How to cancel a membership that requires a letter

A membership is a contract, and contracts often say how notice must be given. A clause such as “notice must be given in writing” or “send written notice to the address below” is how a contract sets this, and you will find it in gym and club memberships, service agreements and other contracts that renew. A letter creates a dated document that both sides can point to, which is also why it protects you.

Some laws describe written notice directly. New York requires health club contracts to let you cancel within three business days with a written notice signed by you and sent by United States mail or email to the address in the contract (N.Y. Gen. Bus. Law § 624). California requires health studio contracts to explain that you cancel by mailing, emailing or delivering a signed and dated notice, and to print the mailing address for it on the first page (Cal. Civ. Code § 1812.85).

Other laws push the other way and stop a business from making the letter the only option. New York requires health clubs to accept cancellation by website, email, telephone, mail or in person, and several state automatic renewal laws require a cancellation route that matches how you signed up. Where you have a choice, a letter is still the route that leaves the clearest record.

A notice period is the time between your notice and the date the cancellation takes effect, or the deadline by which notice must arrive. Your contract sets it. These are the common forms:

• A fixed number of days before the next billing or renewal date, for example 30 days. Miss it and the next period is billed.
• Notice that takes effect at the end of the current billing period or term.
• Notice that takes effect a set number of days after the company receives it.
• A window near the end of a fixed term, such as notice in the last 60 days before an annual renewal.

The detail that matters most is whether notice counts from the day you send it or the day the company receives it. If the contract does not say, plan for receipt and add the transit time. USPS lists First-Class Mail at 1 to 5 days. Our guide to cancelling a contract with a notice period works through examples, and the cancellation deadline calculator gives you the last safe day to post.

Some states set the timing for you. In Minnesota, cancelling an automatically renewing subscription takes effect at the end of the term in which you give notice, and cancelling a continuous service must take effect no later than 31 days after your notice, unless you choose a later date (Minn. Stat. § 325G.59). In New York, a health club must accept a cancellation no later than three business days after receiving your notice.

1. 1

   Find the cancellation clause

   Read the section on cancellation or termination in your agreement. Note the method it names, the address, the notice period and any form it asks you to use.

2. 2

   Use the address in the agreement

   Send the letter to the address the contract gives for notices, even if it differs from your local branch. If the agreement names none, use the billing address on your statement.

3. 3

   Write and sign the letter

   Include your name, address, membership number, a clear statement that you are cancelling, the end date, and a request to stop all charges and confirm in writing. If you are relying on a clause, such as a move or a medical reason, name it and enclose evidence. The cancellation letter template lays it out for you.

4. 4

   Send it so it arrives in time

   Post it early enough that it arrives before the notice deadline, with a margin for delays. USPS says delivery time is not guaranteed.

5. 5

   Get proof of delivery

   Send it by Certified Mail and keep the postmarked receipt. Add Return Receipt for the recipient's signature. Save the tracking page once it shows delivered.

6. 6

   Watch for the confirmation and the final bill

   If the company writes back with a different end date, compare it with your delivery date and the notice clause, and reply in writing if they do not match.

• Gyms, fitness studios and health clubs. See how to cancel a gym membership by mail.
• Clubs and associations that renew each year.
• Service contracts with a minimum term, such as security monitoring or home services.
• Print subscriptions and memberships bought by mail or by phone.

Whatever the type, the method is the same: follow the clause, use the address it names, and keep proof of the date your letter arrived.

Ask the company in writing which part of the agreement your letter does not meet and what it needs from you. Send what it asks for if it is reasonable, and keep your original delivery date on record. If the company insists on a method the agreement does not require, or on a method it never offered you, check the automatic renewal law of your state in our guide to automatic renewal laws by state.

Your delivery record shows when the company received your notice. Keep it until the membership has ended and the final charge has passed.

If charges continue after the cancellation should have taken effect, follow the steps in what to do if a company keeps charging you. For questions about a letter we sent for you, see the help center.