How to Opt Out of Pre-Screened Credit Offers
Some companies use informat
ion on your credit report to generate offers of credit or insurance, sometimes called “pre-screened” or “pre-approved” offers. Companies set a minimum bar for creditworthiness, then contact the major credit reporting bureaus to get a list of consumers who meet the criteria for their offer. These pre-screened offers don’t affect your credit, but they can be an annoyance if you’re receiving a large number of offers by mail or email.
The major credit reporting bureaus provide a way to stop receiving offers generated by the information on your credit report. When you choose to opt out of pre-screened credit and insurance offers, you may choose to do so for either 5 years, or permanently. Because the information is linked to your personal credit report, you’ll need to provide certain information, like your social security number and date of birth. The information is only used to process your opt-out request.
- If you’d like to opt out for 5 years, go to www.optoutprescreen.com or call 1-888-5-OPT-OUT.
- If you’d like to opt out of pre-screened offers permanently, go to www.optoutscreen.com and select “Permanent Opt-Out by Mail”. The permanent opt-out process can be started online, but must be completed by mail using a form that will be generated when you make your request.
This opt-out method won’t eliminate your junk mail, but it should significantly reduce the amount of unsolicited mail offers you receive.
