Receiving unsolicited, pre-approved credit cards or credit offers in the mail can be a hassle. It fills up your mailbox with junk mail, and pre-approved credit cards can fall into the wrong hands or even be stolen, possibly leaving you stuck with a huge bill and having to clean up your credit reports afterward. According to Optoutprescreen.com, prescreened solicitation lists are gathered from credit reporting agencies. The Fair Credit Reporting Act has a set of rules in which consumers have the option to opt out of receiving prescreened solicitations.
Stop Receiving Pre-Approved Credit Cards
Step 1
Opt out of credit card offers received by mail or phone by calling (888) 5-OPTOUT ((888) 567-8688) or online at OptOutPreScreen.com, used for all the national reporting agencies. This stops consumer credit reporting companies from including your name on lists used by creditors and insurers to make firm offers of credit or insurance not initiated by you permanently, or for up to 5 years, according to Optoutprescreen.com.
Step 2
Return the Notice of Election to Opt Out form received in the mail. This form is sent to you after selecting permanent removal from lists to receive credit card offers when you contacted OptOutPreScreen, as stated on the Experian.com website. If you selected the 5-year opt out option, you will not receive any forms to send back.
Step 3
Call the toll-free number listed on each credit card offer you receive and tell them you want your name and address removed from any future lists and that you do not want to receive unsolicited credit card offers from them. According to Experian, credit card offers received in the mail must include a toll-free number for you to call to opt out.
Step 4
Sign up with a mail preference service like dmachoice.org to manage credit card offers received in the mail. This type of service allows you stop any type of mail solicitation, including credit card offers, from coming in the mail.
Tips and Warnings
- You can receive a free copy of your credit report each year from AnnualCreditReport.com. After opting out of unsolicited credit card offers, it may take a few months to stop receiving these offers. Shred credit card offers to prevent identity theft.
- Put a fraud alert on your credit reports if you believe your information has been stolen or compromised.
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