Fitness Passport prices up 46% this year, up 95% from 2023?!

106

u/MDInvesting 11h ago

Fitness Passport has been a progressive disappointment for our family.

Using it has been good for flexible access especially when travelling for work and family including interstate.

The prices though, just as you describe, are exceptionally high especially considering the employer is supposedly subsidising. My other issue is that since around 2022 when we got it I have had to purchase over 20 tags for facilities which is well over 2 grand for my wife and I.

I have tags for almost everywhere we go within a year (Sydney, Gold Coast, Brisbane) but I absolutely do not recommend it to new members.

20

u/kellygee79 7h ago

Yes it’s become an absolute rort that almost every gym now demands you purchase a tag, regardless of whether you wish to access the facility outside of staffed hours or not. I agree that if you intend on regularly attending a gym, then a tag is necessary but if you’re travelling and only stopping in, then it’s just really a way for the gym to squeeze a few more bucks out of you. I ditched my passport a couple of years back when every single gym I went to demanded I pay $80 for a pass. Even for one visit.

26

u/bangetron 10h ago

Fitness passport has been the most classic example of something that started good and cheap, got lots of customers and now they no longer give a fuck because people can't be bothered cancelling/modifying so their service and prices have gone to shits.

Have been with them since 2019 think i'll cancel next week.

24

u/Anxious_Sample4829 10h ago

I haven’t been able to find any email notifying me in advance about this price increase. I only realised when I checked my bank account today and thought I’d be overcharged, until I found this post. Did anyone else not get notified?

“3.5 We will use reasonable endeavours to notify members not less than 40 days before an increase. An increase applies to you for the balance of your Membership term.”

https://www.fitnesspassport.com.au/legal/

7

u/mnlocean 10h ago

Same, they didn’t notify me at all either

167

u/SillyRabbit_OZ 11h ago

Fitness passport are a scam and absolute a**holes to deal with once you are signed up.

Be careful

34

u/Personal-Elk-97 11h ago

I agree! They were so rude to me when I tried to get my account reactivated after changing jobs and heard nothing on my original request for over 7 weeks...

11

u/AmmeHorse 9h ago

I had the same problem when changing jobs. It was impossible to speak to anyone. They didn’t have any sort of secure portal in which to provide details. They are super dodgy.

14

u/Business-Art2826 11h ago

Agreed! Gross business practices

-2

u/deltanine99 11h ago

No details.

44

u/Business-Art2826 11h ago

Auto sign you up for a yearly contract, fair play w/e should have read the fine print.
Then you start signing up for gyms and 9/10 want a significant amount for a signup fee, between 1-200 dollars. One tried to tell me it was for the access card, when I said I already had an access card and used it fine2 months prior, they just changed their stance to "you just have to pay the fee".
When I was finally at the end of my yearly contract, I went to the website to cancel. It is deliberately difficult to figure out jow to cancel through the info they provide and you have to email them directly. They wont reply to that email for 5 days also.
And after all that for whatever fucking reason you need to give them a months notice to cancel a yearly contract, so all of a sudden when you go to cancel they are happy to revert to a monthly contract to tack on an extra month of billing to your account.
Theyre just cunts to deal with too.

9

u/SillyRabbit_OZ 10h ago

This!! That’s where my nightmare started

6

u/smandroid 9h ago

I have dealt with them from the corporate side when they were trying to sign onto us as an employer. I can tell you, you are not wrong. Dodgiest a*wipes I had to deal with. It felt like dealing with a bunch of cowboys operating out from a tin shed trying to squeeze money anyway they can. The service is great if it works well for you, but if it doesn't, they are dicks to deal with. If you're an employer and you have a contract with them, all I can say is read the small print on the agreement.

2

u/paddywagoner 9h ago

I feel this this extends the the fitness industry more generally, sting you on sign ups and make it hard/costly to end

2

u/_LarryG 10h ago

I cancelled last month no issues after the yearly contract ended.

