QT Funded Quant Tekel Review 2026: Honest Look at Rules, Payouts & Trader Feedback

Quick Verdict

QT Funded offers a structured path from evaluation to salaried trading, with profit splits up to 90% and a unique Capital Programme. But the gap between what the firm advertises and what traders report on Trustpilot is hard to ignore. On The Trusted Prop, the firm holds an 8.3/10 rating from 10 reviews. Meanwhile, its Trustpilot page shows a 2.5-star score across 4 reviews, all of them 1-star, with complaints about denied payouts and hidden rules.

This review breaks down what QT Funded actually offers, what traders are saying, and where you need to be careful before buying.

What Is QT Funded?

QT Funded launched in 2023 under Quant Tekel Ltd, registered in the UK with company number 15202495. The CEO is Tanswell Sassman. The firm is headquartered in London's Canary Wharf area. It operates as a forex and multi-asset prop firm offering evaluation-based and instant funding models.

The firm previously operated under the name Ascendx Capital before rebranding. That name change matters. Some reviews from 2024 reference Ascendx, and the firm's blog from August 2024 still uses that name. Traders should check whether rules or ownership shifted during the rebrand.

QT Funded supports three trading platforms: MT5 (included in the base price), plus cTrader and TradeLocker as paid add-ons. The broker infrastructure is in-house, meaning QT Funded controls the execution environment rather than outsourcing to a third-party broker.

Account sizes range from $2,500 to $200,000, with maximum allocation scaling to $300,000 through multiple accounts. The firm claims it serves traders across 180+ countries, though 40% of its web traffic comes from India.

Account Types & Pricing

QT Funded currently offers four challenge types on its platform. Three are evaluation-based, one is instant funding.

QT PRIME 2-Step Challenge

This is the flagship two-phase model. Phase 1 requires 8% profit, Phase 2 requires 5%. Total drawdown is 10% with a 4% daily limit. Payouts come every 14 days. Minimum trading days is 4.

QT PRIME 3-Step Challenge

Three phases, each requiring 6% profit. Same drawdown structure: 10% total, 4% daily. 14-day payout cycle. Minimum 4 trading days.

Notice the odd account sizes on the $10K and $25K tiers. This might be a data artifact, but traders should confirm exact sizes before buying.

QT POWER 2-Step Challenge

A lower-cost two-phase option with tighter drawdown (8% total) and 6% profit targets per phase. Only goes up to $100,000.

QT INSTANT

No evaluation. Immediate funded account. Tighter drawdown limits: 6% total, 3% daily. Minimum 5 trading days. 14-day payout cycle.

The instant model is cheaper than the 2-Step for the same sizes. That makes sense since there's no evaluation to pass, but the drawdown limits are tighter, which raises the risk of early account loss.

Drawdown Rules: How They Actually Work

QT Funded uses a static drawdown model. This is simpler than trailing drawdown but has its own traps.

Daily drawdown: 4% based on account balance at market open. Resets each day.

Max drawdown: 10% based on the original account balance. Does not trail upward.

Let's run a real example with a $50,000 account:

• Your daily limit is $2,000. If your equity drops below $48,000 at any point during the trading day, you breach.

• Your total limit is $5,000. If your equity falls below $45,000 from the starting balance, the account is gone.

• If you grow the account to $55,000, your max drawdown is still calculated from the original $50,000. You cannot lose more than $5,000 total, even if your equity peaks higher.

Most common mistake traders make: holding losing trades overnight during volatility. The floating loss can breach the daily drawdown even if the trade recovers the next day. Static drawdown doesn't care about recovery. It cares about the lowest point reached.

The QT Instant account has even tighter limits: 3% daily and 6% total. On a $50,000 instant account, that means $1,500 daily and $3,000 total. One bad trade in a volatile session and you're done.

News Trading Policy

QT Funded allows trading around news, but with a hard execution window restriction.

Traders cannot open, close, or modify trades within 5 minutes before or after high-impact news events. The firm references Forex Factory for its event calendar.

