Cancel any time or a minimum contract: which is better?
Should members sign up for a term, or be free to cancel any time? Why we let families cancel any time, and how it gets more people to join.
Kane Foster, founder of Kanvas One and owner of Kanvas Academy in Newcastle
3 min read · Updated 19 October 2026
Lots of clubs ask families to sign up for a term, or give a month’s notice to leave. It feels safer: the money is guaranteed. But it can cost you more members than it keeps.
It comes back to risk
When a parent is deciding whether to join, a contract is one more thing to worry about. What if she hates it after three weeks? What if we move? What if money gets tight? The more a decision feels like a commitment, the more people put it off.
How risky a decision feels to the person making it: the money, the time, an upset child, the awkwardness of leaving. The lower it feels, the more people say yes. A free trial makes it close to nothing.
All the business words ›Why we let families cancel any time
We let members cancel any time. It takes the risk away, and that means more families are willing to try joining in the first place.
A minimum contract
What the parent thinks
- “What if she hates it after three weeks?”
- “What if money gets tight?”
- “Let’s think about it.”
Cancel any time
What the parent thinks
- “We can try it and stop if it’s not for her.”
- “There’s nothing to lose.”
- “Let’s sign up.”
It fits the value equation too. The less effort and risk involved, the more your club is worth to a parent.
A simple way to think about how much something is worth to a parent, made popular by the business author Alex Hormozi. Value goes up with the dream outcome and how sure they are they’ll get it, and down with how long it takes and how much effort and risk it involves.
All the business words ›What keeps members isn’t a contract
A family who wants to leave will find a way, contract or not, and a parent who feels trapped isn’t going to recommend you. What keeps members is the value they get every week: progress, friends, something to work towards. We’ve written about how we keep members past month five.
And give them a pause button. A busy month or an injury doesn’t have to mean goodbye.
Make joining feel safe, and earn the right to keep them every month.
A quick checklist
- Think about how risky joining feels to a parent.
- Let members cancel any time, so more families try.
- Keep members with value, not contracts.
- Offer pause instead of cancel.
Questions
Should members have to sign a contract at my club?
We don’t think so. Letting families cancel any time makes joining feel safe, so more of them try. What keeps members is the value they get every week, not a contract.
Won’t more people leave if they can cancel any time?
Families who want to leave usually find a way regardless. Keep them with progress, friends and goals, and offer pause instead of cancel for busy months.