How to stop credit card junk mail

As the world goes digital, credit card companies still spend a lot of time soliciting through the good old-fashioned postal mail. They pre-approve, send low introductory rate offers, or provide other offers designed to entice you to apply. Some of them are kind enough to prefill much of your personal information for you.

Oh, did you know your personal information is being sold too? Meaning more solicitations. And the credit reporting agencies are cashing in on them.

The big three credit bureaus collect information about how we manage our financial obligations. The bureaus then sell this info to lenders and credit-scoring companies, which use it to help determine eligibility for loans and lines of credit. ~ WalletHub

Credit card junk mail is probably one of the biggest annoyances which arrive in the mailbox. Especially, when it comes unsolicited from creditors where there is no relationship and is not one that is desired. While spam is annoying in the e-box, at least those solicitations can be easily deleted, but this is not the case with credit card junk mail which needs to be destroyed since it includes personal information and/or enough details where a thief can apply for a card in your name if a person with nefarious ideas gets a hold of this unsolicited mail.

Even current customers are not immune to credit card junk mail because these banks frequently send bank checks with high-interest rates or offer other additional services hoping their customers will use. Some credit card companies seem to be under the illusion customers want to be bombarded with their creatively and carefully worded junk mail. For many, this is not the case, and the best way to combat credit card junk mail is to put a stop it. Especially with the risk of ID theft being so high these days.

Opt-out with credit bureaus

Creditors love to pre-screen potential applicants by doing credit checks and selecting individuals to solicit to and they are allowed to under the U.S. Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). One of the easiest ways to shut this down is to opt out from receiving junk mail as the law permits consumers to do this and businesses are to comply. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) provides information on how to do this either by mail or by telephone. You can opt-out for five years, or permanently. There is also an option to opt-out by mail.

Opt-out with banks

One of the most common reasons why people receive junk credit card mail is it comes from companies and banks people already do business and/or have some kind of relationship with. If you carefully read the privacy policies of these merchants and banks, you’ll see they (most of the time) automatically put your name on the opt-in list to receive special offers and promotions. To avoid this, make it a habit to always read privacy policies carefully and make an effort to find and check that “opt-out” box and don't accept the default option. This will scale back on some of the junk mail you receive.

Contact the source

As privacy continues to become a serious issue, companies are expected to comply with consumer requests to “take me off the list”. If you contact specific companies that are sending high amounts of junk mail, contacting them could quickly put an end to their marketing initiatives to your mailbox. 

The monstrous piles of credit card junk mail are annoying, but the good news is you do have some options in order to put a stop to all of the credit card offers arriving in your mailbox. And, always remember to shred any mail you do get that contains personal information (wanted or not) when you are finished with it. Never toss this information in the trash as it can lead to identity and/or financial theft. Even in our digital age, good old-fashioned dumpster diving is still a popular tactic ID thieves engage in.

One last point. If you're worried about your credit score, you should know opting out of these offers has no negative (or positive) impacts on it, so no worries there.