How to Cancel Gym Membership
Some gyms only accept a signed letter. We write the letter your contract calls for, you sign it on your phone, and we mail it certified. $29, paid when you order.
Here's how to cancel gym membership contracts without a fight: find what your agreement says about cancelling, send notice the way it asks, and keep proof that it arrived. This page has guides for 7 gyms, a letter you can copy, the notice periods and fees we found, and what to do if the charges don't stop.
How to cancel gym membership, step by step
- Find your membership agreement. It's usually in the email you got when you joined, in the gym's app or member portal, or on the paper copy from the front desk. Look for a section called cancellation, termination or notice.
- Note what it says about how to give notice, where notice goes, how much notice you need and whether a buyout or annual fee applies. Those four details decide everything else.
- Check the state addendum. Many gym agreements have one, and gyms often say their terms vary by state. Some states give members extra rights, such as cancelling after a move or for a medical reason, usually with proof.
- Send notice the way the agreement asks. If it accepts a letter, mail one by certified mail so the delivery date is on record.
- Stop using the gym after your end date, and keep your proof: the letter, the mailing receipt and the delivery record, or the confirmation email from an online cancellation.
- Watch your bank or card statement for the next two billing cycles.
The step people skip is the first one. Gym staff often tell you what they think the policy is, and front-desk answers don't always match the agreement you signed. The agreement is what counts if there's a dispute.
Cancel gym membership by mail, in person or online
Gyms take cancellations in different ways, and the agreement decides which ones count. EoS Fitness, Equinox, LA Fitness, Planet Fitness and VASA Fitness accept a mailed letter. For Anytime Fitness and Crunch Fitness, the sources we checked don't list mail as a way to cancel.
By mail is the method you can prove best. A certified letter shows what you sent, when it went out and when it arrived. It's also the method gyms can't talk you out of, because nobody is on the other end making a retention offer.
In person works when the club has a clear process, but get something in writing before you leave: a signed form, a printed receipt or a confirmation email. A verbal promise from a manager is hard to prove later.
Online is the quickest when it's offered. In our guides, Crunch Fitness, Equinox, LA Fitness, Planet Fitness and VASA Fitness offer online cancellation. Save the confirmation page or email, and take a screenshot if there's no email.
Email counts only if the agreement says so. The sources we checked list email as an option for Anytime Fitness, EoS Fitness, Equinox and VASA Fitness. Send it from the email address on your account and keep the sent message.
Gym memberships cancellation guides
Each guide shows how the company takes cancellations, where to send or call, the notice period and fees, with links to its official pages. Letter tags mean we can mail a signed letter for you. For phone-only companies, we can make the call.
Crunch Fitness
Several waysCancels online, by phone or in person.
Notice: Varies by Membership Agreement. Crunch Signature: access ends on the last day of the month after the month you cancel.
EoS Fitness
Letter acceptedCancels by mail or by email.
Notice: 30 days; the SoCal agreement says at least thirty days before the next scheduled dues payment.
Equinox
Letter acceptedCancels online, by phone, by mail, by email or in person.
Notice: Varies by state; set by the member's Membership Agreement.
LA Fitness
Letter acceptedCancels online, by mail or in person.
Notice: Mailed notice postmarked at least 5 business days before the next billing date; a notice postmarked within that window may lead to one more billing, which is refunded. Agreements with an initial term of 3 months or more end at the end of the initial term.
Planet Fitness
Letter acceptedCancels online, by mail or in person.
Notice: At least 7 days before the next billing date to stop the next monthly charge; at least 7 days before the annual fee date to avoid the annual fee.
VASA Fitness
Letter acceptedCancels online, by mail, by email or in the app.
Notice: 30 days; payments that draft during the 30-day notice period remain due.
Notice periods and fees at the gyms in our guides
These come from the official pages linked on each guide. Your own agreement controls, so check it before you rely on a date or fee.
| Gym | Notice period | Fees and contract terms |
|---|---|---|
| Anytime Fitness | Not listed in our sources | None listed in our sources |
| Crunch Fitness | Varies by Membership Agreement. Crunch Signature: access ends on the last day of the month after the month you cancel. | Annual fee (Crunch Fitness, varies by home club): Up to $89; Annual fee (Crunch Signature): $89 plus tax |
| EoS Fitness | 30 days; the SoCal agreement says at least thirty days before the next scheduled dues payment. | Annual fee (non-refundable, non-cancellable): $59.99; Enrollment fee (one-time): Varies by gym and membership type |
| Equinox | Varies by state; set by the member's Membership Agreement. | None listed in our sources |
| LA Fitness | Mailed notice postmarked at least 5 business days before the next billing date; a notice postmarked within that window may lead to one more billing, which is refunded. Agreements with an initial term of 3 months or more end at the end of the initial term. | Termination fee (cancelling before the end of an initial term of 3 months or more): Not stated on the official page; Annual fee: $69 per person (some enrollment pages show $79); Freeze fee, monthly dues members (alternative to cancelling): $10 per month; Freeze fee, paid-in-full members (up to 6 months): $35 |
| Planet Fitness | At least 7 days before the next billing date to stop the next monthly charge; at least 7 days before the annual fee date to avoid the annual fee. | Buyout fee (cancelling before the end of a commitment term): $58; Annual fee: $49 |
| VASA Fitness | 30 days; payments that draft during the 30-day notice period remain due. | Cancellation fee (cancelled within 6 months of initial term start; not charged on Corporate Wellness memberships): $25; Cancellation fee for VASA FIT memberships cancelled within 90 days (not confirmed): $35; Personal training cancellation fee (relocation more than 25 miles while in subscription): $100; Freeze fee per request (up to 90 days, alternative to cancelling): $15 |
Gym membership cancellation letter
A gym membership cancellation letter is the cleanest way to cancel when your agreement accepts written notice. It puts the request, the date and your signature on one page, and certified mail adds proof that it arrived.
