Company policies, refunds and payments

3-Day Refund Policy

You can request a full refund within 3 business days of your purchase date, as long as you have not started any course exam.

How to request a refund

1. Contact us within 3 business days of purchase. Use our contact form or call 1-877-348-6692.
2. We confirm no exams have been started. Then we refund the full amount you paid to your original payment method.
3. Your refund is issued. Refunds usually arrive within 5 to 10 business days. Your course access ends when we issue the refund.

Payment plans: if you request a refund within the 3-day window, we'll refund your first payment and cancel the remaining installments. After 3 business days, payments are not refundable and you're responsible for all remaining scheduled payments. More about payment plans.

Items that are never refundable

• Personal Fitness Trainer (PFT) proctored exam attempts
• Non-proctored exam attempts
• Exam fees, shipping and administrative fees
• Unused gift certificate balances, which can't be transferred or redeemed for cash

Ordering & course access

You can order securely online 24 hours a day. Credit card orders are processed immediately.

After you click Complete Order and your payment goes through, you're enrolled in your course automatically and we email your username and password. It can take up to 5 minutes to arrive, so please check all of your email folders, including spam.

When you create an account, log in to an online program, or access or download any digital product, you agree to our Privacy Policy, Terms and Conditions and the company policies on this page. If you don't agree with them, please don't place an order, and feel free to contact us with any questions first.

Any fraudulent use of a credit card is punishable to the fullest extent of the law.

Payment options

All payments are in U.S. dollars, and every program must be paid in full before you can access it, unless you choose a payment plan. We accept:

We don't accept personal checks, wire transfers or money orders.

Customers in the EU: Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) rules, in effect since March 14, 2022, can cause some card payments to be declined. If your card is declined, please try a different card.

Payment plans

We know budgeting for education can be a challenge, so we offer payment plans on select programs.

• Availability: payment plans are offered on specific programs only. If one is available, you'll see it at checkout.
• Automatic billing: when you choose a payment plan, you authorize us to charge your card for each remaining installment on schedule, every 30 days, until your program is paid in full. We'll email you a reminder before each charge.
• Plan details: the number of payments and the total amount are shown on each program page.

Pricing, discounts & exchanges

Your price is the price listed at the time you buy. Offers or sale prices that come after your purchase aren't applied to past orders, and we don't issue credits or adjustments once a program is purchased. Prices can change without notice.

Exchanges: we don't offer exchanges on any program.

Discontinued programs: NESTA may discontinue any program at any time without notice, and we can't replace programs that are discontinued or no longer produced. Lifetime certificates will still be honored, but they can't be replaced if lost or stolen.

Account sharing & online access

Your course login is for you alone. We record the IP address and email of every registration and login to confirm it's the original student.

Certificates

We're not responsible for postal delays or non-delivery once your certificate leaves the U.S. Postal Service.

Lost or stolen materials: NESTA isn't responsible for replacing lost or stolen materials once an order has left our facility.

Gift certificates

How to redeem

1. Visit nestacertified.com or spencerinstitute.com.
2. Choose your program. Gift certificates work on eligible programs on our websites.
3. Enter your code at checkout on the payment page. If your order is more than the gift certificate value, pay the balance by card.

Any unused amount is saved as store credit in your account for future purchases. Unused balances expire 5 years after the gift certificate is issued.

Limits

• Gift certificates can't be used to buy other gift certificates.
• They can't be resold, transferred for value, redeemed for cash or applied to another account.
• The risk of loss passes to you when the gift certificate is delivered electronically. We aren't responsible for lost, stolen, destroyed or unauthorized use of gift certificates.
• Fraud: if a fraudulently obtained gift certificate is redeemed or used on nestacertified.com, NESTA may close the account and bill another form of payment.

Exam retakes, extensions & certificate fees

If you need more time, another exam attempt or a replacement certificate, you can pay the fee here. All fees are non-refundable.

Administration fee: if you need additional documents or help beyond normal customer support, such as a copy of your certification, a verification letter, transcripts or billing adjustments, there's a $25 fee. Please contact us to request it.

Certification verification

Anyone, including employers and the general public, can look up and verify a NESTA-PFT Certified Personal Trainer credential with our NESTA-PFT verification search.

To verify any other certification, please contact our customer service team. To protect student privacy, if the student isn't a NESTA-PFT graduate, or graduated before January 1, 2011, we need the student's written approval before we can release any information. See our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.

Job board & employment

We can't guarantee employment at any particular facility after you complete a course.

The NESTA Job Board is offered as a resource. NESTA doesn't guarantee job placement for anyone who uses it, guarantee that an employer will fill a position advertised there, or guarantee that any listing is valid. We don't run background checks on applicants or employers, and we take no responsibility for wages, benefits, safety, working conditions or any other part of employment.

Graduate testimonial drawing

Submit your testimonial and a photo with your new certificate through our online form, and you're automatically entered in that month's drawing.

The fine print

• You must submit both a photo and a completed testimonial to enter.
• You can submit one unique certificate per month. The more certifications you earn and submit, the more chances you have to win.
• Your testimonial may be featured on our website and social media channels.
• By entering, you give NESTA permission to use your testimonial and photo on our website, social media and any other media.
• Entries close on the last day of each month at 12:00 PM Pacific Time.
• One winner is chosen at random from all eligible entries each month and notified by email. Winners confirm their location and preferred payment method.
• U.S. winners receive $75 by Zelle (a U.S. bank account with Zelle is required) or a $75 USD Tango Card Reward Link.
• International winners receive a $75 USD Tango Card Reward Link, redeemable for e-gift cards and rewards that work in your country.
• NESTA may change, suspend or end the drawing at any time without notice.

Code of ethics & limitation of liability

When you order any NESTA (or NESTA affiliate) educational or business program, you accept and agree to follow the NESTA Code of Ethics. You certify that the information you give NESTA is true, complete and correct. If any of it is later found to be false, NESTA may revoke any certification or certificate granted on that basis.

NESTA certification doesn't certify or guarantee the quality of your work as a NESTA-certified professional. You agree to indemnify and hold harmless NESTA, its officers, directors and staff from any claims due to negligence, omission or faulty advice you may give clients as a NESTA-certified professional. NESTA is not responsible for any actions or damages arising from your work as a NESTA-certified professional.

Under no circumstances shall NESTA be liable for any losses or damages whatsoever, whether in contract, tort or otherwise, from the use of the information provided in our business development programs, educational products or consulting services.

For this section, “NESTA” includes the National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association and its divisions, subsidiaries, successors, parent companies, and their employees, contractors, partners, principals, agents and representatives, and any third-party providers or sources of information or data.

What you agree to at checkout

When you check the agreement box at checkout, you confirm that:

• You have read and agree to the NESTA | Spencer Institute Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
• You understand the 3-Day Refund Policy, including that refunds are not available after 3 business days or once you start a course exam.
• If you choose a payment plan, you authorize NESTA | Spencer Institute to charge your payment method for each remaining installment on schedule.
• The information you provided on the order form is accurate.

Clicking Complete Order confirms your agreement to pay NESTA | Spencer Institute the order total shown.