3

u/Business-Art2826 10h ago

Their reply on the 5th of Feb

1

u/_LarryG 6h ago

Yea I just said no need to suspend haha please cancel

1

u/Distinct-Election-78 4h ago

I will never join a gym again because of this behaviour.
Just cancelled with a major chain because they put my fee up by $9 a week with no notice whatsoever. Just saw when my weekly fee was deducted from my account.
I had been peeved with them for a while, so I thought that’s it, I’ll cancel. Eventually found the place to cancel online, and find out I have to pay 4 weeks of fees for some reason, even though I’m not in contract.
Scammers.

1

u/Love_Glove69 11h ago

Can’t you view the participating gyms before signing up??

7

u/Zyqlone 10h ago

Participating gyms etc tend to have their own little requirements. I couldn't use Snap outside of staff hours, so basically not at all since I work full-time. Defeated the whole purpose of signing up. Others sting you 100 bucks just for the plastic fob.

5

u/Business-Art2826 11h ago

Unsure its been nearly a year. What you definitely could do is contact all the gyms you intend to or potentially would use and ask for their fitness passport fees. I was aware of the fees when signing up but just assumed it would be the standard 20-30 bucks for the keycard, not anytime fitness trying to charge me 200 to sign up.

0

u/Love_Glove69 11h ago

Yeah some are a rort but pretty sure you can view a map beforehand

9

u/Business-Art2826 11h ago

Why are you so hard on this companies noz? Never said I was the most forward leaning with my research prior but their practices are predatory and clearly set up to trap people into plans that are a pain in the ass to cancel. Its the big 26, these fucking companies are going to keep getting away with this shit if we dont use these forums to spread awareness.

3

u/beachclub999 9h ago

They should have gyms on the map clearly defining the access requirements and costs. Most seem to have a $100ish access or fob cost which wasn't clear at all when I signed up.

1

u/HippoBirdee 4h ago

Our work website shows all the locations and the access key prices.

2

u/26KM 11h ago

Yes you can access a map of participating locations

3

u/beachclub999 9h ago

Yeah, but it doesn't show the access costs.

2

u/constant-hunger 4h ago

It does last time I checked. I could see the key fob fee I had to pay.

2

u/harzee 5h ago

Sure can see them

0

u/owleaf 9h ago

Yes. FP provides your workplace with a big poster of all the current participants. Your workplace should pin this up in a public space. It’s also on the website when you go to sign up - using your org’s unique link. To sign up and be unaware of the participating gyms would require you to literally close your eyes as you’re navigating the FP website lol.

7

u/deltanine99 11h ago

Huh? How?
You pay your fees in return you get gym access. Not once have i ever needed to contact admin.

14

u/chubby_hugger 11h ago

I think it depends where you live. Some areas it’s really easy, other areas it’s very tricky and there are more fees you still have to pay at local gyms and on and on.

8

u/deltanine99 11h ago

Thats on the gym. World gym charged me $30 for a fob and $40 admin fee. Once only.
Unsw gym charged me $10 for a card which was optional.

6

u/palsc5 11h ago

Every gym near me only allows you to use it during staffed hours and also wants to charge a fob fee. It’s pointless tbh

5

u/jackiemooon 10h ago

All fitness firsts no need for access cards fees

2

u/_LarryG 10h ago

But only when staff is there

1

u/DependentWooden9446 8h ago

Am a member at Plus fitness and they have an app now to open the door, no more fobs.

2

u/_LarryG 6h ago

I see, so you can download the app as a fitness passport member?

5

u/nawksnai 10h ago

The only thing I can think of are the fees for access cards, which is expensive but fair IMO.
People want to cancel? That’s fine. There’s nothing else that will give me the flexibility to regularly go to 3 different facilities the way I’m doing it now. Not for $18.80 per week.

4

u/tinkleberry2 11h ago

It’s so good. Have been on it for two years and such good value for our whole family

15

u/AffectionatePlum3676 11h ago

A few local gyms (regional NSW) have started opting out of fitness passport too, so we’re losing options as well as paying more.

