Become A Member of Arca
Arca partners with Members and key stakeholders to shape policy and strengthen Australia’s credit reporting system
Member Benefits
Arca’s mission is to make credit work for all Australians. By connecting our Members – Australia’s most trusted credit providers and data leaders – with vital regulatory insights and technical expertise, we empower them to make credit visible accessible and understood. Whether you’re a lender, fintech, CRB, or advisor, Arca membership and the collaborative network it gives you access to, provides a platform to lead, influence and grow, while ensuring the system continues to evolve and improve to make credit inclusive for all.
Membership Options
Full Membership
- Credit Providers (financial & non financial)
- Credit Reporting Bodies
Includes
- Access to work groups
- Exclusive technical/legal guidance
- Early access to regulatory updates
Associate Membership
- Individual or organisation with an interest in credit reporting
Includes
- Event access at discounted member rates
- Updates on reforms
- Participation in selected forums
Arca Membership: delivering you value
We work with our Members and key stakeholders in a respectful, knowledgeable and collaborative way to understand and improve credit in Australia. We aim to help consumers and Members by making credit visible, accessible and understood.
Driving Reform of Australia’s Credit Reporting System
- We advocate for practical improvements that strengthen outcomes for industry and consumers and place targeted reform on the Government agenda, including:
- More data in the system
- Better use cases
- Stronger consumer protections
- Better regulation of credit repair
- A clear soft enquiry framework
Strengthening Data Quality and Consistency
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We identify and address gaps across the system and promote best practice standards, ensuring Members can rely on accurate, timely and consistent data.
Championing a robust data system
- We work with Government, industry and stakeholders to strengthen Australia’s credit data framework and promote understanding of its value.
- This supports meaningful reform and helps Members drive internal alignment while delivering better consumer outcomes.
Focusing on Customer Vulnerability
- We support Members in navigating domestic abuse and hardship issues through shared insights, practical guidance and resources, and consistent industry approaches that improve outcomes for vulnerable consumers.
Fostering Strong Industry Connections
- Arca brings Members together through workgroups, webinars and networking events that support collaboration, shared insight and industry alignment.
Delivering Trusted Consumer Information
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CreditSmart® provides ready-to-use education resources that improve consumers’ understanding, reduce confusion and misinformation, and build trust in credit reporting.
It also offers a consistent and credible industry voice in the media.
Easy Steps to join
Contact Arca to request a Membership Application form
Your Arca representative will submit the form to the Arca Board for approval
Onboarding begins after approval
Members Work Group
Arca Members are invited to take part in a number of Member-only work groups and forums, focussed on key industry issues, sharing insights on best practice.
Our work groups provide valuable input to Arca projects and policies, enable Members to receive detailed updates on relevant issues as they progress, and provide a forum for Members to raise any issues they are currently facing.
We recommend that Member representatives have a solid knowledge of the credit reporting process within their organisation and an appropriate level of decision-making authority.
Arca Members wanting to discuss their organisation’s involvement in our workgroups should Contact Us.
Best Practice Work Group
The Best Practice Work Group is for discussing and promoting best practice in data supply and consumption including sharing challenges, discussing ideas, and developing industry led approaches where appropriate. This workgroup will also be used to provide feedback and progress the data quality and consistency agenda, including RHI reporting, CCLI reporting, and broader issues, as well as developing the technical detail of possible future reforms.
Consumer Communications Work Group
The Consumer Communications Work Group plays a role in Arca’s CreditSmart® consumer education driver by ensuring clear and consistent industry messaging regarding credit reporting in Australia. They take charge of promoting CreditSmart® both to external customers and within their own organisations, proactively soliciting input from internal stakeholders to guarantee uniformity and support.
Their objective is to educate and aid customers in comprehending comprehensive credit reporting and maintaining good credit health across all customer interactions. CreditSmart.org.au serves as a trusted resource for Arca Members to direct their customers, offering information on various credit reporting topics to empower individuals in effectively managing their credit health.
The group also collaborates on industry-led communication approaches, sharing challenges and discussing ideas when necessary.
Consumer Data Right Work Group
The Consumer Data Right Work Group is for credit providers who will use data accessed through Consumer Data Right and CRBs who will act as intermediaries. This work group provides input into Arca’s submissions to the Consumer Data Right/Open Banking reforms and helps to develop standardised consents and responsible lending use cases for the Consumer Data Right data.
Data Standards Work Group
The Data Standards Work Group includes representatives from Members, PRDE Signatories and Arca staff. This work group is the focal point for developing the Australian Credit Reporting Data Standard and provides recommendations about prospective ACRDS changes to the RDEA Board. The group works to assure a common understanding of the ACRDS, develop implementation guidance and resolve technical and operational issues in data supply and validation.
Hardship Work Group
The Hardship Work Group provides a forum to share experiences in hardship reporting, form common understanding of principles underlying use of hardship information, develop a shared understanding of regulation and hardship compliance, and support Members educating internal teams and customers.
Policy Work Group
The Policy Work Group is Arca’s main forum for discussing policy and industry issues. This includes proposals for reform of the credit reporting system or the credit legislation, changes to the CR Code, input into Government consultations, responsible lending issues, issues arising from AFCA disputes as well as practical solutions to emerging policy or compliance issues. Specific or technical issues, including domestic abuse issues, may be explored in a sub-group setting.