Brendan Harkness is a senior editor of financial product reviews at Investopedia. He has spent almost a decade researching, writing, and editing content for financial and business publications about credit, banking, and credit cards. Previously, he was managing editor at Credit Cards Insider.
Tired of spending five minutes every day sorting your real mail from that stack of credit card offers? Fortunately, you have options for eliminating the wasted time and paper from your life. Here are six ways to stop most (but probably not all) credit card junk mail, starting with a simple call or visit to OptOutPrescreen (1-888-5-OPTOUT).
The three major credit bureaus provide a website, OptOutPrescreen.com, where you can fill out a form to opt out of pre-screened offers of credit and insurance. Or, you can call their toll-free number, 1-888-5-OPTOUT (567-8688).
When you do so, the credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) will no longer provide your information to lenders and insurance providers. Be aware that this means you won't receive any promotional offers for credit cards, loans, insurance, and other products.
According to Experian, although your request will take effect within five days, it may take several months before the credit card junk mail you get actually starts to slow down.
It's important to know that both the website and phone options for opting out only last for five years, after which you can (and probably will) start receiving pre-screened credit offers again. If you want a more permanent solution, use the printable "Permanent Opt-Out Form" available on the website; you'll have to print it, fill it out, and mail it in.
If you opt out and later would like to receive firm offers of credit and insurance again, you can use the same website to opt back in.
If you'd rather not use OptOutPrescreen.com, you can send individual letters to the three major credit bureaus, which should achieve the same goal. The letters should state that you do not want to have your personal information shared for promotional databases or direct mailing lists.
Each credit bureau has its own specifications, but in general you'll need to include your current mailing address, as well as a previous mailing address if you have moved within the last six months, your full name, Social Security number, and date of birth.
It's a good idea to keep a copy of the letter for your own files (make sure it's dated) so you have a record of the request.
The Direct Marketing Association provides a Mail Preference Service, which costs $5 when registering online and puts your name on a "do not mail" list to be provided to direct-mail marketers for ten years. This service covers a different segment of junk mail than the above two methods, so it may be worth doing along with one of them.
Not all direct-mail marketers subscribe to the DMA's service; however, the DMA says " We expect that this name removal service will reduce the overall volume of prospect promotional offers received by about 80%," so you could see a significant drop in the amount of junk mail that crowds your mailbox.
The service does not apply to promotional mail from companies and organization you've purchased from or donated to in the last two years. It also doesn't apply to unaddressed mail, small, local companies, and political organizations.
The Direct Marketing Association also provides a free Email Preference Service, if you're dealing with a flood of pre-screened credit card offers in your inbox as well as your mailbox. This service helps prevent unsolicited commercial emails to personal email accounts. As with the option above, it will not stop all commercial messages.
You can enter up to three email addresses at a time, and your preference will need to be updated every ten years. After submitting your email address, you'll get an email prompting you to complete the verification process.
In addition, the Federal Trade Commission's CAN-SPAM Act requires businesses that utilize bulk email for promotional purposes to provide conspicuous instructions for opting out of future emails. This usually entails a link at the bottom of the email labeled "unsubscribe."
The Federal Trade Commission is a consumer ally, so if you're still receiving unsolicited credit card offers after trying the above methods, you might consider lodging a complaint.
Do keep in mind, however, that many companies only update their mailing lists quarterly, according to PrivacyRights.org. Allow at least three or more months for your junk mail pile to shrink before you contact the FTC.
Several non-profit services will, sometimes for a fee, take on the work of getting your name off the mailing lists of various credit card companies and other direct-mail marketers.
PaperKarma, for example, claims to help reduce most magazine, catalog, credit card, and yellow page offers "very well," and comes in a few subscription options, from $3.99 monthly to $24.99 annually. Catalog Choice, a nonprofit, offers a free service to help you opt out of specific catalogs.
You don't have to live with credit card junk mail, but keep in mind that trying only one option above may not eliminate all the credit card and other unsolicited offers you receive. However, even a single request could lower the number of junk offers you have to deal with on a daily basis, and they're relatively quick and easy to make.