Sign the Non-Professional Data Agreement in Tradovate
Sign the Tradovate non-professional market data agreement to unlock lower real-time futures data rates. See who qualifies and how to certify.
Real-time futures data isn't free, but most retail traders pay far less than they think, if they certify correctly. Before Tradovate streams live exchange quotes, you have to sign a market data agreement and declare whether you're a professional or non-professional subscriber. Pick Non-Professional (and you almost certainly qualify), and you pay the low retail rate instead of the steep professional one. Here's how to sign it and lock in the cheaper rate.
Why This One Form Decides Your Data Bill
Tradovate carries CME Group data, and the exchange sets two very different price tiers. Professional subscribers pay a premium, often hundreds of dollars a month across the exchanges, while non-professional rates are a small fraction of that. Exact fees vary by exchange and change over time, so check Tradovate's current market-data rates. The gap is big enough that the certification is worth getting right the first time.
The catch: the exchange won't turn on real-time quotes until you've signed. Skip it and you're stuck on a 10-minute delayed feed, the root of a lot of "my charts are frozen" headaches.
Non-Professional or Professional: Which Are You?
This isn't a matter of preference, the exchange defines it. You generally qualify as non-professional only if you meet all of these conditions:
| You likely qualify as Non-Professional if… | You're Professional if… |
|---|---|
| You're a natural person (an individual), not a company or corporate account | You subscribe on behalf of a business, firm, or employer |
| You use the data for your own personal trading only | You use the data for business purposes or to manage other people's money |
| You're not registered or qualified with the SEC, CFTC, or any securities/futures exchange or regulator (FINRA, NFA, and the like) | You're registered or qualified with any of those bodies, or perform similar functions |
| You're not acting as an investment adviser or asset manager | You give investment advice or manage assets professionally |
| You trade with your own capital | You trade with capital provided by others, or share trading profits under an agreement |
If every item on the left describes you, select Non-Professional. If any item on the right applies, you're Professional, and certifying incorrectly can get your data reclassified and back-billed later. The exchange makes the final call.
How to Sign the Non-Professional Agreement: Step-by-Step
Open Tradovate in a Desktop Web Browser
Sign in to the Tradovate web trader on a desktop browser. This part matters: the agreement isn't supported on the mobile app, so if you only ever log in on your phone, you'll never see the screen that unlocks live data. Use the browser platform to get it done.
Open the Market Data Subscriber Certification
For a fresh account, the market data subscriber certification pops up automatically the first time you log in. Already clicked past it? Open Application Settings, head to the Market Data (or Subscriptions) area, and start or review the exchange data agreement from there. Either path lands you on the same certification.
Confirm You Qualify, Then Select Non-Professional
The certification lists the qualifying conditions for non-professional status, the same criteria in the table above. Read them, confirm they all apply to you, and select Non-Professional. This is the single most important choice on the form, because it sets your rate tier. For the vast majority of retail futures traders, Non-Professional is the correct and cheaper answer.
E-Sign With Your Full Name and Submit
Next you'll accept the subscriber agreement and provide an electronic signature. Tick the agreement checkboxes, then type your full name into the signature field exactly as it's printed just above the box, same spelling, capitalization, and spacing. A small mismatch is the most common reason the form refuses to submit. Once it matches, the submit button activates. Click it.
Wait for Activation and Verify Live Data
Your feed doesn't switch on the instant you sign. Depending on demand, activation takes anywhere from 10 to 90 minutes. The quickest status check is the color of the instrument name on a chart or DOM: white means live data is flowing, orange means it's still delayed. Still orange after 90 minutes? Log out and back in, a fresh session usually pulls the entitlement through.
Automate Once Your Data's Live
With non-professional data certified and real-time quotes flowing, PickMyTrade routes your TradingView alerts straight into Tradovate, entries, stops, and targets fire automatically, no manual clicking on the DOM. It's the fastest way to turn a properly subscribed account into a hands-free setup.
Automate Your Tradovate Trades
With your data certified and live, let PickMyTrade route TradingView alerts straight into Tradovate.
Start Your Free 5-Day TrialFrequently Asked Questions
Yes. Professional data rates run far higher, often into the hundreds of dollars a month across exchanges, while non-professional rates are a small fraction of that. Exact fees vary by exchange and change over time, so confirm the current numbers on Tradovate's market-data rates page.
The certification and signature steps only run in the Tradovate web app on desktop. Sign the agreement once in a browser, and your entitlement then follows your account into the mobile and desktop apps.
Contact Tradovate support to correct it. The exchange makes the final professional/non-professional determination and can reclassify or back-bill accounts that certified incorrectly, so it's worth fixing rather than leaving it.
This guide is for educational and informational purposes only and is not financial, investment, or trading advice. Trading futures and other leveraged products carries a substantial risk of loss and is not suitable for every investor. PickMyTrade is an independent third-party automation platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Tradovate, Inc. "Tradovate" and all related names, logos, and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Platform features and steps change over time, so always confirm the current process in the official Tradovate platform and documentation before acting.