Under the May 22, 2026 U.S. FDD, a Planet Fitness franchise operates one approved fitness club that sells recurring memberships, delivers equipment access, fitness training and authorized amenities, and processes member accounts through mandated systems. The franchisee runs the club and workforce; Planet Fitness Franchising LLC controls the brand, offering, suppliers, technology, marketing rules and compliance framework.
Data basis. Planet Fitness Franchising LLC is the legal franchisor; Planet Fitness, Inc. the parent; Planet Fitness Holdings, LLC the Manager; and Planet Fitness Distribution LLC the equipment affiliate. The 2026 FDD covers new clubs, conversions, acquisitions, successors and Area Development Agreements.
Sources: FDD Items 1, 6, 8, 11, 12, 15, 16, 19 and 20; Franchise Agreement Articles 9-12; POS Agreements; Equipment Terms; and Operations Manual contents. Item 20 counts U.S. outlets at December 31, 2025. Checked July 31, 2026.
Official context: U.S. franchising, memberships, PF App, member service, in-club roles and Planet Fitness, Inc.'s 2025 Form 10-K. Contractual claims follow the 2026 FDD.
What does a Planet Fitness franchise sell, and who buys it?
The core sale is a fitness-club membership billed by recurring electronic funds transfer. The franchisee must continuously offer Classic and PF Black Card memberships and provide only products, services and promotions authorized by Planet Fitness Franchising LLC.
Classic membership
Classic is the home-club tier, providing access to the enrolled Planet Fitness location and required member services. Monthly and annual dues are the principal revenue mechanism; price, commitment and promotions follow franchisor policy and law.
PF Black Card membership
PF Black Card adds reciprocal club access, guest privileges, digital content and authorized Black Card Spa amenities. A club must honor reciprocal-use and transfer rules even when another Planet Fitness location originated the membership, sometimes without separate payment for the visit or benefit.
Other authorized transactions include enrollment charges, prepaid memberships, day fees, beverages, tanning products, Planet Fitness apparel and approved merchandise. Buyers are mainly the public; employer or health-plan programs may pay dues, and franchisor-created partnerships may use different reimbursement terms.
Evidence: 2026 FDD Items 1, 16 and 19, pp. 2-4, 61-62 and 76-80; Operations Manual contents.
How does work move through an operating club?
The cycle moves from approved marketing to inquiry, enrollment, repeated club access, member service, recurring billing and account administration. Material transactions and membership status flow through the designated POS System so the franchisee, billing provider and franchisor can record, settle, report and review activity.
Create approved demand
- Actor
- Franchisor, National Advertising Fund, franchisee and approved marketing agency or cooperative.
- Action
- Run national campaigns and an approved local plan; honor required offers and partnerships.
- System/asset
- NAF programs, Local Advertising Funds, approved media and digital channels.
- Output
- A prospect reaches the club, website or PF App.
Answer, tour and qualify
- Actor
- Franchisee-selected club employees under trained management.
- Action
- Answer inquiries, explain approved offers, conduct tours and identify a permitted membership.
- System/asset
- Operations Manual member-service procedures, rate sheets and club facilities.
- Output
- A join, day-pass purchase or no sale.
Enroll and create the account
- Actor
- Club employee or customer using the official website or PF App.
- Action
- Execute the approved agreement, capture identity and payment details, and apply authorized terms.
- System/asset
- ABC Fitness Solutions POS, billing, approved payment gateways and member records.
- Output
- An active home-club membership.
Deliver access and service
- Actor
- Front-desk personnel, club-employed fitness trainers and other franchisee employees.
- Action
- Check in members, maintain the club, support equipment use, provide required instruction and administer amenities.
- System/asset
- PF App key tag, club network, fitness and Black Card Spa equipment.
- Output
- A completed visit and updated service record.
Bill and maintain membership
- Actor
- ABC Fitness Solutions, payment processors, franchisee personnel and the member.
- Action
- Draft dues, manage declines and process permitted account updates, freezes, cancellations, conversions and transfers.
- System/asset
- POS System, EFT draft, PF App, member website and home-club service channel.
- Output
- An updated payment and membership status.
Report, inspect and correct
- Actor
- Franchisee management, franchisor representatives, POS supplier and designated auditors.
- Action
- Maintain books, report results, inspect operations and correct deficiencies or data events.
- System/asset
- Chart of accounts, Designated Franchise Portal, POS data and audit records.
- Output
- Verified records, settlement and corrective action.
Evidence: 2026 FDD Items 6, 8, 11 and 16; Franchise Agreement Articles 9-12; POS Agreements, Exhibit K-3.
Can the club be manager-run, and who controls staffing?
A manager-run structure is possible, but conditional. An entity franchisee must appoint a Responsible Owner. Planet Fitness Franchising LLC may approve an Approved Operator; without one, the owner or Responsible Owner must personally manage the business as a primary occupation and devote full-time best efforts.
The club must be managed by the franchisee, an owner, an Approved Operator or a trained manager, who need not hold equity. The FDD grants no absentee-operation right. An owner, Responsible Owner, Approved Operator or manager must complete the weekly Designated Franchise Portal login.
Franchisee executes
- Set personnel terms, schedules, training and supervision.
- Maintain the club, equipment, safety and member service.
- Prepare local plans, books and required reports.
Franchisor sets and monitors
- Methods of Operation, memberships and approved offerings.
- Staffing, training, apparel and service standards.
- Inspections, data access and corrective requirements.
Affiliates and vendors enable
- Planet Fitness Distribution LLC supplies fitness equipment.
- ABC Fitness Solutions supports POS and billing.
- Approved marketing, IT, security and payment vendors perform assigned functions.
