Bombarded by Unwanted Credit Card Offers? Here's How to Make Them Stop

Credit card issuers mail out offers to millions of Americans, often without the person ever showing any interest in applying for that particular card. Sending these offers helps creditors drum up new business, but it can be annoying for you. All that paper goes to waste if you don't want the card, and you don't want an identity thief to get hold of it and try to open a card in your name.

It's possible to stop these credit card offers from coming, but there are a few hoops to jump through. Below, we'll look at how to do it and how credit card companies get your information in the first place.

How do credit card companies get your information?

You can thank the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) for all the unwanted credit card spam you're getting. This law permits the credit bureaus -- Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion -- to share your information with credit card issuers looking for individuals who meet certain requirements to be pre-qualified for a card. Then, the card issuer sends you an offer to see if you're interested.

Credit card offers aren't always a bad thing. They can give you an idea of the types of cards you qualify for, even if you aren't interested in the specific card you're offered. Some pre-approvals also include exclusive rewards that the standard online application may not have.

But if you aren't shopping for new credit, getting those letters can be annoying, especially if you're receiving multiple offers at once. Fortunately, the FCRA also created a way for you to opt out of these offers if you no longer wish to receive them.

How do you opt out of credit card offers?

The easiest way to opt out of most credit card offers is to visit OptOutPrescreen.com. You can also call 1-888-5-OPTOUT.

You can do an electronic opt out online or over the phone. You'll need to provide your name, address, Social Security number, and date of birth. Completing this form will take you off of mailing lists for five years.

If you want to halt credit card offers forever, you can choose to do a permanent opt out. But to do this, you'll need to print off a paper form from the website mentioned above and mail it in.

The credit bureaus will take action to remove you from their lists within five days of receiving your electronic or permanent opt out. But it might take longer for you to stop receiving offers altogether. Credit card companies that began preparing pre-qualifying offers before you filed your opt out request may still send you offers for a little while.

Will this get rid of all your credit card offers?

Taking the above steps will likely reduce the credit card offers you receive, but it may not eliminate them. Credit card issuers that don't use lists compiled by the credit bureaus may continue to send you notices.

If you keep getting bombarded about a balance transfer card from a specific bank, for example,, your best bet is to contact that bank directly. Explain that you no longer wish to receive any offers from the bank and ask what you need to do to ensure you don't receive any more.

You can also opt out of mail and phone offers on the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) website. There is a $5 online registration for this, and a $6 registration if you choose to mail in your form. Once you sign up, the company will remember your marketing preferences for 10 years.

It only takes a few minutes, and it could significantly cut down the volume of mail you receive. You can always change your mind if you decide later you'd like to begin receiving credit card offers again.