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 criteria — good credit score, income level, payment history — to card issuers. To stop receiving them, you contact the agencies themselves, not the card companies. The process takes about five minutes and works through two separate channels: one for offers based on credit reports, and one for offers based on insurance claims or other data.
The fastest route is the Opt-Out Prescreen website, run by the four major credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion, and Innovis). You can choose to opt out for five years or permanently. Permanent opt-out requires a signed form mailed in, but the five-year version is when ready and online.
A second step — opting out of marketing lists maintained by the agencies themselves — catches offers the prescreen system misses. This requires contacting each agency separately by phone or mail.
Key Takeaways
- The Opt-Out Prescreen website (optoutprescreen.com) lets you stop credit card offers based on your credit report for five years when ready, or permanently by mail.
- You must also contact Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion directly to remove yourself from their marketing lists, which catches offers the prescreen system does not cover.
- Permanent opt-out requires mailing a signed form to the prescreen address; five-year opt-out is completed online in minutes.
- Opting out does not affect your credit score or your ability to get credit — it only stops unsolicited offers from arriving.
How the Opt-Out Prescreen system works
Opt-Out Prescreen is a service created by the credit reporting agencies to let consumers stop receiving prescreened offers. When you opt out through this system, you are telling the agencies not to sell your name to credit card companies for marketing purposes. The five-year opt-out takes effect when ready online; the permanent opt-out requires you to print, sign, and mail a form.
To use the five-year option, visit optoutprescreen.com, enter your personal information (name, address, date of birth, Social Security number), and confirm your choice. You will receive a confirmation page. The permanent option requires downloading the form from the same website, signing it, and mailing it to the address listed on the form. Processing takes about two weeks after the agency receives it.
This step alone stops most credit card offers, but not all. Some card companies buy names from other sources or use different marketing lists, so you may still receive some mail even after opting out of prescreen.
Contacting the credit reporting agencies directly
The credit reporting agencies maintain their own marketing lists separate from the prescreen system. To remove yourself from these lists, you must contact each agency individually. The three major agencies are Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Innovis, the fourth agency, is smaller and fewer card companies use it, but you can contact them too.
Call each agency's consumer services line and ask to be removed from their marketing lists. Equifax: 1-888-567-8688. Experian: 1-888-397-3742. TransUnion: 1-888-909-8872. Innovis: 1-800-367-1996. Have your name, address, and date of birth ready. The agency will confirm removal and may send a written confirmation by mail.
You can also mail a written request to each agency. Include your full name, current address, date of birth, and a statement that you want to be removed from their marketing lists. Send it to the address listed on each agency's website. Processing takes two to four weeks.
What stops and what does not
Opting out stops prescreened credit card offers — the ones that arrive with your name already printed on them, based on your credit profile. It also stops some insurance offers and other financial product offers that use the same data sources.
Opting out does not stop offers from companies you have already done business with, such as your current bank or credit card issuer. It does not stop offers from retailers or other merchants. It does not stop email offers or phone calls from companies that have your contact information for other reasons. If you want to stop those, you must contact the company directly or use the Do Not Call Registry (donotcall.gov) for telemarketing calls.
Opting out also does not affect your credit score, your credit report, or your ability to get credit. It only stops unsolicited marketing mail based on credit data.
Timing and what to expect
The five-year prescreen opt-out takes effect within one to three business days. You may still receive offers that were already in the mail pipeline, so expect a few more to arrive over the next week or two. After that, the volume should drop significantly.
The permanent prescreen opt-out and the agency marketing list removals take longer — two to four weeks — because they require mail processing. During this time, offers will continue to arrive. Once processed, you should see a sharp drop in prescreened offers.
Even after opting out completely, you may receive some credit card offers. These usually come from companies using different data sources, such as purchase history or demographic information, rather than credit reports. You can call the card issuer's customer service number (usually on the offer itself) and ask to be removed from their mailing list.
Opting back in if you change your mind
If you decide later that you want to receive prescreened offers again, you can opt back in through the same Opt-Out Prescreen website. The process is the same: enter your information and choose to opt in for five years or permanently. Opting back in takes effect within one to three business days for the five-year option.
If you opted out permanently by mail, opting back in also requires a signed form mailed to the prescreen address. You cannot opt back in online after a permanent opt-out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will opting out hurt my credit score?
No. Opting out only stops marketing offers; it does not change your credit report or affect how lenders view your creditworthiness. Your credit score remains the same.
Can I opt out of offers from my current bank or credit card company?
Opting out of prescreen does not stop offers from companies you already have a relationship with. Contact them directly — call the number on your statement or visit their website and look for an unsubscribe or marketing preferences option.
What if I still get offers after opting out?
Some offers come from sources outside the prescreen system, such as purchase history or demographic data. Call the card issuer's number on the offer and ask to be removed from their mailing list. You may need to repeat this for different companies.
How long does permanent opt-out take to process?
After you mail the signed form, processing takes about two to four weeks. You will likely continue receiving offers during this time. Once processed, prescreened offers should stop.
Can I opt out online permanently, or do I have to mail a form?
Permanent opt-out requires a mailed, signed form. The five-year opt-out can be done entirely online at optoutprescreen.com and takes effect within one to three business days.