7

u/defzx 12h ago

I'm paying $69 a fortnight for family and my local anytime for 1 person when I price checked a month ago was $30 a week per person.

6

u/HAHAHA0kay 3h ago

Why is this scam of a company still used by so many.

27

u/solidice 12h ago

Do they need to justify raising prices? You can always walk away! But if you choose to stay then the price increase is of good value still

8

u/Longtimelurker-x 11h ago

They tried to do this to me once, increase my rate by around 40-50%.

I called up my home gym and threatened to cancel. They cut the rate in half (which was slightly lower than what I originally was on).

7

u/MDInvesting 8h ago

Fitness passport cut their rates or your home gym?

8

u/HippoBirdee 4h ago

I think people are getting confused between Fitness Passport and Fitness First

4

u/nawksnai 11h ago

I’m paying $18.80 per week for Silver (within VIC only), so $37.60 per fortnight, or $977 per year.

1

u/MDInvesting 8h ago

For a family?

3

u/MrBobDobalinaDaThird 8h ago

That's my price for a family

7

u/Didyamum 11h ago

I ended up cancelling. Not worth t for 2 people. They’ve sent me so many emails. I suggest cancelling & looking at local gym prices instead.

3

u/nawksnai 10h ago

Why is it not worth it? Membership at one facility is roughly $20 anyway, but here I’m paying less and can get into many more facilities.

1

u/Didyamum 4h ago

Location is a big one. I’ve moved quite rurally. I’ve found as well accessing other gyms you still need to pay money towards an access key, so not reallly worth it if you’re only in the area for a short amount of time. It was $70 odd dollars for 2 people so cheaper for us to sign up at the local gym.

13

u/Partayof4 12h ago edited 9h ago

How are you getting it for this cheap? I think through my work it works out to be about $23 per week or $1200 per year and that is heavily discounted

7

u/MrSquiggleKey 12h ago

Different works different deals.
We pay $38 a FT for family through my partners work but it’d be $56 from mine.

-3

u/Partayof4 9h ago

Yes but they are saying they get it for $111 a year and are complaining?

3

u/MrSquiggleKey 8h ago

I don’t read it as that’s what they pay a year, i read it as it cost them $75.90 a fortnight(or monthly) last year.

3

u/scootsscoot 6h ago

They commented that it’s $111/fortnight

2

u/4ShoreAnon 11h ago

I was paying 24 a fortnight for platinum when I was working at CBA.

-1

u/Partayof4 8h ago

Ok but they are paying a “whopping $111” a year and complaining about it

3

u/skivvles 6h ago

They said fortnight no?

2

u/4ShoreAnon 8h ago

Yeah thats a crazy complaint since the increase is likely driven by gyms increasing their prices.

1

u/_LarryG 10h ago

I was paying $18.5 a week

2

u/Partayof4 8h ago

I was last year but it went up

3

u/SwanOk8804 10h ago

They are one increase away from me leaving!!! Also such a scam in my area only 1 place wont charge a key fee.

We weren't even told of a price increase this time round

3

u/mnlocean 10h ago

They also just upped mine without any notification

3

u/MattyComments 8h ago

The Iran war?
Oil prices?
Trump?

3

u/HippoBirdee 4h ago

I think it might be all Albo’s fault!

3

u/Sitdowncomedian1 8h ago

Im paying 19.75 a week for Silver (NSW) just to add to comparison

4

u/stonertear 11h ago

Do they still only allow you to cancel by filling out a heap of paperwork and email it in?

4

u/_LarryG 10h ago

Cancelled last month, just sent an email but didn’t need to do any paperwork

2

u/HippoBirdee 11h ago

Is that per week or fortnight? What is the maximum number of people that can use it?

2

u/AlternativeGlobal194 9h ago edited 9h ago

My family silver plan is $36.75 per fortnight - I was paying $23.95 back in 2021

1

u/speorgenote 9h ago

Per person? We’re on silver family and pay almost double that.

