward can be paid from a Real account, you complete identity verification (KYC) in your dashboard.
- Reward requests. Once the payout conditions are met, you request a reward, which is reviewed before it is paid.
| Feature | Evaluation (Demo) | Funded and Instant (Real) |
|---|---|---|
| Virtual funds | Yes | Yes |
| Profit target | Yes, per phase | No |
| Loss limits | Program limits apply | The same program limits continue |
| High-impact news | Trading allowed | New orders locked ±2 minutes |
| Identity verification | Not needed | Required before a reward |
| Rewards | None | 80% of closed simulated profit, under the payout rules |
How rewards are calculated
A reward is a share of closed simulated profit on a Real account. It is not a withdrawal of your money, because none of your money is in the account. At Fundzoria the conditions are:
- a share of 80% of closed simulated profit;
- the first payout opens 14 days after the account becomes funded;
- after that, payouts are on demand once you have 3 profitable days of at least 0.25% of the starting balance since your last payout;
- Instant accounts also need 5 profitable days and must keep the 40% best-day consistency rule;
- no open positions or pending orders when you make the request;
- a minimum share of $100, with a $3 processing fee deducted;
- payment in USDT on BEP20 or TRC20 to your saved payout wallet, after identity verification and review.
- Closed simulated profit
- $2,400
- Your share · 80%
- $1,920
- Processing fee
- −$3
- Paid in USDT
- $1,917
Illustrative only. A request that breaks the trading rules can be declined, and the profit is then returned to the account.
For security, changing your payout wallet needs two-factor authentication and pauses payouts for 48 hours, and more than one change in 30 days needs manual verification.
What simulation can and cannot tell you
A simulated record is useful evidence of discipline: how you size positions, how you handle losses and whether you follow rules over weeks. It is not proof that the same results would happen with real money.
- Real markets can involve slippage, gaps, liquidity limits and rejected orders that a simulation may not reproduce in full.
- Spreads and costs in a live market change with conditions.
- Trading psychology can be different when your own money is at risk.
- Past results, simulated or live, do not predict future results.
No simulated account, evaluation or reward program can guarantee income. Treat any reward as uncertain, and never rely on it for essential expenses.
Is it “real” trading?
Yes and no. The decisions are real: you analyse market prices, choose a size, manage risk and live with the result. The money is not. That combination is what makes simulation a practical way to build and prove a trading process, as long as you understand what it is and what it is not.
To see how the stages work for each program, read How it works and the trading rules, or start with our beginner’s guide to prop trading firms.
Key takeaways
- A simulated funded account uses virtual funds, and orders are filled inside the platform rather than in a real market.
- At Fundzoria, buys fill at the ask and sells at the bid, and commission is charged per lot on each side.
- Evaluation accounts are Demo; funded and Instant accounts are Real, with a ±2-minute news lock and identity verification before rewards.
- Real accounts can request 80% of closed simulated profit under the payout rules, after KYC and review.
- Simulation measures discipline well, but it cannot guarantee future or real-money results.
Frequently asked questions
Is a simulated funded account a demo account?
In one sense, yes: it uses virtual funds, like a demo. The difference is that it is measured against firm rules and, on Real accounts, can qualify for a performance reward under the firm’s terms.
Where do Fundzoria’s prices come from?
Quotes come from a third-party market data source. They may be delayed, interrupted or different from prices at other venues, and simulated execution may differ from real-world trading conditions.
Do I need to verify my identity?
Identity verification is required before a reward can be paid from a Real account, meaning a funded or Instant account. The steps appear in your dashboard.
How are rewards paid?
In USDT on the BEP20 or TRC20 network, to the payout wallet saved in your profile, after the request has been reviewed.
Can I lose real money on a simulated account?
You do not owe the virtual losses of a simulated account. What you can lose is the fee paid for the account, which is not refunded after a breach.
