Automatic renewal rules in Pennsylvania

We read Health Club Act (Act 87 of 1989) on the state's official site and list what it requires below. A summary leaves out detail; the linked text is the authority.

What the text says, word for word:

• “No health club contract may contain an automatic renewal clause, unless the contract provides for a renewal option for continued membership” (Health Club Act sec. 4(b))
• “the buyer shall notify the health club of cancellation in writing, by certified mail, return receipt requested, or by personal delivery to the address specified in the health club contract” (Health Club Act sec. 3(a)(8))
• “Provisions permitting the buyer to cancel the contract without penalty within three business days of its signing and the buyer receiving a fully completed copy thereof.” (Health Club Act sec. 3(a)(2))
• “The maximum term of a health club contract shall be 36 months.” (Health Club Act sec. 4(a))

The cancellation route differs by company; see Gym memberships, Planet Fitness, LA Fitness and Crunch Fitness for the details we hold.

1. 1

   Check how you signed up

   Look up the sign-up confirmation and the renewal date. Your contract sets the method unless the sector law above says otherwise.

2. 2

   Cancel the way the law allows

   A health club buyer may cancel without penalty within three business days of signing. Cancellation on the grounds the Act lists must be in writing, sent by certified mail with return receipt or delivered personally to the address in the contract. Keep whatever confirmation the business gives you.

3. 3

   Back it up with a letter

   Health Club Act (Act 87 of 1989) covers only health club contracts, so cite it only if your contract is one of them. Send a written notice that cites Health Club Act (Act 87 of 1989), your account details and the end date you want. Our cancellation letter template has the layout.

4. 4

   If you are billed again

   Show the business your proof and the statute, then dispute the charge with your card issuer. What to do if a company keeps charging you walks through it.

Outside health club contracts, Pennsylvania law sets no special cancellation route, so your contract's terms apply. A letter sent with tracking adds what an online click often lacks: a dated, third-party record that you asked to cancel, which card issuers and state consumer offices can check.

Certified mail for cancellations explains what each delivery record proves.

The federal Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act requires online sellers using automatic renewals to provide simple mechanisms to stop recurring charges. The FTC's 2024 click-to-cancel amendments are not in force: on July 8, 2025 the Eighth Circuit vacated them (Custom Communications, Inc. v. FTC, No. 24-3137), on February 12, 2026, in a rule effective that day, the FTC recodified its Negative Option Rule "as it existed before the effective date" of the 2024 amendments (91 FR 6507), and on March 13, 2026 it asked for public comment on "the need for amendments" (91 FR 12318). Our state-by-state overview and the FTC click-to-cancel guide have the details.