How to Stop a Gym Membership Auto-Renewal
Your 12-month commitment ended months ago — but the charges never did. That's auto-renewal, and it's designed to be quiet.
After your initial term, most gym contracts auto-renew month-to-month. You usually only need to give written notice (often 30 days) to stop it — and several states require the gym to make that easy.
Why you're still being charged
Almost every gym contract has an auto-renewal clause: when the commitment ends, it flips to month-to-month and keeps drafting your card until you formally cancel.
The trap is the notice period — many chains want 30 days' written notice, and if your billing date lands inside those 30 days, you eat one more charge.
How to stop it (the right way)
- Find your gym's exact process on its cancellation page — notice period, method, and any annual fee timing.
- Send written notice now (in person or certified mail / email where allowed). Our letter generator does this and cites your state law.
- Time it more than the notice period before your next billing date.
- Get written confirmation, and dispute any charge after your notice date.
Many gyms bill a separate "annual fee" on a fixed date. Cancelling after that date's cutoff can still trigger it — check the timing on your gym's page.
The law is on your side
A growing number of states (and the FTC) are cracking down on hard-to-cancel auto-renewals. Several state health-club laws require gyms to accept mailed or written cancellation and to honor relocation/medical exits. See your state's rules.
Upload your contract and we'll pull out the exact renewal terms and notice window.