How to Stop Credit Card Offers in the Mail
Those “pre-approved” offers are built from your credit report. One free request to the credit bureaus stops them for five years, or for good.
By Jake WaitzmanUpdated Sources linked throughout
Short answer: Go to OptOutPrescreen.com or call 1-888-5-OPT-OUT (1-888-567-8688). The service is free and run by the credit bureaus. Opting out online or by phone lasts five years; to make it permanent, sign and mail the Permanent Opt-Out Election form. Requests are processed within five days, though offers already in the mail can keep arriving for several weeks.
| Website | OptOutPrescreen.com |
|---|---|
| Phone | 1-888-5-OPT-OUT (1-888-567-8688) |
| Run by | Equifax, Experian, Innovis and TransUnion |
| Cost | Free |
| Lasts | Five years online or by phone; permanent with a signed, mailed form |
| Processing | Within five days; offers already mailed can arrive for several weeks |
| Law | Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. 1681b(e) |
| Stops EDDM? | No |
Why do I get “pre-approved” credit card offers?
Because the credit bureaus are allowed to sell lists. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, a lender or insurer can ask a bureau for the people whose credit files meet its criteria and mail them a “firm offer” of credit or insurance. That is prescreening. The same law gives you the right to be left off those lists.
Prescreening leaves “inquiries” on your credit report showing which companies got your information, but the FTC says they don't hurt your credit.
How do I stop prescreened offers?
Make one request to the credit bureaus' joint opt-out, online or by phone. It covers all four bureaus at once.
Go to OptOutPrescreen.com or call 1-888-5-OPT-OUT
OptOutPrescreen.com is the opt-out site the credit bureaus Equifax, Experian, Innovis and TransUnion run together. You can also call 1-888-5-OPT-OUT (1-888-567-8688). Type the address yourself rather than clicking an ad, and don't pay anyone: the opt-out is free.
Choose five years or permanent
Opting out online or by phone lasts five years. A permanent opt-out lasts until you reverse it, but it takes one more step: you start online or by phone, then sign and mail the Permanent Opt-Out Election form.
Enter the details the bureaus use to find your file
You'll be asked for your name, address, Social Security number and date of birth. The FTC says the information is confidential and may be used only to process your request.
Submit, and mail the signed form if you chose permanent
Requests are processed within five days, but offers already in the pipeline can keep arriving for several weeks. For the permanent opt-out, print the election form, sign it and mail it to the address on the form.
Should I choose five years or permanent?
If you're sure you don't want these offers, choose permanent: it saves you from having to remember to renew in five years. The five-year option is the quicker one, since it needs no paperwork.
| Feature | Five-year opt-out | Permanent opt-out |
|---|---|---|
| How | Online or by phone | Start online or by phone, then sign and mail the Permanent Opt-Out Election form |
| Lasts | Five years | Until you opt back in |
| Takes effect | Five business days after your request | Five business days after the bureaus get your signed form |
| Cost | Free | Free, plus postage for the form |
Sources: FTC; Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. 1681b(e)(4).
What won't OptOutPrescreen stop?
Anything that isn't a prescreened offer built from a credit bureau list. The FTC says you may keep getting credit and insurance offers based on lists from other sources, and mail from “local merchants, religious groups, charities, professional and alumni associations, and companies that you already do business with.” The CFPB adds that card issuers can still write to you if you've done business with them before.
For most of that mail, the next steps are DMAchoice and the other opt-outs in our guide to stopping junk mail.
Can I change my mind later?
Yes. OptOutPrescreen.com has an opt-in option for anyone who opted out earlier. You don't need it to shop for a loan or a card: the opt-out only covers offers you didn't ask for, and applying for credit yourself works the same as before.
Credit card offer opt-out: quick answers
Is OptOutPrescreen.com legitimate?
Yes. It is the official opt-out site of the consumer credit reporting industry, run by Equifax, Experian, Innovis and TransUnion, and it is where the FTC and the CFPB send consumers. The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires the nationwide credit bureaus to run a joint opt-out system.
What's the difference between the five-year and permanent opt-out?
The five-year opt-out is done entirely online or by phone and expires after five years. The permanent opt-out also requires signing and mailing a Permanent Opt-Out Election form, and it lasts until you opt back in.
Will opting out affect my credit score?
No. Opting out only keeps your name off prescreened lists for offers you didn't ask for. You can still apply for credit or insurance as usual. Prescreening itself doesn't hurt your score either, according to the FTC.
Can I opt back in after opting out?
Yes. OptOutPrescreen.com has an opt-in option for people who opted out earlier. You don't need it to apply for a loan or card yourself: the opt-out only covers offers you didn't ask for.
What information do I need to opt out?
Your name, address, Social Security number and date of birth, according to the FTC. The bureaus use them to match your credit file, and the FTC says the information is confidential and used only to process your request.
Why do I still get credit card offers after opting out?
The opt-out covers only prescreened offers built from credit bureau lists. Banks you already do business with can still mail you, and so can lenders that get your name from other sources. Offers already in the mail can also take several weeks to stop.
Sources
- OptOutPrescreen.com, the credit reporting industry's opt-out site, accessed October 2026
- Federal Trade Commission: What To Know About Prescreened Offers for Credit and Insurance, November 2023
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: Can I make issuers stop sending me credit card offers in the mail?, updated February 2, 2024
- Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. 1681b(e), election to be excluded from prescreened lists