A “Now That’s Fitness” charge on your bank or credit card statement is a billing descriptor tied to a gym or fitness studio membership. If you don’t recognize it, the charge almost always traces back to a recurring membership payment, a free trial that converted to a paid subscription, or an auto-renewal on a contract someone in the household signed. You have two practical ways to stop it: cancel the membership with the gym, or dispute the charge with your card issuer.
Check the Obvious Before You Dispute
The name on a card statement is the merchant’s registered payment name, which doesn’t always match the sign on the gym’s front door. So the first question is whether anyone on the account — a spouse, partner, or family member — signed up for a membership or a trial under a brand that bills as “Now That’s Fitness.”
Gyms also bill annual fees and maintenance fees on a different schedule than regular monthly dues, so a charge that looks unfamiliar may simply be a yearly line item you forgot about. And free trials routinely convert to paid subscriptions if you don’t cancel in time. Ruling these out first saves you the trouble of a formal dispute for a charge that turns out to be legitimate.
How to Cancel the Membership
If the charge comes from an active membership you want to end, contact the gym directly and ask to cancel. Read your contract first. Many gym agreements include a minimum commitment period or a required notice window, and charges billed during those periods can be legitimate even after you’ve decided to leave.
Federal rules make cancellation much easier than it once was. The Federal Trade Commission’s click-to-cancel rule, which took effect in April 2025, requires businesses offering subscriptions and memberships to provide a cancellation mechanism as simple as the sign-up process.1Federal Trade Commission. FTC Announces Final Click-to-Cancel Rule If you signed up online, the gym must let you cancel online. They cannot force you to appear in person or send a letter by mail.2Federal Trade Commission. Cancelling a Gym or Other Membership Shouldn’t Be a Heavy Lift Nor can they bury the cancellation option behind excessive screens or mandatory questionnaires.
State law often adds more. In New York, gyms must accept cancellation by website, email, telephone, mail, or in person, and must process the request within ten business days.3New York Attorney General. Health Clubs and Gyms New Jersey gives you a three-business-day cooling-off period after signing and requires clubs to allow online cancellation for contracts signed online.4NJ Division of Consumer Affairs. Health Clubs Consumer Brief Connecticut bans automatic renewals outright, with a narrow exception for conversions after a one-month trial.5Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection. Consumer Alert: Health Club Contracts Should Not Be a Workout Check your state consumer protection office for specifics.
Whichever method you use, put the cancellation in writing. Email or certified mail gives you a record if the gym later claims it never got your request.
How to Dispute the Charge With Your Bank
If the gym won’t cooperate, or the charge is genuinely unauthorized, dispute it through your card issuer. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau describes a two-step process: call your card company to flag the charge, then follow up with a written billing-error notice within 60 calendar days of the statement date on which the charge appeared.6Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. How Do I Dispute a Charge on My Credit Card Bill The issuer must acknowledge your notice within 30 days and resolve the dispute within two billing cycles.
Credit and debit cards work differently here. A credit card issuer will generally suspend the disputed charge while it investigates, so you don’t pay in the meantime. With a debit card, the money is already out of your account and won’t come back until the investigation ends. Keep copies of your cancellation request, any response from the gym, and every message you exchange with the bank.
If the Gym Keeps Billing After You Cancel
Some consumers find that when a bank blocks the original charge, the gym simply rebills under a new account number. The FTC has flagged this exact tactic in its enforcement work against large gym chains.7Federal Trade Commission. FTC Sues LA Fitness for Making It Difficult for Consumers to Cancel Gym Memberships If it happens to you, file a second dispute with your bank and escalate to your state attorney general or consumer protection office, which can mediate between you and the business. In New Jersey, complaints against gyms go through the Division of Consumer Affairs, which oversees health club registration under the Health Club Services Law.8NJ Division of Consumer Affairs. Consumer Complaints
Contract Rights That May Let You Out Early
Even inside a commitment period, several situations give you a legal right to cancel:
- A cooling-off period, typically three days after signing, during which you can cancel a new contract without penalty.
- Relocation beyond a set distance from the facility. New York and New Jersey set that distance at 25 miles; South Carolina sets it at 50 miles.3New York Attorney General. Health Clubs and Gyms4NJ Division of Consumer Affairs. Health Clubs Consumer Brief
- Permanent disability or serious medical conditions that prevent gym use.
- Extended facility closure, which generally entitles members to a prorated refund or a contract extension.
- Online cancellation for any membership signed up online, under the FTC’s click-to-cancel rule effective April 2025.1Federal Trade Commission. FTC Announces Final Click-to-Cancel Rule
If one of these applies, cite it in your written cancellation notice. That framing shifts the conversation from a favor the gym might grant to a right you are exercising, and it strengthens your position if the dispute later moves to your bank or a state agency.