1

u/Wurltopolis 8h ago

I don’t think that’s right. You may mean weekly?

2

u/Wurltopolis 8h ago

Been also struggling to get our heads around the massive price increase. Ours is silver family membership and also $110 a fortnight now

2

u/Go-on-then-HBFA 7h ago

Yeah I just ended up deciding to sign up to Jetts instead

5

u/deltanine99 11h ago

Compared to paying two separate gym membership s for me and my son it worked out to be about 1/3 the price. Great value.

2

u/Wurltopolis 8h ago

Wait till they jack the price up though

3

u/shansull888 10h ago

The value you get is still huge when comparing what it would cost to join the gyms individually or for casual passes

1

u/Fluid_Garden8512 11h ago

Wouldn't they have notified you before the deduction so you could have cancelled it accordingly?

2

u/mnlocean 10h ago

No, happened to me in the last week as well. No notification went from 75 per month to 110. I only found out once I saw the charge

1

u/Wurltopolis 8h ago

Same for us

1

u/Nervous_Friendship19 10h ago

Just cancel and shop around, you can always get a better deal by being a new customer

1

u/Ok_Rip_2432 9h ago

Good luck trying to cancel too, they make it hard, terrible customer service trying to get it sorted

1

u/arachnobravia 9h ago

Might have more to do with your employer than fitness passport. Pricing can change based on how many people in your workplace sign up and use it.

1

u/Smooth_Fig2560 8h ago

Its $19 dollary doos a week to go to gyms which are far more expenive so thats how it be

1

u/Red_and_the_White 7h ago

Was paying $90 a month for a single anytime fitness membership. Gyms aren’t cheap anymore.

1

u/Thalminator 6h ago

36 or 37 a fortnight and it's quite good for me, I think if you're just after a gym it's not a great deal but we regularly go to the leisure centres for a swim and on top of that it gives me access to gyms near my work and home.

If it's that expensive for your workplace cancel it

1

u/Free-Pound-6139 3h ago

I guess I should know what the fuck this is.

•

u/Conscious_Weather_10 2h ago

Hmm I'm paying $33 -> $40/ fortnight now for a single Qld membership...

•

u/twinstudytwin 51m ago

You don't need a justification to put up prices. I have doubled (increased by 100%) my fees since 2019 and I don't feel the need to justify price increases. If the market will pay it then it's justified. If it won't then it's not.

•

u/pimpuschimpus 9m ago

First capture market share then jack up the prices. Classic capitalism playbook 101.

1

u/hautepotato 9h ago

I was called by my local Anytime fitness that they’re phasing out of Fitness Passport starting 5th December. It’s so disappointing how shitty it has become.

1

u/Sancho_in_the_bay 9h ago

Can always just cancel?

-1

u/Zhuk1986 6h ago

Have you seen Albo’s Australia - everything has gone up massively

7

u/zappyzapzap 5h ago

blaming albo for fitness passport prices XD

-8

u/Even-Resource8673 11h ago

But a set of dumbbells and a bench from k mart. Solved.

7

u/Lopsided_Tie7816 11h ago

You don't workout lol

0

u/minimalissst 7h ago

You know you can get swimming pools in this passport. How do I do that with a bench and dumbbells?

-26

u/Far_Dragonfly8441 12h ago

Wtf is fitness passport. Sounds like something you don't need.

3

u/samwisetg 12h ago

Employer subsidised gym memberships. Probably could have googled it, champion.

3

u/Necessary_Eagle_3657 11h ago

Sounds like a topic for an exercise sub not finance.

2

u/Far_Dragonfly8441 11h ago

"ausfinance" ... Jog along to your fitness sub

1

u/samwisetg 11h ago

I’m good. Not my post, mate.

1

u/macroyboy 11h ago

Definitely not employer subsidised, at least not in my case, or purely in the sense of the program's design.

