Federal Trade Commission | consumer.ftc.gov

Prescreened 

Credit and 

Insurance Offers

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A “prescreened” offer of credit? 

What’s that?

Many companies that solicit new credit card accounts and 

insurance policies use prescreening to identify potential 

customers for the products they offer. Prescreened offers 

— sometimes called “preapproved” offers — are based on 

information in your credit report that indicates you meet 

criteria set by the offeror. Usually, prescreened solicitations 

come via mail, but you also may get them in a phone call or 

in an email.

How does prescreening work?

Prescreening works in one of two ways:

● a creditor or insurer establishes criteria, like a 

minimum credit score, and asks a consumer reporting 

company for a list of people in the company’s 

database who meet the criteria; or 

● a creditor or insurer provides a list of potential 

customers to a consumer reporting company and asks 

the company to identify people on the list who meet 

certain criteria. 

Mail Call: Bills, a letter from your Aunt Mary, a circular 

from a local department store, your monthly bank 

statement, and an offer for a new credit card that says 

you’ve been “prescreened” or “prequalified.”
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Can prescreening hurt my credit report 

or credit score?

No. There will be “inquiries” on your credit report 

showing which companies obtained your information for 

prescreening, but those inquiries will not have a negative 

effect on your credit report or credit score.

Can I reduce the number of unsolicited 

credit and insurance offers I get?

If you decide that you don’t want to receive prescreened 

offers of credit and insurance, you have two choices: You 

can opt out of receiving them for five years or opt out of 

receiving them permanently. 

To opt out for five years: Call toll-free 1-888-5-OPT-OUT 

(1-888-567-8688) or visit www.optoutprescreen.com. 

The phone number and website are operated by the major 

consumer reporting companies.

To opt out permanently: You may begin the permanent 

Opt-Out process online at www.optoutprescreen.com. 

To complete your request, you must return the signed 

Permanent Opt-Out Election form, which will be provided 

after you initiate your online request. 

When you call or visit the website, you’ll be asked to 

provide certain personal information, including your home 

telephone number, name, Social Security number, and date 

of birth. The information you provide is confidential and 

will be used only to process your request to opt out.
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If you don’t have access to the Internet, you may send a 

written request to permanently opt out to each of the major 

consumer reporting companies. Make sure your request 

includes your home telephone number, name, Social 

Security number, and date of birth. 

Experian

Opt Out

P.O. Box 919

Allen, TX 75013

TransUnion

Name Removal Option 

P.O. Box 505 

Woodlyn, PA 19094 

Equifax, Inc.

Options

P.O. Box 740123

Atlanta, GA 30374-0123

Innovis Consumer Assistance

P.O. Box 495

Pittsburgh, PA 15230-0495

Why would someone opt out — or not?

Some people prefer not to receive these kinds of offers in 

the mail, especially if they are not in the market for a new 

credit card or insurance policy. They may prefer to opt out 

to limit access to their credit report information for credit 

and insurance solicitations, or to reduce some mailbox 

“clutter.” However, some companies send offers that are 

not based on prescreening, and your federal opt-out right 

will not stop those kinds of solicitations.
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As you consider opting out, you should know that 

prescreened offers can provide many benefits, especially 

if you are in the market for a credit card or insurance. 

Prescreened offers can help you learn about what’s 

available, compare costs, and find the best product for your 

needs. Because you are pre-selected to receive the offer, 

you can be turned down only under limited circumstances. 

The terms of prescreened offers also may be more 

favorable than those that are available to the general public. 

In fact, some credit card or insurance products may be 

available only through prescreened offers. 

Does opting out hurt my credit score?

Removing your name from prescreened lists has no effect 

on your ability to apply for or obtain credit or insurance. 

If I decide to opt out, how long will it be 

before I stop getting prescreened offers?

Requests to opt out are processed within five days, but 

it may take up to 60 days before you stop receiving 

prescreened offers.

What if I opt out and then change my 

mind?

You can use the same toll-free telephone number or website 

to opt back in.
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Will calling 1-888-5-OPTOUT or visiting 

www.optoutprescreen.com stop all 

unsolicited offers of credit and insurance?

Calling the opt-out line or visiting the website will stop the 

prescreened solicitations that are based on lists from the 

major consumer reporting companies. You may continue 

to get solicitations for credit and insurance based on lists 

from other sources. For example, opting out won’t end 

solicitations from local merchants, religious and charitable 

associations, professional and alumni associations, and 

companies with which you already conduct business. 

To stop mail from groups like these — as well as mail 

addressed to “occupant” or “resident” — you must contact 

each source directly.

What other opt-out programs should I 

know about?

The federal government’s National Do Not Call Registry 

is a free, easy way to reduce the telemarketing calls you 

get at home. To register your phone number or to get 

information about the registry, visit www.donotcall.gov, 

or call 1-888-382-1222 from the phone number you want 

to register. You will get fewer telemarketing calls within 31 

days of registering your number. Telephone numbers on the 

registry will only be removed when they are disconnected 

and reassigned, or when you choose to remove a number 

from the registry.
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The Direct Marketing Association’s (DMA) Mail 

Preference Service (MPS) lets you opt out of receiving 

unsolicited commercial mail from many national 

companies for five years. When you register with this 

service, your name will be put on a “delete” file and made 

available to direct-mail marketers and organizations. This 

will reduce most of your unsolicited mail. However, your 

registration will not stop mailings from organizations 

that do not use the DMA’s Mail Preference Service. 

To register with DMA’s Mail Preference Service, go to 

www.dmachoice.org, or mail your request with a $1 

processing fee to:

DMAchoice

Direct Marketing Association

P.O. Box 643

Carmel, NY 10512

The DMA also has an Email Preference Service (eMPS) 

to help you reduce unsolicited commercial emails. To opt 

out of receiving unsolicited commercial email from DMA 

members, visit www.dmachoice.org. Registration is free 

and good for six years.

For More Information

The FTC works to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and 

unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide 

information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. 

To file a complaint or get free information on consumer 

issues, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP 

(1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. 
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Watch a video, How to File a Complaint, at 

consumer.ftc.gov/media to learn more. The FTC enters 

consumer complaints into the Consumer Sentinel Network, 

a secure online database and investigative tool used by 

hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in 

the U.S. and abroad. 
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Federal Trade Commission

consumer.ftc.gov

March 2011