Planet Fitness Reviews: What Are Planet Fitness Black Card Perks?

Planet Fitness aims to provide its visitors with affordable gym memberships with various cardio and strength-training equipment. Also, it offers group fitness classes and other perks, including tanning, massage chairs, and many others.

Black Card membership is one of the most popular options at the gym chain. For customers tired of trying to stay motivated with home workouts, such membership can be appealing. 

The Planet Fitness Black Card benefits are many, according to the website. And the price looks pretty reasonable for the volume of perks. Many gym-goers have strong opinions about the company and share them all in online reviews. 

Number of Planet Fitness reviews - 6K

Planet Fitness rating* – 2.3⭐⭐

Claimed losses - $1.8M

Successful calls – 4% /29.9K

Resolved issues - 31

Key Insights

• Only 10% of users in Planet Fitness reviews on PissedConsumer.com would recommend the gym to a friend. 
• Planet Fitness Black Card benefits include the use of thousands of the gym locations nationwide. 
• To cancel Planet Fitness membership, you will need written notice by specific dates to avoid charges. 
• Despite the complaints, 47% of consumers say that they might use the gym in the future if the company resolves their current issue.

So, is a Planet Fitness membership worth it? Whether you're a current member looking to maximize your sports experience or considering joining the gym, this article will answer your common questions. 

• What are Planet Fitness Black Card perks?
• How much is Planet Fitness membership?
• What are the age restrictions?
• How to cancel Planet Fitness membership?
• What is the refund policy?

What Are Planet Fitness Black Card Perks?

According to the Membership page on the company website, Planet Fitness Black Card perks include:

• Unlimited Access to Home Club
• PF App Workouts
• Partner rewards & discounts
• Bring a guest anytime
• Use of any Planet Fitness worldwide
• Tanning services
• Use of massage chairs
• HydroMassage
• Total body enhancement
• 50% off select drinks
• Premium perks: partner rewards & discounts

Some of these benefits are offered only at selected locations where the services are available. There is also a note on the website that some Planet Fitness Black Card perks like tanning frequency may be limited by state and local restrictions as well. 

One customer shared their experiences with the gym benefits in the review #3892889 on PissedConsumer. They explained that they had not “had a trainer in quite a while” and were told to “use the app, which has beginner workouts but no specific plans.” The customer finalized:

I do not recommend this gym for anyone. Also thier perks, such as massage chairs, angel machine, and tanning beds are always broke.

You may contact Planet Fitness customer service for more information regarding Black Card Membership and other. 

How Much Is Planet Fitness Membership?

According to the Planet Fitness Membership page, there are two levels of membership offered at the gyms with varied Planet Fitness black card cost. The standard membership is $10 per month. The Black Card membership is advertised as $24.99 per month but may vary based on location. 

Both levels of membership offer access to the fitness equipment and training as well as to WiFi. The Black Card membership offers additional benefits including unlimited guest privileges, use of the tanning beds, massage chairs, and hydromassage among others.

Both levels of membership require a start-up fee when you sign-up as well as an annual fee. The start-up fee can vary by club location and promotional offer. This Planet Fitness location in Houston, Texas is advertising a $1 sign-up fee and a $49 annual feenow, for example.

At the bottom of the list of features from the different membership options, labeled as terms and conditions of the membership arrangement, there are also details about an annual fee of $49 that is billed shortly after April 1. These details can be found on individual Planet Fitness location websites.

Unfortunately, what should be straight forward in billing can get complicated, as one reviewer noted online. This Planet Fitness customer explained that they were “charged $25 a month instead of the 19” they had been told was the Planet Fitness Black Card cost for upgrading each month. The gym-goer also noted that “there was an additional $49 taken from my account,” which the employees told him was a mistake that could only be fixed by “the corporate office.” However, the reviewer could not get in touch as 

Corporate office has no real humans answering the phones!

What Are the Age Restrictions at Planet Fitness?

The reviewer’s experience is consistent with the company’s policy as it is stated online. Additionally, once you are old enough to join the club, young members will need to be accompanied by a parent or a guardian inside the club until you are 15 years old. Once you turn 15, you may keep a signed waiver on file and work out alone at the club location. When you turn 18 years old, you are eligible for a Black Card membership provided you have a valid ID or are accompanied by a parent or guardian.

One customer was frustrated, however, by what she feels is a violation of club policy and shared her concerns in one of the Planet Fitness reviews, #5536656. The gym member claims that she has “seen parents taking little boys” to the gym:

I have seen parents taking little boys, that are too small. A child 8 or 9 was using chest compression, Eliptical, all sorts of machines.

 She called on Planet Fitness to ask “for birth certificates or school photo ID” to prevent negligence on behalf of parents and the company.

How Cancel Planet Fitness Membership?

Canceling membership is addressed on the Frequently Asked Questions page of the official website. According to the site, tocancel Planet Fitness membership, “You can visit your home club in person to cancel your membership or send a written notification via mail to your home club requesting to cancel. ”

There are additional notes about the timing of your cancellation. According to the website, you must notify the club by the 10th of the month to avoid billing on the 17th, and cancellation must occur on the 25th of the month prior to the annual fee charging to avoid those charges as well. Additionally, a $58 buyout fee may be required if your contract had a minimum term length. 

While the website makes it sound straightforward, one frustrated customer discovered that cancelling a membership may be more complicated. In one of the Planet Fitness reviews, #5549254, they explain that they see 

how planet fitness makes it difficult to cancel while they continue to withdraw money from your account… 

Their review explains that “they can’t cancel without corporate approval” but “corporate…says get ahold of your home club.” The situation continues for four months without success. 

What Is the Planet Fitness Refund Policy?

Consumer’s questions about refunds are popular. Planet Fitness FAQs page says that the company directs all billing and refund questions to the storefront locations. The page states, “Your local club is the best place to go for help with any billing-related issues (including requesting refunds).”

There is no other explicit information about refunds mentioned on the company’s website or in the frequently asked Planet Fitness questions. Additional questions are directed back to the home club locations to “confirm the cancellation policy”. 

One customer claims in the review #5547369 she “was told I could be refunded for the late fee on my account” but three weeks later, she hasn’t seen a refund and

they hang up on me when I call and they say they're unavailable when I go in to the gym.

The reviewer calls the behavior “very unprofessional” and tells others, “Don’t get a membership here.” 

Some users feel that the Planet Fitness Black Cardbenefits are worth the price. Others feel that the issues with canceling and using the membership don’t justify the Planet Fitness Black Card price. Ultimately, how you put your membership perks to use determines the value in your unique situation. 

Have a great experience with Planet Fitness? Or perhaps you ran into trouble and want to warn others? Why not tell your story and leave Planet Fitness reviews on PissedConsumer.com? 

*Disclaimer: Ranking and statistics are based on our users’ review texts and PissedConsumer posters’ reviews. Also, a company’s rating is calculated using a mathematical algorithm that evaluates the information in the profile, including users’ rating, the number of resolved issues, the number of company’s responses, etc. The algorithm is subject to change in the future.