Effective from 1 October 2026

From 1 October 2026, changes introduced following the Reserve Bank of Australia's (RBA) review of retail payments will affect the way card payment surcharges can be applied to transactions. This means members will have a simpler and more transparent payment experience, with the amount displayed at checkout being the total amount payable. The changes affect both Field & Game Australia (FGA) payments and payments made through MCMS, our scoring and competition nominations system.

FGA Membership Payments

From 1 October 2026, FGA will no longer charge members a separate card payment or transaction surcharge when making eligible payments through the FGA membership platform.

Rather than introducing or retaining a separate card payment surcharge, Field & Game Australia has chosen to absorb the cost of accepting card payments as part of our overall membership pricing. We believe this provides a better experience for our members by ensuring there are no unexpected additional fees at the payment stage.

For example:

Membership fee: $138.00
Card payment surcharge: $0.00
Total payable: $138.00

The amount displayed at checkout will be the amount members are required to pay.

What does this mean for members?

Members do not need to do anything differently. When paying a membership invoice or completing another payment through the FGA membership platform, simply proceed through checkout as usual. There will be no separate FGA card payment surcharge added to eligible card transactions. FGA has made this change to provide greater transparency and make the payment process as straightforward as possible for our members.

MCMS – Scoring and Competition Nominations

FGA branches also use MCMS to manage shooting competitions, nominations and scoring. Shooters can use MCMS to nominate for events and make payment by card.

What are the current MCMS fees?

MCMS has advised that its current fees for collecting payments via card remain:

$1 + 2% of the nomination value

These fees remain in place for now. The $1 component is an MCMS platform fee, while the 2% component relates to the cost of processing the card payment through MCMS's payment provider.

What is changing in MCMS?

MCMS has changed how the "Shooter Pays Transaction Fee" option operates in response to the RBA reforms. Importantly, this change applies at the individual program level, rather than automatically across an entire branch. 

For programs that do not currently have "Shooter Pays Transaction Fee" enabled, the option can no longer be switched on.

For programs where "Shooter Pays Transaction Fee" is already enabled, MCMS has advised that the setting will remain available and will not automatically be switched off.

Branches should review their individual programs and nomination pricing to ensure their pricing reflects the cost of running the program.

What does this mean for shooters?

Shooters can continue to nominate and pay for competitions through MCMS using their card.

What should branches do?

Branches should review their MCMS programs, particularly where "Shooter Pays Transaction Fee" is currently enabled.

Branches may wish to:

• review each program's current transaction fee settings;
• review advertised nomination prices;
• factor MCMS fees into the nomination price rather than applying a separate card surcharge;
• ensure the nomination price shown to shooters is clear and accurate; and
• review any existing or newly created programs before opening nominations.

Important: If a branch switches off "Shooter Pays Transaction Fee" for a program, MCMS advises that the option cannot subsequently be switched back on for that program.

Branches should therefore consider their pricing and payment arrangements carefully before making changes.

What about EFTPOS payments at the branch?

The changes to MCMS are separate from any arrangements a branch may have for accepting card payments through an EFTPOS terminal.

If a branch's EFTPOS terminal is currently configured to apply a card surcharge, the branch should check directly with its merchant or EFTPOS provider regarding how the RBA changes affect that arrangement.

Field & Game Australia appreciates the continued support of our members and branches and will continue to monitor changes to payment processing arrangements and associated costs.

This information is provided as general information only and is not financial or legal advice. Branches should obtain their own professional advice before making changes to pricing, surcharging or payment arrangements.