Tempting and persuasive. Unsolicited credit card offers are often both of these, making it very difficult to resist an envelope with the words “0% interest until June 2019!” prominently stamped on it. However, unless you are in the market for a credit card, and have a specific and well thought out purpose in mind, obtaining unnecessary credit can be detrimental. You may end up spending more than you intend, and those great deals often fall short of their promises. So, how do you stop credit card offers?
If you want to avoid the allure of all those credit card offers, removing yourself from the mailing lists is a short application online or toll-free phone call away. Most of the offers you receive are generated from data found on your credit reports. By visiting optoutprescreen.com or calling the credit reporting industry’s pre-screening opt-out number (888-567-8688), you can block your information from being supplied to credit card companies who use this method to solicit your business. The online application is very simple and takes no more than 5 minutes. If you call, you will be linked to an automated system – simply follow the prompts and your name will be removed from the lists for five years.
Because not all companies use this system when marketing to potential cardholders, you will likely continue to receive some “junk” mail. But it will lighten the load, and you won’t have to resist all those enticing (or annoying) letters nearly as often.