Trades opened before the 5-minute window can be held through the news. Limit orders are not affected.

This is looser than some firms that ban news trading entirely. But the 5-minute window can catch you off guard if you're not watching the calendar. If you trade NFP or CPI regularly, set alerts. One accidental entry at 2:03 PM on NFP Friday can cost you the account.

Trading Platforms & Costs

MT5 is the default platform, included in the base price. It's solid for most traders. Charting is good, execution is reliable, and it supports EAs with pre-approval.

cTrader and TradeLocker are available as paid add-ons. These platforms are cleaner and faster for manual trading, but they add cost.

QT Funded offers two pricing models:

Raw Spread + Commission: Tighter spreads, commission per trade. Better for scalpers and algorithmic traders.

Variable Spread, No Commission: Spreads are wider, but no commission charged. Simpler for discretionary traders and beginners.

The swap-free account option costs 10% of the plan price. Useful if you hold positions overnight in markets with high swap rates.

There's no data on typical EUR/USD or XAUUSD spreads under normal conditions. Traders who care about execution quality should ask in the Discord or test with a demo before buying a challenge.

Prohibited Strategies

QT Funded bans several strategies outright:

• High-frequency trading and tick scalping

• Arbitrage and latency exploitation

• Copy trading across accounts

• Group hedging or coordinated strategies

• Gambling-style all-in trading

• One-sided excessive exposure

EAs are allowed but require pre-approval and purchase of the EA add-on. If you run automated strategies, factor in the additional cost and approval time.

The firm distinguishes between soft breaches (minor violations that may trigger warnings) and hard breaches (drawdown limits, news trading violations) that result in immediate account termination.

Payout Process: What Traders Report vs What the Firm Claims

QT Funded advertises flexible payout cycles: weekly, bi-weekly, and every 30 days. The minimum withdrawal is $110. Profit split starts at 80% and scales to 90%.

The firm claims payouts are processed within about 8 hours on average after compliance review.

On the QT 2-Step accounts, the first two payout cycles are capped at 5% of account balance or $5,000, whichever is higher. From cycle 3 onward, the cap is removed. The 2-Step Elite has no cap from the start.

But here's where things get messy.

What Traders Are Actually Saying

One TTP reviewer, azyz abd'azyz, reports buying an instant funding account, making profit, requesting a payout, and then receiving a violation email three business days later. The firm forfeited the payout and closed the account. The reviewer says they received no violation alerts during trading.

When they contacted support, they were told "soft breaches" can also lead to forfeiture.

Another Trustpilot reviewer, "My Tft," claims they made profit on a funded account, waited two months for payout, and were eventually offered two options: a refund of the challenge fee plus 10% of profit, or restarting a 30-day funded cycle. The reviewer interprets this as the firm avoiding the 90% profit split.

A third Trustpilot reviewer, Xiao Zhang, reports that weekend crypto trading is not allowed, a rule they say was hidden from the website. The live chat support was also non-functional.

All 4 Trustpilot reviews are 1-star. The Trustpilot score has been declining since April 2026, dropping from 2.9 to 2.6 in May.

The Review Authenticity Problem

There's a big split between what TTP and Trustpilot show.

On TTP, the firm has 10 reviews with a composite 8.3 rating. Some are glowing. One reviewer claims to have been with Quant Tekel for over a year with no issues. Another praises the support team. One reviewer mentions receiving compensation during a platform migration from MT5 to cTrader.

On Trustpilot, the picture is reversed. 4 reviews, all 1-star, all describing payout denial, hidden rules, or support failures.

Which do you trust? The Trustpilot complaints follow a pattern seen across many prop firms: denied payout after profit, vague rule citations, support that takes days to respond. The TTP reviews, while positive, come from a smaller sample and some reference the firm's earlier identity as Ascendx Capital.

One TTP reviewer explicitly says the firm asks support agents to request reviews from clients for "every and any thing you ask them." If true, that would inflate positive review volume while serious complaints get buried.