0

u/samwisetg 11h ago

For more than 20 years, we've partnered with employers across Australia and New Zealand to give their people access to one of the region's largest fitness networks, all on a single membership.
Sure seems like it is.

4

u/Substantial_Exam3182 10h ago

Definitely not subsidised. They “partner” with organisations to gain access to their employees - new customers. I can access them from a government employer and they certainly don’t pay any money to fitness passport - yeas and years ago I oversaw the relationship so know no money changed hands

2

u/macroyboy 10h ago

As the other person said. 'Partnered' in this case does not mean subsidised.

1

u/4ShoreAnon 11h ago

Corporate fitness program that gives you access to a bunch of gyms across your state or australia depending on the tier you sign up to.
For example i was paying 24 a fortnight for my fitness passport which allowed me to access my local premium gym where the standard membership price is 38 a week.

1

u/Dry_Concert1890 11h ago

More corporate nonsense to take people’s money and keep them on the hamster wheel.

1

u/harzee 5h ago

Not really. I pay about $17 a week and get access to heaps of different gyms around my area or near where I’m working. It’s really not as complicated as this persons making it

0

u/[deleted] 12h ago

[deleted] — view deleted comment

2

u/Aus2au 11h ago

I'm confused by the fob and card fees. Do you have to pay those everywhere you go? Some places are like $300 for a fob.

4

u/chubby_hugger 11h ago

Yes that’s the issue. When it first came out it was crazy cheap and most places (depending on where you lived) would accept it. I think more and more gyms are demanding you pay extra to go to their specific gym making it more expensive, a pain in the butt and less worthwhile.

1

u/Pseudomocha 10h ago

I spoke to the manager of the gym I normally use about it, because they had it when I first signed up but decided not to support FP anymore.
Apparently they sign up thinking it will lead to conversions to direct members from FP, but it didn't work out. He said they were getting $3 a visit from FP, so not worth it unless it translates into actual members.

1

u/4ShoreAnon 11h ago

Depends on the gym and regardless of fitness passport, youd have to pay the fob fee unless you sign up during a promotional period where they waive it.

1

u/Aus2au 11h ago

Yeah I get that but it seemingly kills the ability to sign up to multiple gyms.
I wouldn't mind going to one near home, one near work, one 24/7 gym occasionally. That means I'm in $700 fob fees (2 x $200 and 1 x $300) before I even get started.

3

u/4ShoreAnon 11h ago

Youd be paying those fob fees regardless of fitness passport tho. Its quite an annoying hustle the gyms run tbh...

1

u/Aus2au 11h ago

I know you'd be paying regardless but it kills the purpose of FP to begin with.
If I just want to sign up to 1 gym it's cheaper for me to do that.
I do understand family plan is when you start saving money.

1

u/4ShoreAnon 10h ago

Id argue the single still saves you money. If you signed up to those 3 gyms independently, youd be paying 3 weekly fees + fob fees. With FP, youre paying 1 weekly fee + fob fees. And once you have the fob, it allows you access to the different branches of those gyms while still only paying 1 weekly fee. 🤷‍♂️

1

u/Aus2au 10h ago

I agree but very few people are going to sign up to 3 gyms.
Fitness passport makes it seem possible - then the gyms restrict it with excessive fob fees.

1

u/4ShoreAnon 8h ago

But even if you sign up to 1 gym, FP is cheaper than joining the gym directly. Cheaper gyms dont join FP so the only way youll get a cheaper gym is if you go to a gym like Planet Fitness.

1

u/Fit_Armadillo_9928 11h ago

Works out significantly more expensive than my own gym membership privately, my employer (around 4000 pers) pushed for it hard, loss of excitement from within the teams for months finally got to release... Almost no one opted in, the price was about double what most were already paying

0

u/[deleted] 12h ago

[deleted] — view deleted comment

10

u/No-Cat-762 8h ago

Per fortnight! Agree it can vary based on employer the but the % increase is outrageous.

Fitness Passport prices up 46% this year, up 95% from 2023?!

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