If you need a break, or if medical or military leave is necessary, you can freeze or pause your Orangetheory membership. This freeze period enables you to maintain your OTF membership without paying the full membership fees.
One of the advantages of freezing your account, instead of canceling it, is that when you return, you can pick up right where you left off. Additionally, you won’t be subject to any rate increases that may have occurred during your absence, effectively locking in your current rate.
It’s important to note that there are limitations regarding the duration of an Orangetheory membership freeze. Generally, the account can be frozen for a minimum of 30 days and a maximum of 60 days. This maximum period can vary based on the studio’s location and the reason for the freeze. For instance, medical or pregnancy-related freezes can be extended with approval from your studio manager.
Orangetheory Membership Freeze: Policy and Fee Details
Orangetheory Fitness provides a flexible membership freeze policy to accommodate the varying needs of its members. Here’s a comprehensive look at the policy and the fees associated with pausing your membership:
- Freeze Duration: Members are allowed to freeze their membership for a minimum of 30 days and a maximum of 60 days, and this can be done up to two times per year.
- Medical Freezes: If you have a medical condition that requires a longer break, simply provide a doctor’s note, and the studio can extend your freeze for as long as needed.
- Flexibility: You have the option to end your freeze earlier than planned or to extend it, giving you control over your membership based on your circumstances.
- Hold Fee: A monthly hold fee of $15 is charged during the freeze period, which is automatically deducted on the usual autopay date.
- Fee Variation: While the $15 monthly fee is standard for non-medical/non-military freezes, the exact fee may vary by studio. Freezes due to medical or military reasons typically do not incur fees with the submission of proper documentation.
- Student Membership Benefit: Some studios may provide complimentary pauses for student memberships as an additional perk.
- Billing Resumption: Once the designated freeze period concludes, the membership billing will resume at the regular monthly rate.
- Cancellation Policy: It’s important to note that members cannot cancel their membership while it’s frozen. Payment must be reinstated before any cancellation can occur.
- Manager Approval: The ability to freeze your membership is subject to approval by the studio manager and may be influenced by the specific policies of the individual studio.
How to Pause Your Orangetheory Membership?
If you need to take a break from your Orangetheory Fitness membership, you have a couple of options for freezing it.
There are two ways of freezing the Orangetheory membership as follows;
- Manually Filing Paperwork
- Online Method
1. Manually Filing Paperwork
Manual paperwork is the most effective and acceptable method of pausing the Orangetheory membership. Here are the steps to pause your Orangetheory membership:
- Contact your home studio. Call and inform them you want to freeze your membership for a certain period and provide your reasons.
- Visit the studio. The studio staff will have the necessary paperwork ready at the front desk for you to fill out.
- Complete the paperwork. Fill out all required fields and sign/date the form.
- Submit payment if needed. You may need to pay the $15 freeze fee immediately unless you are freezing for a medical reason supported by a doctor’s note.
- Confirmation of approval. Once submitted, the staff will scan the form and notify you once your freeze request has been approved in the system.
- The freeze period begins. Your membership status will change to “frozen” and regular payments will be paused beginning on your requested start date.
- Resume membership at the end of the freeze. When your freeze period concludes, your membership will automatically resume under your regular plan terms and billing cycles.
Alternate online method. Some studios allow freezing online. You may need to request a freeze form by email, sign digitally, and return it for approval.
2. Online Method: Freeze your Orangetheory Membership online
Here are the steps to pause your Orangetheory membership online:
- Call your home studio and inform them you want to freeze for a specific period of time.
- Ask if they allow online freezes. Some studios only accept in-person paperwork.
- If approved online, they will email you the freeze documentation.
- Open the file and sign the document electronically.
- Email the signed file back to your studio contact. If you have a doctor’s note or other, you have to attach it.
- Wait for confirmation your request was received and approved. The studio will call or email to confirm.
- Your membership status will change to “frozen” on their system beginning your requested start date.
- Resume regularly once your freeze period ends without any lapse in membership.
Note: If the studio does not support online, you must visit in-person to fill out paperwork instead.
What Happens When You Freeze Your Account?
- Payment: Freezing your account suspends your regular membership dues. Instead of paying the full membership fee, you’ll be charged a nominal freeze fee, commonly $15 per month.
- Access: While your account is frozen, you won’t be able to attend classes at OTF.
- Duration: You determine the start and end dates of the freeze period according to your needs, within the guidelines provided by OTF (usually a minimum of 30 days and a maximum of 60 days).
- Membership Resumption: Once the freeze period ends, your membership and its original terms will automatically resume with no time lost from your agreement. This means you can return to your regular workout schedule seamlessly.
How to Reactivate Your OTF Membership
In most instances, reactivation of your OTF membership is an automated process:
- Automatic Reactivation: After the designated freeze period ends, your account will automatically become active again, and your regular billing cycle will continue on your original billing dates.
- Early Return: If you decide to return to the gym before the scheduled end of your freeze period, you’ll need to take the following steps:
- Contact: Reach out to your local OTF studio to inform them that you wish to end your freeze period early.
- Adjust Billing: The studio staff will update your billing cycle to reflect the new date when you choose to unfreeze your account, which may be earlier than previously arranged.
- Reactivation: Once the billing details are set, your membership is considered active again, and you are welcome to start attending classes as before.
Remember, a freeze is useful for those times when you know you won’t be using the gym for a while, but you plan to return in the future. It’s a flexible option that OTF offers to accommodate the varying needs of its members, ensuring they can maintain their fitness journey without financial or contractual stress during periods of inactivity.
Why Would You Freeze Instead of Cancel the OTF Membership If There’s an Attached Cost?
There are several compelling reasons why freezing your Orangetheory (OTF) account could be more advantageous than canceling, even when there’s a fee involved. Let’s take a look:
- Grandfathered Rates: Freezing your account allows you to keep your existing membership rate. Should prices increase, you won’t be affected by the higher rates after the freeze period. On the other hand, canceling your membership means you might return as a new member subject to potentially higher rates.
- Cost-Effectiveness: The fee to freeze your account is substantially lower than the full monthly membership cost. So, if you’re looking to maintain your membership without the full expense, freezing is the financially smarter choice.
- Convenience: Pausing your account saves you from the hassle of re-enrolling and starting from scratch, which can be a deterrent for many people. The convenience and continuity make the freeze fee worthwhile.
- Motivation: A freeze has a set time limit, which can serve as a built-in motivator to resume your fitness routine, helping to prevent extended lapses in your workout regimen.
In essence, if you plan on returning to OTF after a short break, freezing your account is a strategic move that saves money and maintains your member benefits in the long term.
Conclusion
Orangetheory Fitness offers the flexibility to freeze or pause your membership should you require a break from the gym. According to OTF’s terms and conditions, members are entitled to freeze their accounts up to two times per year. Each freeze can last for a minimum of 30 days and up to a maximum of 60 days.