QT Capital Programme: The Career Path Angle

The Capital Programme is QT Funded's most distinctive feature. After completing three payout cycles on the 2-Step or 2-Step Elite plans, traders can transition to a salaried position.

What it offers:

• Monthly salary up to 3% of account balance

• Daily payouts instead of weekly or bi-weekly

• Quarterly performance reviews for scaling

• Profit split starting at 50/50, negotiable upward

• Potential physical office access at QT Funded global locations

This is rare in the prop firm space. Most firms cap out at profit splits and scaling. Few offer a salaried career path. If the program delivers as advertised, it's a real differentiator.

But there are caveats. The transition criteria are not fully public. What counts as "sustained consistency"? How are quarterly reviews conducted? What happens if a Capital Programme trader has a drawdown month? The firm's description leaves room for interpretation.

Traders should not buy a challenge expecting the Capital Programme as a guaranteed outcome. It's a potential endgame for the top performers, not a standard feature of every funded account.

Scaling Plan

QT Funded scales accounts based on performance and cycle completion rather than automatic milestones. Maximum allocation is $300,000 across multiple accounts.

Scaling is linked to the Capital Programme progression. Traders who demonstrate consistent profitability over multiple payout cycles become eligible for allocation increases. Quarterly reviews adjust balance, risk limits, and capital based on performance.

There are no published fixed scaling milestones. This gives the firm flexibility but also means traders have less visibility into the growth path. If you're the type who wants to know "If I do X, I get Y," QT Funded's approach may feel vague.

Performance Protection Promise

This is an add-on benefit. If a trader breaches rules but is still eligible, they may receive 10% of profits or a full refund, whichever is higher. The benefit is limited to three uses per user and does not apply to fraud or rule exploitation.

It's a decent safety net for accidental breaches. But the key phrase is "if eligible." The firm decides eligibility. The Trustpilot complaints suggest that eligibility determinations can be subjective.

Countries Restricted

QT Funded restricts access from:

• Cyprus

• Iran

• North Korea

• Sudan

• Syria

• Russia

• United States

• Canada

• Belarus

• Iraq

• Myanmar

• Pakistan

• South Korea

If you're in any of these countries, you cannot open an account. The US restriction is common among prop firms that want to avoid CFTC/NFA regulation.

Web Traffic & Market Position

QT Funded's website received 462,000 visits in March 2026, down from 541,000 in February. Pages per visit is 3.82, which suggests visitors are reading multiple pages before deciding.

Traffic sources are mostly direct (46%) and referrals (31%). Search accounts for 20%. Social media is negligible at 2%. This distribution suggests the firm relies on word-of-mouth and community referrals rather than paid ads.

Top countries: India (40%), UK (10%), Brazil (8%), Turkey (7%), Thailand (6%). The Indian dominance is notable and may reflect the firm's popularity in that market.

Pros (From Analysis)

1. Real career pathway. The Capital Programme is genuinely different. No other prop firm I've reviewed offers a salaried trading position with daily payouts and physical office access. If it works, it's a legitimate path from retail prop trading to something closer to institutional trading.

2. Performance Protection Promise. Gets you some protection on your first few breaches. It's not a guarantee of payout, but it's better than the zero-recourse policies at many firms.

3. Flexible payout options. Weekly, bi-weekly, 30-day cycles. Minimum $110 threshold is low. Payout speed claims are reasonable for the space.

4. Multi-platform support. MT5 is standard. cTrader and TradeLocker as options gives traders flexibility. The choice between raw spreads + commission and variable spreads + no commission is genuinely useful.

5. Low entry cost. The QT POWER 2-Step starts at $26 for a $5,000 account. That's cheaper than most competitors for a two-phase evaluation.

6. No time limit on evaluations. The 2-Step and 3-Step challenges have no maximum trading days. You can take as long as you need to hit profit targets. This suits swing traders and part-time traders.

