You can stop most credit card offers by contacting the credit reporting agencies directly
Credit card offers arrive because credit reporting agencies sell lists of people who meet certain financial profiles to card issuers. You have the right to remove yourself from these lists through a process called opting out. There are two ways to do it: a temporary opt-out that lasts five years, or a permanent one that stays in effect until you ask to be added back.
The temporary route takes about one minute online. The permanent route requires a printed form mailed to a central processing address. Both are free, and both work because the three major credit reporting agencies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — are required by federal law to honor opt-out requests.
Opting out does not affect your credit score, your existing accounts, or your ability to get credit when you actually want it. It only stops the prescreened offers that arrive unsolicited.
Key Takeaways
- Temporary opt-out lasts five years and can be done online in minutes at OptOutPrescreen.com, the official site run by the credit reporting agencies.
- Permanent opt-out requires printing and mailing a form to the processing address, but stays in effect indefinitely unless you reverse it.
- Opting out stops prescreened credit card and insurance offers but does not affect your credit score or existing accounts.
- You must opt out with all three agencies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — because each one maintains its own list.
How to opt out online for five years
Visit OptOutPrescreen.com, the official website operated by the credit reporting agencies themselves. You will enter your name, address, date of birth, and last four digits of your Social Security number. The site will ask whether you want to opt out of credit and insurance offers, or insurance offers only. Select credit and insurance offers to stop card offers.
The temporary opt-out takes effect within about one week. You will not receive a confirmation letter in the mail — the absence of offers is your confirmation. If you change your mind within the five years, you can return to the same website and opt back in, or wait for the five years to expire and do nothing.
This method works because OptOutPrescreen.com is the official channel that the three agencies use to process these requests. It is not a third-party service, and there is no fee.
How to opt out permanently by mail
Print the Permanent Opt-Out Election Form from OptOutPrescreen.com, or request it by calling 1-888-567-8688. The form asks for your name, address, date of birth, and signature. You do not need to include your Social Security number for the permanent form, though you can if you want to be extra certain.
Mail the signed form to the address listed on the form itself. Processing takes about 30 days. Once received, your opt-out stays in effect indefinitely. If you want to opt back in later — for instance, if you are shopping for a new card and want to see offers — you can call the same number and request to be added back to the lists.
The permanent form is the slower option, but it is the only way to stop offers without having to renew your request every five years.
What opting out does and does not do
Opting out stops prescreened offers — the unsolicited credit card and insurance offers that arrive because you meet a lender's criteria. It does not stop offers from companies you have already done business with, offers you receive because you responded to an advertisement, or offers sent to you by mail from companies that obtained your address through other means.
Opting out does not lower your credit score, close any accounts, or change the information in your credit report. Lenders can still pull your full credit report if you explore for credit yourself. The only thing that changes is that your name is removed from the prescreened lists that agencies sell to card issuers.
If you have already received an offer and want to stop that specific company from sending more, look for an opt-out number or website on the offer itself. Most card issuers include one.
Why credit card offers keep arriving even after opting out
If you opted out but still receive offers, one of three things is likely happening. First, you may have opted out with only one or two of the three agencies instead of all three. Each agency maintains its own list, and you must contact each one separately to be fully removed.
Second, the offers may be coming from a company you have an existing relationship with — a bank where you hold a checking account, for instance, or a card issuer whose card you already carry. These companies can mail offers to their own customers without using the prescreened lists.
Third, the offers may have been mailed before your opt-out took effect. Prescreened lists are updated regularly, but mail campaigns are often planned weeks in advance. You may receive a few more offers after opting out before they stop completely.
Opting out through individual card issuers
In addition to opting out through the credit reporting agencies, you can contact card issuers directly to ask them to stop sending offers. Look for an opt-out phone number or website on any offer you receive. Most major issuers — Chase, Bank of America, American Express, Discover, and others — have their own opt-out processes.
This step is optional if you have already opted out through OptOutPrescreen.com, but it can speed things up if you want to stop offers from specific companies when ready. Calling the issuer directly may also stop offers from affiliated companies or subsidiaries that might not be caught by the prescreened opt-out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does opting out affect my credit score?
No. Opting out removes your name from prescreened lists, but it does not change any information in your credit report or affect how your score is calculated. Your score remains the same whether you opt out or not.
Can I opt out if I am trying to build credit?
Yes. Opting out stops unsolicited offers but does not prevent you from explore for credit yourself. If you want to build credit, you can still explore directly to card issuers, use a secured card, or become an authorized user on someone else's account.
What if I change my mind and want to receive offers again?
If you opted out for five years online, return to OptOutPrescreen.com and opt back in. If you mailed in a permanent form, call 1-888-567-8688 and ask to be added back to the prescreened lists. Either way, the change takes effect within one to two weeks.
Do I have to opt out with all three credit agencies?
Yes. Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion each maintain separate prescreened lists. Opting out with one agency does not remove you from the others. OptOutPrescreen.com handles all three at once when you use the online form, but if you mail the permanent form, make sure you send it to the central processing address listed on the form.
Will opting out stop all credit card mail?
No. Opting out stops prescreened offers based on your credit profile, but not offers from companies you already bank with, offers you requested, or offers obtained through other channels. To stop offers from specific issuers, contact them directly using the opt-out number on their offer.