Credit Card Offers in the Mail

You may receive offers in the mail advertising that you are “preapproved” or “prescreened” for a credit card. This means that the credit card company has pulled your credit and sent you some information in the mail. This does not mean that you'll automatically receive the credit card. You must still apply and can be turned down for various reasons, such as not meeting the minimum income requirement.

Every time your credit is pulled, it appears on your credit report. These types of requests do not harm your credit, and only you will be able to see them on your report. Some people looking for a credit card might want to receive these offers. But others might not, and they might want to limit access to their credit information.

If you do not want to receive these offers, there are steps you can take to remove yourself from these mailing lists. To remove yourself from lists provided by major credit reporting agencies, call 1-888-5-OPTOUT or visit www.optoutprescreen.com. You can also contact each of your credit lenders and ask to be removed from their mailing lists. If you decide that you would like to again receive these offers, call 1-888-5-OPTOUT or visit www.optoutprescreen.com to be added, or contact your credit lenders.