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About
After moving to the United States, many people notice that the amount of junk mail at home keeps increasing, especially after applying for a credit card. Mail from all kinds of random companies can suddenly start piling up.
In fact, if you frequently receive credit card, auto loan, and insurance ads marked “Pre-Approved,” “Pre-Selected,” or “Prescreened,” you can opt out of the credit bureaus’ prescreened marketing lists through OptOutPrescreen.com.
This is the official opt-out service jointly provided by Equifax, Experian, Innovis, and TransUnion, and it is completely free.
- Official website: OptOutPrescreen.com
- Customer service number: 1-888-567-8688, also 1-888-5-OPTOUT
- You can choose a 5-year opt-out or a permanent opt-out;
- You can opt back in later;
- It will not affect your credit score, and it will not affect applications you submit on your own.
Why do you receive these credit card ads?
Credit card companies, lenders, and insurance companies can give the credit bureaus screening criteria such as credit score, region of residence, or length of credit history.
The credit bureaus then provide lists of consumers who meet those criteria, and businesses mail prescreened or preapproved offers to those people. These invitations based on credit report information are usually called Prescreened Offers or Firm Offers.
Receiving a preapproved offer does not create a Hard Pull and will not lower your credit score. Only after you actually submit a credit card or loan application may the financial institution perform an official credit inquiry.
What does OptOutPrescreen.com do?
After you complete the opt-out, Equifax, Experian, Innovis, and TransUnion will no longer include your information on prescreening lists used for Firm Offers for credit cards, loans, and insurance.
The main benefits include:
- Reducing credit card and loan solicitation mail;
- Reducing the risk of mail containing your name, address, and offer code being stolen;
- Reducing unwanted insurance and financing solicitations;
- When you move or do not live at your registered address for a long time, reducing the chance that sensitive mail is sent to your old address.
However, this service cannot stop all advertising. Banks with which you have had a business relationship, or companies that obtained your information through other marketing lists, may still send mail or offers.
How to opt out
Opt out for five years
A 5-year opt-out can be completed entirely online:
- Open OptOutPrescreen.com;
- Click “Click Here to Opt-In or Opt-Out”;
- Select “Electronic Opt-Out for 5 Years”;
- Fill in your name, address, and other personal information;
- Review the information and submit the request.
You can also call 1-888-567-8688 to request a 5-year opt-out by phone.
How do you opt out permanently?
A permanent opt-out cannot be completed online alone; you also need to mail a signed form:
- Go to OptOutPrescreen.com;
- Select “Permanent Opt-Out by Mail”;
- Fill in your personal information online;
- Download and print the Permanent Opt-Out Election Form;
- Sign the form;
- Mail it to the address provided on the form.
If you only complete the online form but do not mail the signed form, the permanent opt-out request will not be completed.
What personal information is required?
The website will ask for:
- Name;
- Current address;
- Social Security Number or ITIN;
- Date of birth.
According to the official website, SSN, ITIN, and date of birth are not required to process the request, but providing them helps the credit bureaus find and match your credit file accurately.
Because the website needs to handle sensitive personal information, make sure the address bar shows:
https://www.optoutprescreen.com/
Do not use spoofed links in unfamiliar emails, texts, or ads, and there is no need to pay any third party.
How long does it take to take effect after submission?
The credit bureaus generally process opt-out requests within 5 business days, but solicitation mail may not stop immediately.
Some credit card companies may have already obtained the list and scheduled mailings before the request is processed, so you may still receive prescreened offers in the following weeks.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still apply for a credit card after opting out?
Yes. Opting out simply stops the credit bureaus from adding your information to prescreened marketing lists; it does not freeze your credit report or stop banks from checking your credit when you apply on your own.
After opting out, you can still:
- Apply for a credit card on your own;
- Apply for auto loans and mortgages;
- View your own credit report;
- Receive offers for existing bank customers;
- Use a credit card company’s public application link.
Opting out itself will not lower your credit score or create a Hard Pull on your credit report.
Could you miss better credit card offers?
Possibly. Some banks send targeted credit card offers through credit bureau lists, and these may include:
- Higher sign-up bonuses than public application links;
- Exclusive application codes;
- Special APRs or loan interest rates;
- Pre-Approved Offers aimed only at specific customers.
People who regularly follow targeted credit card bonuses may choose to keep these mailings for now; those who care more about privacy and do not want to deal with lots of junk mail are better suited to opt out.