Two details matter more for gyms than for most companies. First, where to send it: franchise gyms often take notice at your home club, while others use a corporate address or a member services PO box. Second, timing: notice periods are often tied to your billing date, so a letter that arrives a day late can cost you another month.
Include your member number if you have it. It's usually on your key tag, in the app or on your welcome email. If you can't find it, your name, address, phone number and home club are enough for most gyms to find the account.
Letter to cancel gym membership: a short example
Here is a letter to cancel gym membership agreements that accept written notice. Replace everything in brackets, print it, sign it and send it by certified mail.
What every gym cancellation letter should include
A cancellation letter has one job: make it impossible to argue you didn't ask to cancel. Keep it to one page and include these details.
- Your full name exactly as it appears on the account.
- Your account, member, contract or policy number. If you can't find it, the address and phone number on file help them match you.
- A plain statement that you are cancelling. Use the word cancel, not pause, freeze or downgrade.
- The date you want the cancellation to take effect.
- A request to stop all billing after that date.
- A request for written confirmation, with the email and mailing address where you want it sent.
- Your signature and the date you signed.
Leave out your reasons unless the contract asks for them. A reason gives the company something to argue with or a retention offer to make, and you don't owe one.
Address the letter to the place the contract names for notices. That can be a corporate office, a third-party administrator or your home location, and it is not always the address on your bill. Payment addresses often go to a processing center that never reads mail.
Buyouts, annual fees and the last payment
Commitment plans can carry a fee to end early. In our guides, Planet Fitness lists a $58 buyout for memberships still inside a minimum term, and LA Fitness lists a termination fee if you cancel before the end of an initial term of 3 months or more. Month-to-month plans usually don't have a buyout, but read the fee section anyway.
Annual fees are separate from monthly dues. Some gyms bill a yearly fee on a set date, and cancelling before that date avoids it. If your agreement mentions an annual fee, find the billing date and send notice well ahead of it.
Expect one more charge if your notice period overlaps a billing date. A 30-day notice period means the gym can usually bill the cycle that falls inside those 30 days. That charge is normal. A charge for a period after your end date isn't.
Freezing or pausing is not cancelling
Many gyms offer a freeze or pause when you ask to cancel. A freeze keeps the agreement alive, may still cost a monthly fee and usually ends automatically, which restarts full billing. If you want out, ask to cancel and decline the freeze.
Why send it USPS Certified Mail
USPS Certified Mail gives you a mailing receipt and a tracking number, and the Postal Service records when the letter is delivered. That record is what you point to if the company says it never got your notice.
Some contracts require certified mail. Others only ask for written notice, and certified mail is still the safest way to send it. Some contracts count notice from the day the letter arrives and others from the postmark date. The USPS record shows both.
Regular mail leaves you with nothing to show. A letter can sit in a mailroom, get misrouted or get thrown away, and you have no way to prove when, or whether, it arrived.
When we mail a letter for you, it goes USPS Certified within one business day of your order, and we email you the tracking number. You can follow it on the USPS site until it's delivered. The price is $29, paid when you order.
If they keep charging you after you cancel
Check the dates first. A charge that covers your notice period or the last billing cycle may be allowed by your contract. A charge for a period after your cancellation date usually isn't.
- Contact the company in writing. Say when you cancelled and how, and ask them to refund every charge after your cancellation date. Include your proof.
- If they don't fix it, dispute the charge with your bank or card issuer. Give the cancellation date and send the proof: a copy of your letter and the USPS delivery record, or the confirmation number from your call.
- If charges keep coming, ask your bank whether it can block future payments to that company.
- File a complaint with your state attorney general's consumer protection office. It creates a record, and some companies respond faster once one is filed.
Banks and card issuers set deadlines for disputes, usually counted from the statement date. Don't wait for several months of charges to pile up before you act.
Frequently asked questions
Can I cancel gym membership by email?
Only if your agreement says email counts as notice. The sources we checked list email for Anytime Fitness, EoS Fitness, Equinox and VASA Fitness. If your agreement doesn't mention email, send a letter instead.
Do I have to give a reason to cancel?
No, unless you're using a specific right that needs one, such as a medical or relocation cancellation. Then the agreement or your state's rules say what proof to include.
What if I joined at a club in another state?
Your agreement and its state addendum control. Several gyms in our guides say their policies vary by location based on state and local rules, so read the version you signed.
How long does it take to cancel a gym membership by mail?
It depends on the notice period in your agreement plus mail time. We mail within one business day of your order, and you get the USPS tracking number so you can see the delivery date.
Can CertiCancel cancel my gym membership for me?
For gyms that accept a letter, yes. We write the letter, you sign on your phone, and we mail it USPS Certified for $29. For gyms that only cancel online or in person, our guides walk you through it for free.