To cancel a Planet Fitness membership, you have two options: go into your home club in person, or send a cancellation letter by USPS Certified Mail to that same location. There is no online, phone, or app cancellation. Submit your cancellation by the 10th of the month to avoid the next monthly charge, and if you’re still inside a 12-month commitment, expect a $58 buyout fee on top of your final dues.1Planet Fitness. Planet Fitness Customer Service and FAQ
The Two Ways Planet Fitness Accepts a Cancellation
Your “home club” is the specific franchise where you originally signed up. That location matters because each Planet Fitness is independently owned and operated, and only your home club can process the cancellation.2NerdWallet. How Much Does a Planet Fitness Membership Cost
In Person
Walk in during staffed hours, tell the front desk you want to cancel, and sign the cancellation form they pull up. No appointment. No manager approval. No form you need to bring with you. Ask for a printed copy of the signed cancellation before you leave. That receipt is your proof if a billing dispute comes up later.
By Certified Mail
If you’ve moved or would rather not cancel in person, send a letter to your home club’s address by USPS Certified Mail with Return Receipt Requested. A gym employee must sign for the envelope on delivery, and the signed return receipt card gets mailed back to you.
Include the following in the letter:
- Your full name as it appears on the account
- Your membership ID number, which you can find on your keytag, in the Planet Fitness app, or on billing statements
- The home club location where you signed up
- Your current mailing address, phone number, and email
- A clear statement such as “I request immediate cancellation of my Planet Fitness membership”
- The date and your signature
Photocopy the letter before you mail it. When the return receipt comes back, staple it to the copy. Together they’re solid evidence if the club later claims nothing arrived.
Timing: The 10th of the Month and the Annual Fee Cutoff
Planet Fitness typically bills monthly dues on the 17th. Billing changes can take up to seven business days to process, so your cancellation needs to reach the club by the 10th of the month to stop the next draft. Cancel on the 12th and you’ll likely still be charged on the 17th.
The annual fee has its own cutoff. To avoid being billed the $49 annual fee, your cancellation must be fully processed by the 25th of the month before the annual fee date. Miss that window and you owe the annual fee regardless of the cancellation.3Planet Fitness. Gym Memberships
Once dues or an annual fee have been charged, Planet Fitness generally does not refund them. Verified billing errors and duplicate charges are exceptions, but standard fees are treated as final once processed. Timing your cancellation a few days early is often what protects your money.
The $58 Buyout Fee for Cancelling Inside a 12-Month Commitment
Both membership tiers, Classic (starting at $15 per month) and PF Black Card (starting at $24.99 per month), may include a 12-month commitment period.3Planet Fitness. Gym Memberships Cancel before that commitment ends and Planet Fitness charges a $58 buyout fee.1Planet Fitness. Planet Fitness Customer Service and FAQ
After the 12 months expire, the membership rolls to month-to-month. From that point you can cancel through the standard process without paying the buyout. If you’re not sure where you are in the commitment, check your original agreement in the Planet Fitness app or ask at the front desk before you start the cancellation.
Getting the Buyout Fee Waived for Relocation or Medical Reasons
Two situations may let you cancel a commitment-period membership without paying the $58, though specifics vary by franchise.
- Relocation: if you’ve moved more than 25 miles from the nearest Planet Fitness, you may qualify for a waiver. Bring proof of your new address — a lease, utility bill, or mortgage document — to the club or include copies with your certified letter.
- Medical inability to use the gym: a doctor’s note stating you cannot use gym facilities may get the fee waived. The note should be on the doctor’s letterhead with their contact information so the club can verify it.
Call your home club before you go in to confirm exactly what documentation they require. Because each location is independently operated, one club’s approach to hardship waivers may differ from another’s.
Cooling-Off Period for Brand-New Members
If you just signed up and want out, you may have a short window to cancel for a full refund. Most states give consumers three to five business days to cancel a new health club contract with no penalty. The clock typically starts the day you receive your signed contract, not the day you first walked in. Cancellation during this window usually requires written notice sent by certified or registered mail. The specific timeframe depends on your state’s consumer protection laws; check with your state attorney general’s office if you’re unsure whether you still qualify.
Clear Any Balance Before You Try to Cancel
Planet Fitness generally will not process a cancellation while your account carries unpaid dues. If a payment has failed or you’ve missed a billing cycle, you’ll need to settle the balance before the club will complete the paperwork. Check your account status through the app or website before heading in.
Confirming the Cancellation Actually Went Through
You should receive an automated confirmation email at the address on file. If nothing arrives within about a week, call or visit the club to verify the account was updated. Silence isn’t confirmation.
Watch your bank statements for at least two full billing cycles afterward. You’re looking for two things: that monthly drafts have stopped, and that no annual fee slipped through. If an unauthorized charge posts after your cancellation date, dispute it with your bank or card issuer and provide your cancellation receipt or certified mail return receipt as evidence.
Why Just Stopping Payment Doesn’t Work
Cancelling your card or ignoring the charges does not cancel the membership. Monthly dues keep accumulating on the account whether the payments go through or not. The fitness industry standard is to send unpaid accounts to a collection agency after roughly 90 days of non-payment. Once that happens, the debt can land on your credit report and stay there for years, all over a $15 or $25 monthly fee.
A verbal cancellation or an expired card doesn’t override the contract, which requires the formal written process. If you’re already behind, contact your home club directly to negotiate the balance and get a proper cancellation on file before the account reaches collections.