What is the difference between Opt-Out and a credit freeze?
| Feature | OptOutPrescreen | Credit Freeze |
|---|---|---|
| Main purpose | Reduce prescreened credit card and insurance offers | Prevent others from using your credit report to open new accounts |
| Effect on credit card applications | Does not affect applications you submit on your own | You usually need to temporarily lift the freeze before applying |
| Effect on credit score | No effect | No effect |
| Does it prevent identity theft? | Only reduces some of the risk from solicitation mail | Stronger protection against fraud involving new accounts |
OptOutPrescreen cannot replace a credit freeze. If you are concerned about identity theft, you should set up a free Credit Freeze separately with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
How do you restore prescreened offers?
If you have already opted out and later want to start receiving credit card and insurance preapproved offers again, you can opt back in:
- Open OptOutPrescreen.com;
- Go to the Opt-In or Opt-Out page;
- Select “Opt-In”;
- Fill in your personal information and submit.
Opting in again only allows the credit bureaus to include you in prescreened lists again; it does not guarantee that you will receive credit card invitations, and it does not mean your application will be approved.
What similar services are there?
OptOutPrescreen only handles prescreened offers for credit cards, loans, and insurance. If you want to further reduce junk mail, telemarketing, or identity theft risk, you can also use the services below.
| Service | Main purpose | Cost and validity |
|---|---|---|
| DMAchoice | Reduce general commercial solicitation mail | $8 online, valid for 10 years |
| Catalog Choice | Individually cancel catalog, charity, and retailer mailings | Free |
| Do Not Call Registry | Reduce telemarketing from legitimate companies | Free, long-term valid |
| Credit Freeze | Prevent others from opening new credit accounts in your name | Free, remains in effect until you lift it |
DMAchoice: Reduce general commercial solicitation mail
DMAchoice is a mail preference service provided by the Association of National Advertisers that can reduce commercial advertising from clothing companies, magazines, retailers, charities, and other companies.
The current online registration fee is $8, valid for 10 years; the mail-in application fee is $9.
DMAchoice cannot stop:
- Mail from companies you already have an existing business relationship with;
- Mail from organizations you have previously purchased from, subscribed to, or donated to;
- Every Door Direct Mail sent to an entire neighborhood or ZIP code area;
- Pre-screened credit card offers from credit bureaus.
So, if you want to reduce credit card ads, you still need to use OptOutPrescreen.
DMAchoice also offers permanent suppression lists for deceased people and people in care, which is useful for reducing ad mail sent to former residents, deceased family members, or people under care.
Catalog Choice: Cancel catalogs and ad mail one by one
Catalog Choice is a free service that is best if you only want to stop catalogs or ad mail from specific merchants.
How to use it:
- Register for a Catalog Choice account;
- Search for the sender or catalog name;
- Enter the name, address, and customer number from the mail piece;
- Submit the opt-out request.
Catalog Choice will send the opt-out request to the merchant on your behalf, but it cannot guarantee when the merchant will process it. For companies that are not part of its system, the most effective approach is still to contact the merchant’s customer service directly.
National Do Not Call Registry: Reduce telemarketing calls
You can register your home phone or mobile number for free at DoNotCall.gov.
- Registration does not expire;
- It usually takes up to 31 days for legitimate sales calls to stop;
- If you still receive illegal telemarketing calls after 31 days, you can report them to the FTC.
Keep in mind that this list does not stop all calls. The following calls may still come through:
- Political organizations;
- Charities;
- Survey organizations;
- Debt collection calls;
- Scam calls and illegal robocalls.
The Do Not Call Registry itself does not block calls; it simply requires lawful telemarketers not to call registered numbers.
Credit Freeze: Prevent identity thieves from opening accounts
A credit freeze is not an ad opt-out service, but it offers stronger protection than OptOutPrescreen. Once frozen, most financial institutions cannot access your credit report, making it harder for someone to use your identity to apply for a credit card or loan.
You need to set it separately with all three credit bureaus:
A credit freeze is completely free, does not affect your credit score, and stays in place until you lift it. If you are preparing to apply for a credit card, loan, apartment, or any other service that requires a credit check, you should temporarily lift the freeze with the relevant bureau in advance.
Summary
- Reduce credit card and insurance offers: OptOutPrescreen;
- Reduce general commercial mail: DMAchoice;
- Cancel specific catalogs: Catalog Choice;
- Reduce telemarketing calls: Do Not Call Registry;
- Prevent identity thieves from opening accounts: freeze Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
Using these services together can usually significantly reduce junk mail and legitimate telemarketing calls. However, they cannot completely stop scam texts, illegal robocalls, phishing emails, or advertising mail sent to an entire neighborhood.