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

Post a Comment

Join in the discussion. Here you'll see the comments in the order they were posted.

  • 6 Posted by daniabosscat on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:35PM EDT Report Abuse

    Giving someone my social security number and increasing my risk of identity theft outweighs get junk mail? Sorry not for me.

  • 7 Posted by jirojas on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:35PM EDT Report Abuse

    Calling 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688) does the same thing. I did it. You definitively see a big reduction in credit card requests.

  • 8 Posted by rogueist on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:49PM EDT Report Abuse

    SSN to a blind website? Even if it IS a legitimate site, I am not about to give my SSN number over the internet in any way shape or form. I will live with getting the credit card offers. I like to get them actually. BTW, I heard that if you stop them, it makes a negative mark on your credit history... So, I will let them send them....

  • 9 Posted by htsmithjr1@verizon.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:21PM EDT Report Abuse

    I'll continue to shred-No way in h_ll am I giving my SSN, DOB to website I don't know or trust !!!

  • 11 Posted by somethingelse329 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:32PM EDT Report Abuse

    fill in ONLY the last 4 digits of your SSN; I did this by phone and they took it!

  • 12 Posted by frantupit@verizon.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:03PM EDT Report Abuse

    I agree with mwbudd.....give my SSN?????? is somebody nutz! That's what we're ALWAYS told NOT to do. Guess I'll just keep getting the junque mail.

  • 14 Posted by consuelodavis1955 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:29PM EDT Report Abuse

    Mail preference services only need your mailing address. I've worked in IT for 30 years and we run a "merge/purge" program run to elimate dups and remove those on the preference list before the mailing is printed. This is a scam, with your name address DOB and SSN anyone can steal your identity. DON'T GIVE THEM THIS INFO OR YOU WILL BE SORRY!

  • 15 Posted by jkhill3@verizon.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:36PM EDT Report Abuse

    This does stop many of the offers, but be advised, just like the do-not-call list, non-profits will still send you credit card offers! How do we stop them from calling during dinner, and sending these credit card offers?

  • 16 Posted by jamundsen@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:28PM EDT Report Abuse

    Is there a way for me to "opt out" directly with the senders of these missives? I also have a habit of stuffing all the mailing materials back into the reply envelope when possible and mailing it back to the sender. At least this costs em a few pennies and makes me feel better.

  • 17 Posted by lgwils@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 6:50PM EDT Report Abuse

    What recourse do you have, when a major chain store just recently sends an unrequested credit card, and you have filled out a lifetime opt-out form at least two years ago???? Or for that matter Citi-Corp, BA,etc.

  • 18 Posted by bludog1@att.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:09PM EDT Report Abuse

    Yeah I agree w/ htsmithjr1@verizon.net! Just simply shred those things. It is a whole lot better to do that, and to also have a stress- free life. No more worrying about the "What if..?" thinkings!

  • 19 Posted by ad6oa@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:45PM EDT Report Abuse

    I can see it now, a creep waits at THEIR mail pickup and scarf several applications and in a few months someone else has all the information, and a NEW HD TV ..... no thanks....

  • 20 Posted by lyndonevans@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:01PM EDT Report Abuse

    Your address/phone number should be sufficient; your SSN should not be required. This sounds like a credit card scam to me!

  • 22 Posted by landandwater@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:56PM EDT Report Abuse

    I agree sending my ssn to an unknown website doesn't sound like the right thing to do. Instead, I open the junk mail and stuff it all back in the self addressed envelope. It takes about a month or so for the companies to get the idea. Good Luck posted by no junkmailforme.

  • 23 Posted by laflinlori@verizon.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:55PM EDT Report Abuse

    I did the do not call gov list that was very simple. Question:Who are the people that want all the junk mail anyway? Its just more paper you have to get rid of.

  • 24 Posted by brendakadams@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:12PM EDT Report Abuse

    To everyone worried about this site being legit...The exact same address and info are in each of the tiny print disclosure packets you get from your credit card companies and in tinier print on many of the applications. This is legit, it has been around for several years. Every year when you get the new list of changes/disclosure notices from your credit card compnay, it is listed in there that you can opt out of all offers by contacting optoutprescreen. Go check it out, its there.

Post a Comment

Sign In to Post a Comment

My Tech

Please enable your browser's cookies to activate the My Tech column.

Also on Yahoo! Tech

Computers Home Office Wi-Fi & Networking Phones & PDAs Cameras & Camcorders TV & Home Theater Portable Audio
 

Site Map | Tour | Subscribe to Yahoo! Tech

Question and Answer content at Yahoo! Tech is written by Yahoo! users at Yahoo! Answers. Yahoo! does not evaluate or guarantee the accuracy of any Yahoo! Answers content. For more information, read the Full Disclaimer.

Opinions expressed by the Advisors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Yahoo! Inc. Yahoo! receives no compensation from any manufacturer or distributor nor does it compensate any Advisor for the coverage of any product or service in any Advisor's content.