How to Stop Credit Card Offer Junk Mail

Thu Feb 21, 2008 1:52PM EST

See Comments (180)

You have already been approved!

If there's a credit crunch going on, no one has told the card issuers at Chase, Bank of America, and every other lender on the planet. Credit card offers continue to roll in to the Null casa at a record clip, complete with courtesy checks, zero-interest balance transfers, and unbelievable introductory rates that I can't afford to miss.

Only I have plenty of credit cards (including two from one bank that keeps sending junk mail), and if I need a new one, I can track down an application myself.

But preapproved credit card offers aren't just junk mail, they are also major financial risks: Identity thieves and credit scammers love to get their mitts on these things, fill them out for you, and start running up the bills. These offers have to be shredded regularly in order to protect yourself... but wouldn't it be better simply not to receive them at all?

Good news: OptOutPrescreen.com is an official service letting you stop credit card offers cold. Much like AnnualCreditReport.com and DoNotCall.gov, this website is officially sanctioned to help eliminate these offers. Opting out is a simple matter. You can opt out for five years (by filling out the web form) or permanently (if you mail in a paper form), but all it takes is a simple name, address, date of birth, and SSN (the latter two are optional, but recommended for reasons explained on the site) to get the job done, whichever method you choose. What better way do you have to spend the next 60 seconds?

The catch is that it can take weeks for the offers to stop, but eventually they should trickle to a halt. Happy unsubscribing!

UPDATE: If you're uncomfortable with the web form, you can opt-out via telephone by calling 1-888-5-OPT-OUT instead. 

RELATED: GreenDimes Helps Eliminate Junk Mail 

MORE: The debate over OptOutPrescreen's legitimacy continues here...

ALSO: For those who advocate sending back business reply envelopes filled with trash in protest, this doesn't really work. 

Comments on How to Stop Credit Card Offer Junk Mail

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  • 26 Posted by ptoures@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:21PM EDT Report Abuse

    first of all those junk mail card offers do not have your ssn who are you trying to bull----- .

  • 27 Posted by sfiume@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:14PM EDT Report Abuse

    I too was reluctant at first but with all the security signs and the encription codes it seemed legit to me so I signed up I am so sick of getting all those credit offers. I too hope this works

  • 28 Posted by c_larocca@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:33PM EDT Report Abuse

    Bring on the junk mail, my shredder is hungry. SSAN on the internet, do they want my mother's maiden name too???????

  • 29 Posted by mwbudd on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:31PM EDT Report Abuse

    Far be for me to suggest that the great & wonderful null would lead me down the primrose path but would he take the weight if someone were to grab my SSN as a result of this transaction? I think not. No, I did not give my number to annualcreditreport or any other dot com. If I am going to do such a thing I will not do it on some unsecured link. No accountability and high risk. No thanks, I'd rather perform this sort of activity with the gravity of the US Mail. You steal from them and it's a term in Leavenworth...you still on the net and nada.

  • 30 Posted by flawrence12@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:00PM EDT Report Abuse

    I like mailing back all the non-identifying junk in their prepaid envelopes. That way they have to pay to send me the junk and pay again to get it back.

  • 31 Posted by carankin@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:18PM EDT Report Abuse

    To opt out they need a social security number? Why? They do not have it in their materials they send and they darn sure should not have it in their records if I did not give it to them. Name and address should suffice and if they need an identifier, use a driver's license. Conecticut's legislature is considering such a bill now. The "requiring" of SS #'s is just out of hand.

  • 34 Posted by jeankeating@verizon.net on Thu Feb 21, 2008 8:44PM EST Report Abuse

    Right. The moment I saw SSN, I balked. And, no, I don't give it to annualcreditreport.com. And isn't there a form at the bottom of these card offers that you can fill out so that they don't send them?

  • 35 Posted by preston-j@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:18PM EDT Report Abuse

    If they know my Name and address and Email address why do they need SSN? everything we read and hear says NO to giving SSN. I actually by phone opted out of some offers without SSN.

  • 38 Posted by picturepuzzles@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:11PM EDT Report Abuse

    There is another way to stop the unwanted offers without providing any personal info. Return the offer without signing or agreeing to anything. The credit card company provides a postage-free envelope with the offer which means they pick-up the tab. If enough people hit them in their pocket, they'll stop.

  • 40 Posted by kanzen_ai on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:46PM EDT Report Abuse

    I absolutely agree with those opting out of sending their SSN and d.o.b., even though the site does seem reputable. What I've been doing is tearing up the applications into teeny pieces, but leaving my name and address visible, mailing the whole shebang back to the companies using their postage paid envelopes with a huge "NO-REMOVE ME FROM YOUR MAILING LIST" note enclosed. I feel like I'm receiving fewer solicitations, and even if I'm not, at least I have the satisfaction of knowing I'm costing them postage for wasting my energy.

  • 41 Posted by harley0629@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:16PM EDT Report Abuse

    The first rule of good credit, do not give anyone on line your date of birth and SSN, I will take my risk with the offers and a good paper shredder.

  • 43 Posted by henningerjeff@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:18PM EDT Report Abuse

    Just put all the items (offer, envelope, advertising etc.) in the return envelope along with the instructions to remove you from their mailing list - seal it and send it back to them. They provide a postage paid envelope - use it!

  • 44 Posted by nicawashburn on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:37PM EDT Report Abuse

    We shouldn't have to give our SSN, our name and address should be enough. Why would my somebody want to stop them from sending me mail?

  • 45 Posted by ccabrego@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:20PM EDT Report Abuse

    Are u crazy? Who can afford to enter their social security number and their birthdate on the internet for this? The credit card applications don't have this information, so why do you need it to stop this junk mail? duh...

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