LA Fitness lets you freeze your membership instead of cancelling, and the fee depends on what type of membership you have.
- Monthly Dues members pay $10 per month during a freeze.
- Bi-weekly Dues members pay $5 per bi-weekly billing cycle.
- Paid In Full members pay a flat $35 for up to six months.
That’s the official LA Fitness policy.
The full process is a bit more involved, especially because of one timing rule that catches most first-time freezers off guard.
Below is the complete breakdown of steps, fees by membership type, how the unfreeze LA Fitness membership works, and much more.
LA Fitness Freeze Fees by Membership Type
The official LA Fitness policy on freezing (called “suspending” on their website) is different for each of the three main membership billing structures. Here is what LA Fitness actually charges.
| Membership Type | Freeze Fee | Maximum Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Dues | $10 per month | Indefinite |
| Bi-weekly Dues | $5 per bi-weekly billing | Indefinite |
| Paid In Full | $35 flat fee | Up to 6 months |
Monthly and bi-weekly members can freeze for as long as they want.
Paid In Full members are capped at six months per freeze, but their membership expiration date gets pushed back by the same amount of time, so nothing is lost.
Family add-on members, kids club premium members, and personal training clients may have separate freeze rules and separate fees.
Ask your home club about each add-on individually, since freezing your main membership does not automatically freeze anything billed separately.
The 10-day Rule that Catches Most Gym Member
According to the official LA Fitness policy, if your next billing date is within 10 days of when you submit your freeze request, the freeze does not take effect until the month after next.
Practically, this means:
- If you request a freeze 15+ days before your next billing date, the freeze applies to that next billing cycle and you pay only the freeze fee for that month
- If you request a freeze 10 days or fewer before your next billing date, you get charged the full regular monthly dues for that next cycle first, then the freeze fee kicks in the month after
This is the single most common reason members go to Reddit complaining they got charged full price after freezing.
How to Freeze LA Fitness Membership: the steps
Similar to cancellation, LA Fitness makes freezing a members do-it-in-person or do-it-on-paper process.
In-person freeze at your home club
- Visit your home LA Fitness during weekday business hours (Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), which is when the Operations Manager is on shift
- Ask the front desk to speak with the Operations Manager or Assistant Operations Manager, not just a regular associate
- Request a Membership Freeze Form (specify freeze, not cancellation, since the two forms are separate)
- Fill out your account details, the freeze start date you want, and the duration if you’re on a Paid In Full plan
- Sign and hand back the completed form
- Request a stamped copy or written confirmation showing the freeze start date and, if applicable, the end date
- Confirm out loud whether the freeze will apply to your next billing cycle or the one after, based on the 10-day rule
Same-day submissions always get processed correctly, assuming your billing timing works with the 10-day window.
Freeze by mail
If you can’t get to your club, the same form can be submitted by certified mail to the LA Fitness Member Services P.O. Box in Irvine, California.
The address is on the freeze form itself, which you can download from your online LA Fitness account.
Mailing your freeze form adds 7 to 10 business days of processing time to the timeline.
Combined with mail delivery (2 to 5 business days), send the form at least 21 days before your next billing date to have any real chance of the freeze applying to that cycle.
Use certified mail with return receipt requested so you have proof of delivery.
Freezing on the LA Fitness app or online
If you are looking for “LA Fitness freeze account on app” or “LA Fitness freeze online”, you will runs into the same wall as members trying to cancel through digital channels.
The website and app let you generate the freeze form, but neither one processes the freeze on its own.
You still have to print the form, sign it, and physically deliver or mail it, and there is no one-tap freeze option in the LA Fitness app as of 2026.
Some members have successfully starting the freeze process through the online account by sending a message to member services, then following up in-person to complete it.
But it does not always work, and it’s not officially supported, In-person or mail remain the two reliable methods.
What Happens During a Freeze
Once your freeze is active, several things change and several stay the same:
What stops:
- Full monthly dues billing pauses (only the freeze fee gets charged)
- Gym access is disabled, including check-ins at any LA Fitness location
- Group class registration is disabled through the app
- Kids Klub access for your account is suspended if you had a family plan
What continues:
- The freeze fee ($10 monthly for Monthly Dues, $5 bi-weekly for Bi-weekly Dues, $0 additional for Paid In Full since the $35 was already paid)
- Annual fees, if their billing date falls during your freeze period (this is not paused by freezing)
- Personal training packages, unless separately frozen or cancelled
- Any other add-on services billed separately
LA Fitness charges annual fees around 45 to 60 days after your initial signup date, then annually after that.
Freezing your membership does not pause or refund this fee, and If your annual fee is scheduled to bill during your freeze, it will still come out.
Members who plan to freeze near their annual fee date should factor this in.
Freeze vs Cancel: Which One to Choose
Ask yourself, how long you’ll be away and whether you plan to return at all. Here’s how to think about it.
| Situation | Freeze | Cancel |
|---|---|---|
| Away 1 to 3 months | Freeze at $10 to $30 saves initiation fee later | Cancel costs $0 upfront but $99+ to rejoin |
| Away 4 to 6 months | Freeze at $40 to $60 vs cancel + rejoin at $99+ | Roughly break-even |
| Away 6+ months and returning | Freeze indefinitely if Monthly, or freeze 6 mo then reassess | Cancel likely cheaper unless price locked |
| Not returning at all | Freeze wastes money | Cancel is correct |
| Medical or long-term injury | Freeze with medical documentation for possible fee waiver | Cancel only if you’re truly done |
| Locked in an old, cheaper rate | Freeze to keep that rate | Cancel loses the grandfathered price |
LA Fitness increases prices periodically, members who signed up 3+ years ago may be paying $10 to $20 per month less than the current rate for the same tier.
