
The only required fields are first name, last name and current address. Although Optoutprescreen does request personal data, such as your Social Security number (which it encrypts), it does not require all of it.
#Opt out credit card mailings how to#
So if you care about opting out, now you know how to do it. The site is approved by the Federal Trade Commission. is a website provided by four major credit reporting agencies - Equifax, Experian, TransUnion and Innovis - that allows consumers to opt out of receiving credit card offers by mail. That’s why a website called was created. The government requires the sellers of your financial data - the major credit reporting agencies - to provide a mechanism that allows you to opt out of pre-approved junk mail. Next, you should know that opting out out takes less than five minutes and can be done online. Collectively, junk mail is estimated to cost Mother Earth more than 100 million trees each year.

On the selfless side, there are billions of pieces of junk mail sent every year. On the selfish side, companies are selling your financial data - Social Security number, address, payment history and more - to marketers who, in turn, use your information to solicit you as a potential new customer. So let’s go over why you should care about opting out and how to do it.įirst, there are both selfish and selfless reasons to opt out. First, why should I care about opting out? Second, how do I do it? Third, will opting out impact my credit score, overall financial situation or ability to apply for credit cards?Ĭaring, awareness and trust - that’s what it boils down to. I think it’s because consumers aren’t sure of the answers to three questions. Why, then, have so few Americans opted out of pre-approved financial offers? Territories.Would you like to stop companies from selling your financial information for marketing purposes? If you could eliminate junk mail and save millions of trees per year, would you?Īsk 10 people, and you’ll probably get as many volunteers. The website is not accessible by users of ISPs located outside the United States and the U.S. There is no option to permanently opt out electronically. In order to permanently Opt-Out of unsolicited offers, you must buy a stamp and print and mail a physical paper Permanent Opt-Out Election form. Permanent Opt-Out by Mail: Your name will no longer be eligible for inclusion on lists for Firm Offers of credit or insurance.



Electronic Opt-Out for 5 years: Your name will not be eligible for inclusion on lists used for Firm Offers of credit or insurance for five years.Opt-In: Your name will be eligible for inclusion on lists used for Firm Offers of credit or insurance.The opt out process allows users to choose from three options: īeginning on August 1, 2005, the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 took effect, which amended the FCRA to require consumer reporting agencies to include in their credit offers a statement allowing customers to stop unsolicited offers either by phone (1-888-5OPTOUT or 1-88) or via The FCRA also provides customers the right to opt out, which prevents consumer reporting agencies from providing credit file information to others. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), consumer reporting agencies are permitted to include customers' names on lists used by creditors or insurers to make offers of credit or insurance that are not initiated by the customer. is a joint venture among Equifax, Experian, Innovis, and TransUnion, allowing customers to opt out of receiving credit card solicitations by mail.