The franchisor may prescribe minimum staffing, but the Franchise Agreement leaves employment and personnel decisions with the franchisee. Front-desk associates and fitness trainers are examples, not a required headcount. The FDD discloses no shifts, labor ratios or wages.
Evidence: 2026 FDD Items 11 and 15; Franchise Agreement Articles 9.1 and 9.7.
Which suppliers, systems and records are mandatory?
The franchisee cannot assemble an independent supply or technology stack. Planet Fitness Franchising LLC designates suppliers and specifications. Planet Fitness Distribution LLC is the sole U.S. source for required fitness equipment; POS Agreements identify ABC Fitness Solutions for club management and billing.
Club and member layer
Approved fitness and amenity equipment, fixtures, signs, uniforms, merchandise and club supplies. Used branded equipment follows approved sale, donation or de-branding procedures.
Transaction layer
The POS System records member, fee and retail activity in real time through approved workstations, payment readers, scanners, printers and peripherals.
Network and security layer
Business Internet, firewall, switch, network cabinet, enterprise Wi-Fi, endpoint protection, patching, PCI support and encrypted card processing must meet current standards.
Reporting and control layer
The franchisee uses the standard chart of accounts, retains records, submits quarterly and annual statements, and permits retrieval of POS and billing data.
The franchisor may access systems daily and require uncapped-frequency upgrades. A suspected Data Event must be reported within 24 hours; the franchisor may control the response, while the franchisee handles notices and remediation.
The franchisor classifies each location as a High-Use Club, Medium-Use Club or Low-Use Club and may require fitness-equipment replacement within five to nine years. Remodeling may be required every 12 years, with earlier changes possible through Franchise Agreement voting mechanisms.
Evidence: 2026 FDD Items 6, 8 and 11; Franchise Agreement Articles 9.3-9.5, 9.14-9.16 and 11-12; Exhibits K-1 and K-3.
What does the franchisor control, and what remains a franchisee decision?
Planet Fitness Franchising LLC controls the offering and verification system. The franchisee employs the workforce and operates locally under the Methods of Operation, approved products, pricing, campaigns, supplier rules, technology, hours, records and inspections.
| Operating domain | Franchisor authority | Franchisee decision or duty |
|---|---|---|
| Offering and pricing | Designates memberships, products, services, promotions and permitted minimum or maximum prices. | Applies approved terms, complies with law and may tailor only where the system permits. |
| People | Approves Responsible Owner or Approved Operator, training and brand-related minimum staffing standards. | Makes all hiring, scheduling, compensation, supervision and discipline decisions. |
| Marketing | Controls NAF, national campaigns, digital Marks, approvals, cooperatives and required offers. | Funds and executes approved local plans through approved agencies and media. |
| Quality and data | Inspects without notice, audits records, conducts surveys or quality programs and accesses systems. | Maintains the premises, corrects deficiencies, keeps records and protects member data. |
Ongoing assistance includes guidance, remote consultation, refresher training, marketing and research. Legal compliance, employment, maintenance, execution and bookkeeping remain the franchisee's responsibility.
Evidence: 2026 FDD Items 8, 11, 15 and 16; Franchise Agreement Articles 9-12.
How do territory, internet sales and alternative channels work?
A single-club Franchise Agreement covers one approved premises with no exclusive or protected territory. Online membership solicitation must use approved methods; the franchisor reserves additional clubs, other brands, partnerships, distribution and Internet channels.
Internet solicitation is not a separate territory. Approved marketing may obtain memberships, but the franchisee may not sell Planet Fitness-branded merchandise online. The franchisor controls websites, mobile applications and branded digital content.
An Area Development Agreement grants conditional rights in a Development Area, not operating exclusivity for each club. Protection depends on the Development Schedule and excludes specified existing businesses, nontraditional sites, acquisitions, conversions, other brands and commercial arrangements. Each club still requires a Franchise Agreement.
A conversion follows the same post-opening system, subject to the Conversion Amendment and approved assets. The FDD identifies no separate workflow for conversion, acquisition or successor clubs, and no nontraditional model in the standard U.S. offer.
Evidence: 2026 FDD Items 1 and 12; Franchise Agreement Articles 3, 9.4 and 10.5.
What does Item 20 show about the U.S. operating system?
At December 31, 2025, Item 20 reported 2,709 U.S. outlets: 2,432 franchised and 277 company-owned. Franchised clubs therefore perform most local operations, while company-owned clubs remain within the same brand, advertising, technology and operating-standard framework.
Reporting date: December 31, 2025
- Franchised outlets 2,432 · 89.8%
- Company-owned outlets 277 · 10.2%
Interpretation: franchised outlets were nearly nine of every ten U.S. locations. In 2025, Item 20 records net increases of 134 franchised and seven company-owned outlets, or 141 total.
Source: 2026 Planet Fitness FDD, Item 20, p. 84. Percentages use 2,709 outlets and reconcile to 100.0%.
Which operating questions remain to be verified before signing?
The FDD defines control but not the proposed club's staffing plan, current supplier roster, operating hours or local implementation of every membership and promotion. Verify these against the current Operations Manual, vendor portal, site and applicable law.
How does the Planet Fitness model work after opening?
The central mechanism is recurring membership dues and authorized ancillary transactions at one approved club, recorded through the designated POS and billing system. The Planet Fitness franchisee delivers the service; Planet Fitness Franchising LLC sets the operating framework.
The franchisee's central responsibility is staffing, maintenance, member service, local marketing, legal compliance and records. The strongest dependency is franchisor authority over Methods of Operation, offerings, suppliers, technology, data access and audits.
A Planet Fitness club has no exclusive territory or independent digital channel; an Area Development Agreement gives conditional development rights. The largest unknown is the site's labor-and-hours model under demand, regulation and approved staffing standards.