TL;DR: Prescreened credit and insurance offers are the preapproved offers you get in the mail or online, generated using your credit report data — opting out stops this specific use of your data, which also reduces the raw material available to data brokers and scammers who exploit these offers.
How to Opt Out of Prescreened Credit Offers — a clear, step-by-step guide to what to do and how long it takes.
Step 1: Understand what prescreened offers are
Prescreened credit and insurance offers are the preapproved offers you get in the mail or online, generated using your credit report data — opting out stops this specific use of your data, which also reduces the raw material available to data brokers and scammers who exploit these offers.
Step 2: Go to OptOutPrescreen.com
This is the official, industry-run site (backed by the major credit bureaus) for opting out of prescreened offers in the US — it's the only site you should trust for this, since deceptive copycat sites exist.
Step 3: Choose a 5-year or permanent opt-out
You can opt out for five years through a quick online form, or opt out permanently by completing an online request followed by a signed mailed form.
Step 4: Provide the requested verification details
You'll need to provide basic identifying information to process the opt-out — this is standard and required for it to take effect.
Step 5: Know this doesn't stop all mail
Opting out of prescreened offers won't stop all marketing mail, since it only covers offers generated from credit report data — for broader mail opt-out, separate services exist.
If this looks similar to something else you've seen, it's worth reading How to Place a Fraud Alert on Your Credit Report.
This pattern shows up elsewhere too — see How to Recover a Hacked Bank Account.
Frequently Asked Questions
Step 1: Understand what prescreened offers are
Prescreened credit and insurance offers are the preapproved offers you get in the mail or online, generated using your credit report data — opting out stops this specific use of your data, which also reduces the raw material available to data brokers and scammers who exploit these offers.
Step 2: Go to OptOutPrescreen.com
This is the official, industry-run site (backed by the major credit bureaus) for opting out of prescreened offers in the US — it's the only site you should trust for this, since deceptive copycat sites exist.
Step 3: Choose a 5-year or permanent opt-out
You can opt out for five years through a quick online form, or opt out permanently by completing an online request followed by a signed mailed form.
Step 4: Provide the requested verification details
You'll need to provide basic identifying information to process the opt-out — this is standard and required for it to take effect.
Step 5: Know this doesn't stop all mail
Opting out of prescreened offers won't stop all marketing mail, since it only covers offers generated from credit report data — for broader mail opt-out, separate services exist.