Credit card savvy consumers will often use plastic to pay for as many personal expenses as possible to reap the rewards of loyalty points. But not every business will accept this form of payment. If you are wondering if you can use a credit card to pay for a membership at Planet Fitness, we can help you. We researched this company from multiple professional sources so that you will know what forms of payment they will accept.
Planet Fitness will not accept any credit card brand as a form of payment for membership or on-site services.
Now that we know that Planet Fitness will not accept a credit card for payment, we'll look at their reasons why. You might also be wondering how you can pay for your Planet Fitness membership or how you can cancel your membership with this business. For the answers to these questions and more, read ahead in this post to see what our research has uncovered.
Reasons Planet Fitness Doesn't Take Credit Cards
You might think it's unheard of that a national company will not accept a credit card as a form of membership payment. In the modern age, it seems like plastic is universally accepted. Knowing that, you might have some questions as to why a chain the size of Planet Fitness will not only deny credit cards for membership payment but debit cards as well.
Planet Fitness states that they are ensuring better service by not taking a credit card or debit card for payment. Credit and debit cards all have expiration dates. They are also easily compromised, resulting in new cards issued if there's a data breach or if you or your bank have reasoned that an unauthorized person has attempted to use your account.
With the inevitable reality of a credit or debit card becoming expired or getting canceled, Planet Fitness understands that accepting this form of payment creates a lot of extra hassle for the members and the company. So many people forget that their cards are about to expire, and updating accounts with new card information can be bothersome and time-consuming.
For those who might have a little doubt, how often have you needed to update your Hulu or Netflix account information unexpectedly because a card has expired? By not taking your card as payment, Planet Fitness ensures that your membership will continue perpetually until you cancel it.
How can I pay for my Planet Fitness membership?
We know that signing up for a Planet Fitness membership with a credit or debit card will not fly at these gyms. This might prompt you to walk in with cash every month to pay your way. Surely this will be acceptable, right?
You might also be surprised to learn that this chain of gyms will not take cash for memberships, either. Many locations will not accept cash for any of their on-site amenities, like bottled water. No cash, no credit, no debit. . . so, pay by check?
Planet Fitness requires that you have an active checking account for membership to one of their gyms. They collect your routing and account numbers on a form. When your payment is due, the company drafts the membership fee from your checking account through what is known as an electronic funds transfer [EFT].
How can I cancel my Planet Fitness membership?
If you no longer want to be a Planet Fitness member, you'll want to cancel your membership immediately. The company will continue to draft your membership fee whether you are using their facilities or not. This can result in some unnecessary funds disappearing from your account when you might need them the most.
Unfortunately, canceling your Planet Fitness membership isn't as simple as a quick phone call or an online form. The company won't allow you to cancel with an email, either.
To cancel your membership, you have one of two choices. Each will take a bit of time, but stopping payment for a membership you no longer want will be worth it.
Stop in at the service desk at the gym that holds your membership
The fastest way to cancel your membership is to head into the gym that you signed up with. At their service desk, you'll ask for a membership cancelation form. It's not an overly complicated one or one that will eat up too much of your time.
When your form has been completed, turn it in at the desk. They will process it for you, hopefully before the next draft date.
Send a letter to the company in the mail.
You can always send the gym a letter in the mail. In the letter, include your name, address, and membership information. Be sure to request an immediate cancellation and sign and date the letter.
It's a great idea to cancel your membership in either of these manners as soon as possible. Neither way is immediate, so time might be of the essence if you want to get your membership canceled before they draft money from your checking account again.
You should also know that any unused portion of your membership fee will not be returned to you. Planet Fitness will not prorate monthly or annual membership fees. You might want to keep this in mind if you are considering a cancellation.
What happens if I miss a Planet Fitness membership payment?
Checking account mistakes happen to us all, sometimes creating overdrafts. Suppose you are overdrawn on the checking account that drafts your Planet Fitness membership. You might be surprised that the company will not immediately cancel your membership.
Rather than terminate your membership, Planet Fitness will double draft you the next billing cycle. The good news is that your membership is still intact. The bad news is that if you do not have sufficient funds, it can lead to additional overdraft fees.
Depending on your contract, Planet Fitness may terminate your membership after the second consecutive insufficient funds notice. There are circumstances, however, where your checking account might have an attempted electronic bank transfer the following month for triple the amount.
By not paying my Planet Fitness membership, will I hurt my credit score?
If you are delinquent on your bills, a creditor will almost always report your delinquency to the credit bureaus. This might lead you to believe that insufficient funds for your Planet Fitness membership will get reported and hurt your credit score.
Gyms are not lenders or creditors. So the membership fees they charge you are not turned in for late payments. This means that paying them late will not impact your credit, as the credit bureaus do not know of it.
But you should be aware that if you get your membership canceled for delinquent payments, Planet Fitness COULD turn you over to the credit bureaus for the balance. In some instances, members of certain gym franchises have been reported for missed payments and the balance due for the remainder of their membership contract.
Final thoughts
Planet Fitness only accepts membership payments by an EFT from your checking account. Insufficient funds from this account will not have your membership canceled automatically. Be sure to cancel your membership in writing if you wish to no longer be a member.
We hope this post answered all of your questions. For additional helpful information about your credit cards, we suggest reading the following posts:
Can You Pay For A Home Inspection With Credit Card?
