Kayla Young
Spa Day. Two of my favorite words! But usually, spa days cost a lot!
Massages, tanning, beauty treatments: they’re all wonderful. And they’re all available at a pretty reasonable price at Planet Fitness. America’s Gym also has a spa area, only accessible to those who have Planet Fitness Black Card Membership. This membership offers a variety of perks that add up to a pretty extensive spa solution.
No, you’re not going to find LED candles, hot stones, and vaguely Asian New Age music. But the Black Card offers a lot.
This article is a deep dive into Planet Fitness Black Card Perks. We go through everything you need to know to determine if the Black Card Membership is the right choice for your needs.
Contents
Planet Fitness Membership Levels
Planet Fitness offers a couple of different membership levels. The most basic is the classic no commitment $ 10 per month option (as of writing). On top of that, you can add a Black Card Membership, which is more expensive but has a lot of perks.
Typically a Black Card membership at Planet Fitness will cost somewhere around $24.99 monthly — still quite affordable, relative to many other gyms.
The rates may vary from one branch to another because they are owned by franchisees, and there are typically additional yearly fees on top of these prices which can vary.
Be sure to watch out for a No Commitment promo!
Planet Fitness is open 24/7 so you can work out whenever you want.
Now there is no excuse to go to the gym!
You get to go whenever it is convenient for you. Best of all, the use of the equipment isn’t limited, even in the wee hours of the night. Everything is still accessible. The weight and cardio equipment are first-come-first-serve. Just abide by the rules and codes of conduct.
There are different gym amenities available at each Planet Fitness location. For cardio workouts, you can use treadmills, rowing machines, ellipticals, stair climbers, or bikes. There are also free weights, and (sorta) Smith Machines. There are also locker rooms and multiple showers.
All members get access to the PF App, which provides workout tips, instructions, and the super-helpful crowd meter.
Planet Fitness Black Card Perks: What Do You Get?
Here’s a quick list of some of the benefits of Black Card premium membership. We’ll go into details on each below.
- Hydromassage Beds and Chairs
- Tanning at Planet Fitness
- Total Body Enhancement Light Therapy
- Guest Passes
- Hair Salon Offerings
- Special Deals and Discounts
- Multiple-Location Access
And a whole lot more!
1. Unlimited Access To The Gym
The Black Card membership is perfect for those who want full unlimited access to what Planet Fitness has to offer.
Aside from the 24/7 gym, Black Card membership holders also get a free shirt. Members can either go to the gym and use it on their own or ask help from a trainer so they would know what to do to meet their goals.
2. Personal Training Advice
If you’re new to going to the gym or if you just want some guidance you can choose to have a personal trainer. The personal trainers at Planet Fitness won’t charge anything at all, though they don’t give you one-on-one training.
All you have to do is to fill out a form so that a program can be created for you by a personal trainer, and you’ll get great personal fitness training advice!
3. Planet Fitness HydroMassage
Planet Fitness Black Card Members can get some delightful relaxation after a hard workout. The hydromassage beds and massage chairs are water-based massage devices that give magical relief to those aching joints and muscles.
Glorious massage and heat for your tired body.
See our article on Planet Fitness hydromassage beds for more information.
2. Planet Fitness Tanning
Depending on the branch, Planet Fitness offers tanning beds, tanning booths, and spray tanning.
Sweet!
The Tanning beds and booths are self-service, but the branches that offer spray tanning require a professional to be there to spray you.
See our article on Planet Fitness tanning bed and spray tan options for further details.
Just be aware that for safety reasons, Planet Fitness will limit the amount of time you use the tanning beds. There is an elevated cancer risk from tanning bed use, so be careful of overexposure to UV rays. Spray tanning is generally a better option.
3. Total Body Enhancement
Many Planet Fitness branches offer remarkable Total Body Enhancement light therapy machines (usually the Beauty Angel RVT30). These units bathe the body in red light while vibrating the muscles using a vibrating plate.
By combining red light therapy and vibration, these machines are designed for both beauty and health, to rejuvenate and restore.
See our article on Planet Fitness Total Body Enhancement for all the details.
4. Hair Salon Services
Some Planet Fitness Black Card areas even offer haircuts and salon services. These are obviously not self-service and are only open when the stylist(s) are available. Still, this is a great perk if your PF offers it!
There’s no limit to using such facilities and equipment.
5. Discounts
To add to all the unlimited offers, Black Card membership holders will also get discounts. They can purchase cooler drinks at half the price, although there are restrictions. They also get a 20% discount at Reebok and a 10% discount at pfstore.com.
6. Black Card Guest Passes
Those with the Black Card membership aren’t the only ones who can benefit well from the membership. Members can also share their privileges with one guest per visit, provided that the guest stays with the member at all times.
The guest passes usually are only for access to the weight training and cardio equipment. The tanning beds, hydromassage beds, and other Black Card premium services are typically limited to the member.
Guests should be at least 18 years and should bring a valid photo ID. Minors who are 13 years or older may also accompany the Black Card membership holder, but they have to work out alongside the member during the visit (and the member should be the parent or guardian of the child).
The fact that you can bring a guest every day almost makes the Black Card act as a sort of Planet Fitness Family Plan or pseudo-College Discount. Plus having a guest work out with you can really help hold you accountable to your goals.
7. Visting Other PF Locations
If you want to go to another Planet Fitness location other than your typical franchise branch, you will usually pay a small fee of about $5 to use another PF gym. But if you have the Black Card membership, you can go for free (up to 10 times).
Planet Fitness has a lot of branches, and the PF Black Card membership allows you to use them all… at least for a while! Most of their branches are found in the United States, but there are some in Canada, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic.
This makes the gym equipment more accessible while traveling or taking a vacation.
Planet Fitness Black Card Price
As mentioned above, the standard cost of a basic membership at PF is $10. If you upgrade to the Black Card membership, the cost jumps to $25 per month. Note that some locations may have different pricing, and many locations offer discounts for upgrades during certain times of the year.
Keep an eye out for deals or ask at the desk when you’re ready to upgrade.
How to Cancel PF Black Card
With all the benefits, perks, and offers that come with the Black Card membership, sometimes you need to cancel your membership. Whether you prefer another gym, are cutting on expenses, are medically unable to use their facility, or prefer to work out at home, canceling the Planet Fitness Black Card Membership is possible.
But it’s a pain. Once they have you, they don’t want to let go!
Many gym-goers have complained about PF’s cancellation process because there are several steps. Aside from that, you might have to pay a cancelation fee.
We’ve put together a detailed article on How to Cancel Your Planet Fitness Membership, which you should refer to if you feel it’s time to move on from PF.
Freezing Your Planet Fitness Black Card Membership
If you are planning to cancel your membership but is thinking about getting it back again later, you might want to simply freeze your membership rather than cancel it.
However, you can’t just decide to freeze your membership. There must be verified and valid medical reasons. Your physician can recommend how much time off you need. That would be how long your membership will remain frozen. After the recommended amount of time, the membership fees will continue to be charged.
Also, take note that the approval of the medical freeze will still be highly dependent on the discretion of the branch. Different clubs have different policies and rules that they follow so there is still a chance that your request to freeze your membership won’t be allowed.
Final Thoughts
The Planet Fitness Black Card Membership has great perks, and it’s not that expensive given all of the nice offerings available.
Invite a guest, use the weight training equipment, hit the massage beds, get your tan on. The amenities available are really great, and it’s no surprise that many people upgrade to the Black Card level.
Note that it’s worth checking with your local PF to see what exactly is offered in their Black Card area, since the offerings do vary somewhat by location.