7. News trading is partially allowed. You can hold trades through news. The restriction is only on execution within the 5-minute window. Many firms ban news trading entirely.

Cons (From Analysis)

1. Trustpilot gap is concerning. Four reviews, all 1-star, all describing payout denial or hidden rules. The firm's TTP rating is higher, but the sample is small and one reviewer claims the firm solicits positive reviews from support interactions. This pattern deserves scrutiny.

2. Payout denial reports follow a familiar pattern. Trader makes profit, requests payout, receives a violation notice they didn't know existed, payout forfeited. If these reports are accurate, the firm's rule enforcement may be reactive rather than proactive. A violation should trigger during the trading, not after the payout request.

3. Hidden rules. The Trustpilot review about weekend crypto trading not being allowed, with no mention on the website, is a red flag. If rules are not fully documented before purchase, traders cannot make informed decisions.

4. Static drawdown doesn't trail. If you grow your account, your max drawdown stays fixed at the original balance. This means profitable traders have less room for error than they expect. A 10% static drawdown on a $50K account is $5,000. If you grow to $60K and hit a $5,001 drawdown, you breach even though you're still up $9,999 net.

5. Broker-owned infrastructure. QT Funded operates via its own broker-backed system. This means the firm controls both the evaluation and the execution. There's no independent broker acting as a check on the firm's decisions. Conflicts of interest are possible.

6. Simulated accounts only. All trading is on demo/simulated environments. The firm makes this clear, but some traders still expect real market exposure. If you want true live execution, this is not that firm.

7. No refunds without add-ons. Evaluation fees are non-refundable unless you purchase specific add-ons. First-payout guarantee is absent. You pay for the evaluation and if you fail or breach, the fee is gone.

8. Limited payout evidence. The MCP returned no payout proof data. For a firm that claims thousands of traders and fast processing, there should be visible payout evidence. Its absence is not proof of a problem, but it's notable.

Should You Buy a QT Funded Challenge?

It depends on what you're looking for.

If you want a structured evaluation with a potential career path, clear drawdown rules, and flexible payout options, QT Funded offers a legitimate product. The Capital Programme is a genuine differentiator. The pricing is competitive, especially the POWER 2-Step option.

If you are risk-averse about payout denial or hidden rules, the Trustpilot complaints are a warning. Four reviews is a small sample, but the consistency of the complaints matters. All four describe the same basic scenario: trader makes money, firm finds a reason not to pay. If this is a pattern rather than isolated incidents, it affects every funded trader eventually.

The safest approach: buy the smallest account you're willing to trade. Use the TRUSTED coupon code for 50% off. Pass the evaluation. Make a small profit. Request a payout. See what happens. If the payout comes through cleanly, you have evidence the system works. If not, you're out $26 to $60 instead of $1,298.

Risk reminder: Trading challenges involve risk. Most traders do not pass evaluations. Always read the firm's latest rules before buying. Rules can change. Confirm payout terms on the firm's official website.

FAQ

Is QT Funded legit or a scam? QT Funded is a registered UK company with real staff and infrastructure. But the Trustpilot complaints about payout denial and hidden rules mean traders should approach with caution. "Legitimate" and "safe for traders" are different questions.

What is the minimum payout? $110.

How long do payouts take? The firm claims about 8 hours after approval. Some trader reports suggest delays of weeks.

Can I trade news? Yes, with restrictions. No execution within 5 minutes before or after high-impact news. Trades opened earlier can be held through news.

Is EA trading allowed? Yes, with pre-approval and purchase of the EA add-on.

What happened to Ascendx Capital? QT Funded was previously known as Ascendx Capital. The firm rebranded. Traders should confirm whether rules or ownership changed during the transition.

What countries are restricted? The US, UK, Canada, Russia, China (not on the listed ban but common), Cyprus, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria, Belarus, Iraq, Myanmar, Pakistan, South Korea.

Do they offer instant funding? Yes, the QT Instant model gives immediate funded access with no evaluation. Tighter drawdown limits apply.