Cancelling and rejoining means paying today’s price, which can add up to hundreds of dollars over the following years, while freezing preserves that old rate.
Freeze LA Membership because of Medical Reason
If you’re freezing because of a documented medical issue or injury, LA Fitness sometimes waives the standard freeze fee and allows longer freeze periods than the standard policy.
But the specifics depend on your home club and require doctor documentation.
Members with valid medical documentation should ask specifically for a medical freeze rather than a regular freeze, and bring the doctor’s note or physical therapy paperwork with them.
Some clubs are more flexible than others on this.
If your first attempt gets refused, ask to speak with the club General Manager (who has more discretion than the Operations Manager on fee waivers).
For members with permanent disabilities that prevent gym use, cancellation with a medical exception is the right move rather than a freeze, and it does not require paying out an annual contract’s remaining term.
Common Billing Issues After Freezing
Reddit threads about LA Fitness freezes consistently surface the same three issues:
- Full dues charged instead of freeze fee: Almost always caused by the 10-day timing rule. You can check your billing date versus your submission date, and If you submitted the freeze 10 or fewer days before billing, the first month’s full charge is not an error, and the freeze applies from the following month.
- Freeze not activating at all: Sometimes the form doesn’t get processed, follow up in person or by phone (949-255-7200) if you don’t see the freeze fee on your account within one billing cycle after submission.
- Annual fee still charged: This is intentional, not a bug, freezing does not pause annual fees. If your annual fee is scheduled during the freeze period, expect it to come out normally.
If any of these issues appear and you have a dated freeze form as proof, request a refund of any overcharge in writing, and save all correspondence.
If LA Fitness refuses, dispute the charge with your credit card company and file a complaint with the FTC (which is already suing LA Fitness over related member service issues) or your state attorney general.
How to reactivate your LA Fitness membership after freezing
Reactivation is the easiest part of the whole process, and it can happen two ways.
Automatic reactivation happens at the end of your freeze period.
- Monthly Dues and Bi-weekly Dues members who set a specific end date get reactivated on that date.
- Paid In Full members’ six-month freeze auto-ends after six months, while regular billing resumes on the next scheduled billing cycle.
Manual early reactivation happens if you want to come back sooner than planned, here are two options:
- Visit your home club and ask the front desk to reactivate, this works same-day for immediate gym access.
- Log into the LA Fitness app or website and message member services requesting reactivation, response time is 1 to 3 business days.
When you reactivate, LA Fitness charges a pro-rated amount of your regular dues covering the remaining days of that billing period.
After that, full monthly dues resume on the normal schedule.
Frequently asked questions
What happens when you freeze your gym membership at LA Fitness?
Your billing switches from full monthly dues to the freeze fee ($10 for Monthly Dues, $5 bi-weekly for Bi-weekly Dues, or $35 flat for six months if Paid In Full).
Gym access, class registration, and Kids Klub access are suspended.
Everything else about your account (member number, home club, membership tier) stays the same and picks up where you left off when you reactivate.
How do I reactivate my LA Fitness account from freezing?
Either wait for the freeze period to end (automatic) or visit your home club and request early reactivation.
You can also message member services through the LA Fitness app or website to reactivate remotely, though it takes 1 to 3 business days to process. When reactivating, LA Fitness pro-rates your dues for the current billing period.
Can I put my membership on hold through the LA Fitness app?
Not directly, the app can generate a freeze form for you to download and print, but the actual freeze request has to be submitted in person at your club or by certified mail.
There is no one-tap freeze option in the LA Fitness app, unlike some competitor apps.
How much does it cost to freeze LA Fitness?
$10 per month for Monthly Dues members, $5 per bi-weekly billing for Bi-weekly Dues members, and $35 flat for up to six months for Paid In Full members.
These are the official rates on the LA Fitness website.
Most third-party guides quote a $10 to $15 range, which is not accurate for all membership types.
Is LA Fitness freeze worth it?
Freezing is always worth it if you plan to return within six months and want to keep your current membership rate.
The math: freeze fees of $10 to $60 over that period are much cheaper than the $99+ initiation fee you’d pay to rejoin, plus you keep your grandfathered rate if you’ve had the membership for a few years.
Freezing is not worth it if you’re genuinely done with LA Fitness, in which case cancelling is the correct move.
Did LA Fitness freeze memberships during COVID?
Yes, LA Fitness paused billing for members during the mandatory closure periods in 2020.
Members who kept their memberships through that period generally had their dues auto-frozen with no freeze fee applied.
Can I freeze my LA Fitness membership more than once?
Yes, monthly Dues and Bi-weekly Dues members can freeze indefinitely, so there’s no limit on how many times you can start and end freezes.
Paid In Full members can freeze up to 6 months at a time, and you can request additional freezes later, though the total duration counts against your paid-in-full period unless it gets extended.
Abraham is a fitness and consumer finance writer with a passion for helping people make smarter decisions before signing gym contracts. After spending years researching gym membership costs, hidden fees and cancellation policies across major gym chains, he created GymMembershipPricing to give people the honest information they need before signing up. Every guide on this site is independently researched and verified.
