How to cancel Planet Fitness (and beat the cancellation runaround)

Planet Fitness runs on the same model as most gyms: a low monthly price that is easy to sign up for and, by design, harder to stop. The cancellation friction is not an accident - it is the retention strategy. Knowing the exact process removes most of the pain.

The Two Methods That Actually Work

Planet Fitness only accepts two cancellation methods, and both go through your specific home club rather than a central line:

• In person: visit your home club and ask to fill out a membership cancellation form. Keep the copy they give you
• Certified mail: send a signed cancellation letter to your home club’s address and pay for certified delivery so you have proof it arrived

A Cancellation Letter Template

If you mail it, keep the letter short and include everything the club needs to identify your account:

To Whom It May Concern: I am writing to cancel my Planet Fitness membership, effective immediately. My name is [full name], my membership number is [number], and the account is registered at [address / phone / email]. Please confirm the cancellation in writing and stop all future charges, including the annual fee. Signed, [signature and date].

Timing: The 10th of the Month and the Annual Fee

Two dates decide how much you pay on the way out:

• Cancel before the 10th of the month to avoid being billed for the following month - cancellations after the billing date usually let one more charge through
• The annual fee (sometimes called the annual maintenance fee) typically posts once a year, often in the first quarter. If yours is due soon, cancel before it hits or you will pay for a full year you are leaving

If They Keep Charging You

If dues keep coming after you cancelled correctly, you have proof - the signed form or the certified-mail receipt. Dispute the charges with your bank or card issuer and attach that proof. Many auto-renewal laws require a gym to honour a written cancellation, so document everything.

Catch the Next Sneaky Renewal Early

Gym memberships and their once-a-year fees are exactly the kind of charge that hides in plain sight - too small monthly to notice, large enough annually to matter. Keeping a live list of every recurring charge with its renewal date is how the annual fee stops being a surprise.