The two main ways to opt out of credit card offers

You can stop most credit card offers by contacting the credit reporting agencies directly, or by opting out through the Direct Marketing Association. The credit reporting agencies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — sell your information to card issuers, and that is where most offers originate. Stopping them at the source is faster and more complete than asking individual card companies to remove you.

The fastest route is the Opt-Out Prescreen system, which is run by the agencies themselves. You can opt out online in minutes, or by phone in one call. This stops prescreened offers — the ones based on your credit file — for five years, or permanently if you request it in writing.

The second route is the Direct Marketing Association's Mail Preference Service, which removes you from many mailing lists but does not touch prescreened offers. It is slower and less complete, but it catches some offers the Opt-Out Prescreen does not.

Key Takeaways

  • The Opt-Out Prescreen system at optoutprescreen.com stops prescreened credit card offers for five years online, or permanently by mail.
  • You must provide your full name, address, date of birth, and Social Security number to opt out, because the agencies use those to identify you in their files.
  • Opting out online takes effect in about one week; opting out by mail takes four to six weeks.
  • The Direct Marketing Association's Mail Preference Service removes you from some mailing lists but does not stop prescreened offers, and takes six to twelve weeks to take effect.
  • Opting out does not remove you from offers by card companies you already do business with, or from non-prescreened marketing.

How to use the Opt-Out Prescreen system online

Go to optoutprescreen.com, which is the official site run by the credit reporting agencies. You will need your Social Security number, date of birth, and current address. The site asks whether you want to opt out for five years or permanently; choose permanent if you do not want to repeat this process.

The form takes about two minutes. After you submit it, you will see a confirmation page. The opt-out takes effect within one week. You should see a sharp drop in prescreened offers after that — not zero, because some offers come through other channels, but a noticeable reduction.

Keep the confirmation page or take a screenshot. If offers continue after two weeks, you can use it to file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

How to opt out by mail for permanent removal

If you want a permanent opt-out that is harder to reverse, send a letter to the agencies by mail. Write your full name, address, date of birth, and Social Security number on a piece of paper, along with a statement that you want to opt out of prescreened offers permanently.

Mail it to:

Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion Opt-Out Prescreen P.O. Box 919 Allen, TX 75013

The mail-in opt-out takes four to six weeks to process. Send it certified mail if you want proof of delivery. A permanent opt-out by mail is harder for a company to overturn than an online one, because it creates a paper trail.

What the Direct Marketing Association's Mail Preference Service does

The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) maintains a separate list called the Mail Preference Service. When you join it, the DMA tells participating companies to remove you from their mailing lists. This catches some card offers that do not go through the Opt-Out Prescreen system — usually smaller issuers or regional banks.

The DMA Mail Preference Service does not stop prescreened offers. It also does not stop offers from companies you already have a relationship with, because those are not considered unsolicited marketing.

You can register at dmachoice.thedma.org. It costs nothing. The opt-out takes six to twelve weeks to take effect, which is slower than Opt-Out Prescreen. You can also register by mail: send your name and address to DMA Mail Preference Service, P.O. Box 643, Carmel, NY 10512.

Offers that opt-out does not stop

Opting out stops prescreened offers — the ones that say "You have been prescreened" or "Based on your credit profile." It does not stop offers from card companies you already do business with. If you have a checking account at a bank, that bank can still mail you credit card offers.

It also does not stop non-prescreened marketing, which is mail or email sent to everyone in a geographic area or demographic group, not based on your credit file. Some card issuers use this method instead of prescreening.

To stop offers from a specific card company you already know, call their customer service number and ask to be removed from their marketing list. Most will do this over the phone, though some ask for a written request.

Opting out of online and email offers

The Opt-Out Prescreen system and the DMA Mail Preference Service both focus on mail. They do not control email or online offers. To stop those, you have to contact card companies individually or use the unsubscribe link in marketing emails.

When you unsubscribe from a marketing email, the company must remove you from that email list within ten business days. However, they can still send you offers through other channels — mail, phone, or a different email list.

If you want to reduce online offers broadly, adjust your privacy settings on social media platforms and search engines. Facebook, Google, and others let you limit ad targeting based on financial interest. This does not stop all offers, but it reduces the volume.

What information you need to provide and why

The Opt-Out Prescreen system requires your full name, address, date of birth, and Social Security number. You may wonder why a system designed to stop unwanted contact asks for so much information. The reason is that the credit reporting agencies need to identify you in their files accurately. Without your Social Security number and date of birth, they cannot be sure which "John Smith" in their database you are.

This information is already in the agencies' files — they collected it when you applied for credit in the past. Providing it to opt out does not put it anywhere new. The agencies use it only to find your record and flag it for opt-out.

Do not provide this information to any other website or service claiming to offer opt-out. The only legitimate places to provide it are optoutprescreen.com and dmachoice.thedma.org.

How long opt-out takes and what to expect

Online opt-out through Opt-Out Prescreen takes effect within one week. You should see fewer offers in your mailbox after seven to ten days. The reduction is usually dramatic — from multiple offers per week to one or two per month.

Mail-in opt-out takes four to six weeks. The DMA Mail Preference Service takes six to twelve weeks, which is the slowest option.

You will not see zero offers. Some card companies do not participate in these systems, and some offers come from companies you already do business with. But the volume should drop significantly. If you still receive many prescreened offers after two weeks of opting out online, contact the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will opting out hurt my credit score?

No. Opting out of prescreened offers does not affect your credit file or score. The credit reporting agencies still maintain your information; you are just telling them not to sell it to card companies for marketing purposes. Your score is based on your payment history, credit utilization, and other account activity, not on whether you receive offers.

Can I opt out just for a few years instead of permanently?

Yes. The online Opt-Out Prescreen system lets you choose a five-year opt-out instead of permanent. After five years, you will start receiving prescreened offers again unless you opt out again. A permanent opt-out lasts until you contact the agencies to reverse it.

What if I change my mind and want to receive offers again?

You can opt back in by contacting Opt-Out Prescreen at optoutprescreen.com or by phone at 1-888-5-OPT-OUT (1-888-567-8688). If you opted out by mail, send a letter to the same address requesting that your opt-out be reversed. It takes one to two weeks to take effect.

Do I have to opt out with all three credit agencies separately?

No. When you use optoutprescreen.com or send a letter to the Opt-Out Prescreen address, you are opting out with all three agencies at once — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. One submission covers all of them.

Will opting out stop calls from card companies?

The Opt-Out Prescreen system controls mail and prescreened offers, not phone calls. To stop telemarketing calls, register with the National Do Not Call Registry at donotcall.gov or call 1-888-382-1222. That registry is separate from credit card offer opt-outs.