Why EOFY is the right time to review your revenue strategy

Let’s face it. It’s a tough time to be running a business. With inflation sitting at 4.3% (as of May 2026) and with households tightening already-tight belts, earning a profit can feel precarious. 

The good news for fitness operators? Despite tough economic conditions, Australians aren’t ready to give up their gym memberships just yet. Of the Aussies who expect their financial position to improve in 2026, a massive 30% plan to increase spending on wellness. 

Clearly, health and wellbeing is a top priority. And it points to an opportunity for you to reassess your fees – particularly in the face of rising operating costs, changes to surcharging rules, and the ongoing complexities of running a fitness business.

With the end of the financial year (EOFY) fast approaching, now is the perfect time for you to strategically recalibrate your revenue strategy. Here are three things to consider as the EOFY clock ticks down.

1. Assess the impact of RBA surcharging changes in your gym

If you currently add a surcharge to credit card transactions, you’re not alone. Many gyms and fitness studios do so to recover the cost of fees. 

But here’s the thing: the Reserve Bank of Australia has announced that, as of 1 October 2026, you can no longer apply surcharges on eftpos, Mastercard, and Visa transactions. Instead, you’ll need to carry these costs.

Granted, the RBA has paired the surcharge ban with lower interchange fee caps, which are expected to reduce merchant payment costs. But you may still be out of pocket on card transactions.

With your finances top of mind at EOFY, now is a good time to evaluate the impact of the RBA’s impending changes on your bottom line. For example, will you need to bake transaction costs into your membership fees so you’re not out of pocket? If so, can you do this before the ban takes effect? 

It’s also a good idea to assess your merchant fees and, if they seem higher than the average, shop around for a better deal.

2. Counter the ‘cost of doing business’ crisis

Like others, the fitness industry is feeling the squeeze of sticky inflation. Rents are rising, as are utility bills, staffing costs, and all the everyday essentials required to run your business. 

To maintain a healthy profit margin in this environment, you need to think more broadly than just “How can we reduce expenses?” Sure, cutting costs is going to help the bottom line, but EOFY is also a great time to think about revenue optimisation. 

Ask yourself:

• Are membership fees enough to cover your costs? Some members might still be on legacy rates that no longer cover the cost of serving them. 
• Have you adjusted fees to account for wage growth? With annual wage reviews often coinciding with the new financial year, your pricing should reflect the reality of your payroll. 

While it can feel hard to adjust your fees, a small rise in prices will come as less of a surprise to members at EOFY than at other times of the year. Just remember to communicate any price changes transparently and clearly, while always tying it back to the value a membership delivers.

3. Manage pricing changes efficiently

Often, the biggest hurdle to a pricing update isn’t the “why” – it’s the “how”. Updating all your contracts and keeping members in the loop can be an administrative nightmare.

This is where modern gym management software becomes a strategic asset, not just a utility. For example, a unified platform like Hapana enables enterprise operators to:

• Automate pricing updates: You can bulk-update membership rates across multiple locations with precision and speed.
• Streamline revenue operations: Eliminate time-wastage and leakage caused by disconnected systems and manual reconciliation.

Communicate with transparency: Use integrated marketing tools to explain the value behind your pricing changes, so updates don’t come as a surprise.

Get your plan in place before EOFY

Don’t wait for 1 July to think about the impact of the RBA surcharging changes; and don’t leave it to the last minute to review your revenue strategy. By putting thought into all this now, you’re not just protecting your bottom line, you’re positioning your brand as a stable, premium leader that will enter the new financial year as strong and healthy as ever. 

Book a call to see how Hapana supports payments, memberships, and operational growth.

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