Does Planet Fitness accept Prepaid Cards?

Planet Fitness is one of the biggest fitness franchises not only in the United States, but Canada, Latin America, and Australia. Their clean and spacious facilities, along with their ready-to-use equipment and friendly staff, are open 24 hours a day. They also have a Judgement Free Zone, which promotes affordable and high-quality fitness in a welcoming and non-intimidating environment. Let’s learn ‘Does Planet Fitness accept Prepaid Cards?”.

Does Planet Fitness accept Prepaid Cards?

Unfortunately, they do not. Since payment methods depend on each fitness center, most of them accept payment through checking accounts, which are acquired through an electronic funds transfer (EFT).

But what are Prepaid Cards?

Prepaid debit cards, or stored-value cards, are those that let you spend only the money you load onto the card and can be purchased from most retailers, banks, or credit card companies. These cards are considered safer and more convenient to use, than cash.

How do they work? Prepaid debit cards work the same way gift cards do, so

1. The customer spends the money on the card, and
2. Once it finishes, they can reload it online, or at an ATM.

It should be noted that prepaid debit cards have a lesser risk of overspending but have a potential for hidden fees (monthly fees, transaction fees, ATM fees, etc.). They are also considered a good alternative to banks but have no credit build-up and lesser protections than credit cards.

More about Planet Fitness

Planet Fitness started in 1992, in Dover, New Hampshire, after Michael and Marc Grondahl bought Gold’s Gym (which was closing). They differentiated themselves from other gyms by creating the Judgement Free Zone, which has alarms that would go off every time “lunks” (heavy-duty grunting powerlifters) would drop a big barbell, or even when “goddess-like” women flaunt off their bodies in skimpy outfits, making others uncomfortable. Their headquarters may be in Hampton, New Hampshire, but they now have over 2, 000 locations throughout all 50 of the United States, not to mention locations in Canada, Latin America, and Australia.

“Terms and conditions apply”

Planet Fitness’ “terms of use,” apply to all their associated websites, their mobile application, and their PF+ Subscription (which is collectively known as Planet Fitness’ services). If customers do not agree to the terms, they are prohibited from using Planet Fitness’ services. Some examples of their terms and conditions include:

• Ownership of content states that if any content and intellectual property is copied without the permission of the rights owner, Planet Fitness would be protected by the relevant intellectual property laws.
• Usage restrictions state that customers are not allowed to share their account information with others, nor should they try to gain unauthorized access to the server by uploading any malicious software.
• User submissions state that customers are not allowed to upload sales promotions that may or may not contain content that is defamatory, sexually explicit, harassing, or discriminatory.

Fun facts about Planet Fitness

• Planet Fitness is centered around new (or those who are afraid to join a gym) and occasional exercisers.
• They offer one of the lowest membership or joining fees, going between $10 and $20 per month.
• Their equipment was featured on The Biggest Loser, starting from their 2012 season.
• Their facilities are clean and climate-controlled, and they also offer massage chairs for anyone who wants to reward themselves after a big workout.

Payment methods at Planet Fitness

Planet Fitness allows its customers to pay for their membership using an EFT through a checking account. This method allows Planet Fitness to continue their customers’ membership without having to interrupt their workout or having to frequently update their customers’ payment information, should their credit or debit cards be lost, stolen, or expired.

Because an EFT is a simple, and accessible method of payment that digitally moves money from one bank account to another, a direct deposit to Planet Fitness would include:

1. Planet Fitness gives the customer their bank account information, and in turn, they put their customers’ banking information in their payroll provider’s system.
2. That system sends transactions each month to the customer, debiting their bank account and sending the money directly to Planet Fitness.
3. These transactions go through the ACH network and take 1 to 2 days to complete so that the Planet Fitness membership is paid on time.

In conclusion,

Planet Fitness may have been around for 30 years, but it started with their founders buying a closing gym, and now they are one of the most known fitness gyms in all 50 United States (as well as Canada, Latin America, and Australia), especially as they promote Judgement Free (Zone) memberships at affordable prices. They do not accept prepaid debit cards as a form of payment, nor do they accept credit or debit cards. Planet Fitness prefers payment through checking accounts (EFT), which automatically deposits their customer’s membership fees into Planet Fitness’ account without much hassle.