You can stop most credit card offers by contacting the credit reporting agencies directly
Credit card companies buy your name and contact information from credit reporting agencies. To stop receiving offers, you contact those agencies and ask them to remove you from the lists they sell. There are two ways to do this: a permanent opt-out that lasts until you reverse it, or a five-year opt-out that you renew every five years. Both are free and take less than 15 minutes.
The three major credit reporting agencies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — control most of the data that credit card companies use to find new customers. When you opt out with them, you stop the source. You do not have to contact individual card companies.
Key Takeaways
- Call 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688) to reach the official opt-out service, which handles all three credit reporting agencies in one call.
- Choose between a five-year opt-out (which you renew every five years) or a permanent opt-out (which lasts until you change your mind).
- The permanent opt-out requires mailing a signed form to the agencies, while the five-year opt-out can be done by phone or online.
- Opting out stops prescreened offers from credit card companies but does not stop offers from companies you already do business with or from other types of lenders.
- You can reverse an opt-out at any time by contacting the agencies again.
The five-year opt-out: phone or online
The fastest route is the five-year opt-out. Call 1-888-567-8688 (the official number for all three agencies) and tell them you want to opt out for five years. You will need to provide your Social Security number and date of birth to verify your identity. The call takes about five minutes. You can also do this online at optoutprescreen.com, which is the official site run by the credit reporting agencies themselves.
After you opt out, the agencies have about five business days to update their records. Credit card offers should drop off within two to three weeks, though some may still arrive if they were already in the mail. When five years have passed, you will need to opt out again if you want to continue blocking offers.
The permanent opt-out: requires a mailed form
If you want to opt out permanently and never renew, you must mail a signed form to the agencies. read the form from optoutprescreen.com or call 1-888-567-8688 and ask them to mail it to you. The form requires your signature, Social Security number, and date of birth. Mail it to the address listed on the form — currently the address is Equifax Information Services LLC, Attn: Consumer Opt-Out, P.O. Box 740123, Atlanta, GA 30374-0123, but check the form to confirm.
Processing a mailed form takes longer than a phone call — typically two to four weeks. Once processed, your opt-out stays in place until you contact the agencies again and ask to be opted back in. You do not have to renew it.
What opting out does and does not stop
Opting out stops prescreened offers — the unsolicited credit card offers that arrive because a company bought your name from a credit reporting agency. These are the offers that say "You are pre-approved" or "You have been selected." Opting out removes you from these lists.
Opting out does not stop offers from companies you already have a relationship with — your current bank, credit card issuer, or loan servicer can still mail you offers. It also does not stop offers from other types of lenders like auto finance companies, mortgage lenders, or insurance companies. Those companies use different data sources and are not part of the prescreened offer system.
If you want to stop offers from a specific company you already do business with, contact them directly and ask to be removed from their marketing list. Most have an opt-out option on their website or in your account settings.
Stopping online credit card offers
Opting out with the credit reporting agencies stops mail offers but not online ads. Credit card companies also buy data from data brokers and use it to target ads on websites and social media. To reduce online credit card ads, you have two main options.
First, adjust your ad preferences on the platforms where you see them. On Facebook and Instagram, go to Settings > Ads > Ad Preferences and limit the categories that interest you. Google has a similar tool at myaccount.google.com under "Data & Privacy." These tools let you see what data Google and Facebook hold about you and opt out of certain targeting categories.
Second, visit the Digital Advertising Alliance at optout.aboutads.info. This site lets you opt out of interest-based advertising from hundreds of data brokers and ad networks at once. It does not stop all ads, but it reduces the number of companies that can use your data to target you.
Reversing an opt-out if you change your mind
You can reverse an opt-out at any time. Call 1-888-567-8688 or go to optoutprescreen.com and select the option to opt back in. You will need to provide your Social Security number and date of birth again. Processing takes about five business days.
If you opted out permanently by mail, you can also reverse it by mailing a signed letter to the same address, stating that you want to opt back in. Include your name, address, Social Security number, and date of birth.
Why credit card companies buy your information
Credit card companies use prescreened offers because they are cheaper than other marketing methods. Instead of advertising to everyone, they buy lists of people who meet their credit score and income requirements. This means the people who receive offers are more likely to accept them, making the marketing more efficient.
Credit reporting agencies sell these lists because it is a major part of their business model. The agencies collect credit data on millions of people, and selling prescreened lists to lenders is how they make money. Opting out removes you from these sales, which is why it works.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will opting out hurt my credit score?
No. Opting out does not affect your credit score in any way. Your credit score is based on your payment history, credit utilization, length of credit history, and other factors. Whether you receive offers or not has no impact on these factors.
Do I have to opt out with all three agencies separately?
No. When you call 1-888-567-8688 or use optoutprescreen.com, you are opting out with all three agencies at once. You do not have to contact Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion individually for the five-year opt-out. For the permanent opt-out by mail, one signed form covers all three.
How long does it take for credit card offers to stop after I opt out?
The agencies process your request within five business days, but offers already in the mail will still arrive. Most people see a significant drop within two to three weeks. Some offers may continue to arrive from companies you already do business with, since those are not part of the prescreened system.
Can I opt out just my spouse or family member?
Yes. Each person has their own opt-out status. You can opt out yourself without affecting anyone else in your household. If your spouse wants to opt out, they need to call or submit their own request using their own Social Security number and date of birth.
What if I still get offers after opting out?
Check whether the offers are from companies you already do business with — those are not stopped by opting out. If they are from new companies, contact them directly and ask to be removed from their mailing list. You can also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov if you believe a company is ignoring your opt-out request.