Futures Prop Firm OffersFutures Order Rejection Troubleshooting Checklist
Diagnose rejected futures orders by checking session status, contract month, price increments, quantity, account limits and duplicate orders.
Futures Order Rejection Troubleshooting Checklist
Direct answer: When a futures order is rejected, do not keep resubmitting it. Record the exact rejection message, confirm account and contract details, verify market session and price increments, check quantity and prop-account limits, then correct only the identified issue. A rejected order normally did not become a working order, but the account’s authoritative order history should confirm that before another instruction is sent.
First response to a rejection
| Priority | Action | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stop repeated submissions | Prevents duplicate orders after a delayed status update |
| 2 | Capture the exact message | Preserves the best diagnostic clue |
| 3 | Check order history | Confirms rejected, working, cancelled or filled state |
| 4 | Verify account and contract | Finds wrong-account or wrong-expiry errors |
| 5 | Check session and permissions | Identifies closed market or blocked product |
| 6 | Correct one issue at a time | Keeps the diagnosis clear |
An order that looks rejected locally can still require broker-side confirmation if the connection was unstable.
Common rejection categories
| Rejection category | Typical cause | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Invalid price | Price not aligned with tick increment | Contract tick size |
| Quantity exceeds limit | Too many contracts or micros | Current account position cap |
| Insufficient buying power | Margin or risk control blocks order | Account and platform limits |
| Market closed | Instrument outside accepted session | Exchange and firm schedule |
| Wrong contract | Expired or unsupported month | Active contract symbol |
| Order type unsupported | Platform or account restriction | Permitted order types |
| Duplicate or conflicting order | Existing working instruction | Full order book |
| Account locked | Daily or overall rule state | Dashboard status |
| Price band violation | Limit too far from market | Exchange/platform price bands |
The platform’s exact message matters more than a generic list.
Invalid price example
Assume a contract trades in 0.25-point increments.
| Submitted price | Valid increment? | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 5,000.00 | Yes | Can proceed to other checks |
| 5,000.25 | Yes | Can proceed |
| 5,000.10 | No | Likely invalid-price rejection |
| 5,000.375 | No | Likely invalid-price rejection |
Round to a valid tradable tick only when it still matches the intended risk plan.
Quantity-limit example
| Account limit | Current open quantity | Working entry quantity | New requested quantity | Potential total | Within limit? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 contracts | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | Yes |
| 5 contracts | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | No |
| 5 contracts | 0 | 5 | 1 | 6 | No |
| 5 contracts | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 | No |
Working entry orders can count toward potential exposure even before filling.
Contract-month checks
A symbol can be rejected when the wrong expiry is selected or the firm no longer supports that month.
| Check | Question |
|---|---|
| Root symbol | Is this the intended product? |
| Expiry month | Is the month active and supported? |
| Rollover date | Has liquidity moved to the next contract? |
| Data subscription | Is market data active for this exchange? |
| Account permission | Is the instrument allowed? |
| Position history | Is exposure already open in another month? |
Do not change contract month merely to force an order through. Confirm liquidity and the trading plan.
Session and news controls
Some futures trade nearly around the clock but still have maintenance breaks, exchange halts or firm-specific restrictions.
| Status | Possible response |
|---|---|
| Scheduled maintenance | Wait for the session to reopen |
| Exchange halt | Do not bypass; monitor official status |
| Firm news restriction | Follow the account rule |
| Platform maintenance | Use only an approved backup route |
| Market data delay | Verify data before pricing the order |
| Contract limit event | Review exchange or broker notice |
A platform clock and the trader’s local clock can use different time zones. Record both.
Stop and bracket-order conflicts
| Symptom | Possible cause | Diagnostic step |
|---|---|---|
| Stop rejected immediately | Wrong side or invalid trigger | Compare stop with current market |
| Target rejected | Invalid tick or price band | Re-enter valid increment |
| Bracket partly accepted | One child order invalid | Inspect every child status |
| Exit quantity rejected | Quantity exceeds open position | Verify current net position |
| “Reduce only” rejected | No matching position | Confirm account and symbol |
| OCO behaves unexpectedly | Existing linked order remains | Review order relationships |
Never assume a partially accepted bracket provides complete protection. Confirm the stop is working.
Rejection log template
| Field | Record |
|---|---|
| Date, time and time zone | |
| Account ID or label | |
| Platform and version | |
| Contract and expiry | |
| Order type and side | |
| Requested price and quantity | |
| Exact rejection message | |
| Open position | |
| Working orders | |
| Market/session status | |
| Corrective action | |
| Final verified state |
Screenshots should exclude passwords, authentication codes and unrelated personal information.
Step-by-step troubleshooting workflow
- Save the rejection message and timestamp.
- Confirm the order status in authoritative history.
- Check the selected account.
- Verify contract symbol and expiry.
- Confirm the market is open and not halted.
- Validate price against tick size.
- Add open positions and working orders to requested quantity.
- Check prop-account limits and dashboard status.
- Review order-type permissions.
- Correct the specific issue once.
- Verify the new order state and protective orders.
- Escalate to official support if the reason remains unclear.
Stop-trading conditions
| Condition | Response |
|---|---|
| Position state is uncertain | Stop and verify exposure |
| Rejection reason changes repeatedly | Pause and contact support |
| Platform and broker history disagree | Do not send another order |
| Protective stop is missing | Manage risk through approved process |
| Account dashboard shows a lock | Do not attempt to bypass it |
| Connection is unstable | Reconcile before continuing |
What to send support
Provide the account identifier, contract month, timestamp with time zone, order ID, exact error, intended quantity, screenshots and the current verified position. Ask for the rejection reason and confirmation of the order state.
Final answer
A futures order rejection should be treated as a diagnostic event. Confirm status first, identify the exact rule or technical mismatch, make one controlled correction and verify the full position and order book before continuing.