How to Stop Credit Bureaus From Selling Your Information

Credit bureaus collect and manage consumer financial data, often using it for marketing. Many consumers receive unsolicited credit and insurance offers, unaware their information, gathered by these bureaus, facilitates such mailings and calls. Understanding how this data is used and how to control its sharing is important for managing personal privacy and reducing unwanted solicitations. This article outlines how consumers can limit the flow of their information from credit bureaus to marketing entities.

Understanding Credit Bureau Data for Marketing

Credit bureaus like Experian, Equifax, TransUnion, and Innovis collect extensive consumer data beyond credit scores and repayment histories. This includes personal identifiers such as name, address, and date of birth, along with borrowing history, payment patterns, and credit scores. These agencies supply this data to creditors and insurers for marketing, especially for “pre-screened” or “pre-approved” offers.

Companies seeking to extend credit or insurance establish criteria, such as a credit score range or geographic location, and request lists of qualified consumers from credit bureaus. This allows lenders to target potential customers efficiently, ensuring offers reach individuals likely to qualify. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) permits this practice, allowing bureaus to share consumer information for “firm offers of credit or insurance” not initiated by the consumer. Inquiries for prescreened offers result in “soft inquiries” on a credit report, visible only to the consumer and not negatively impacting credit scores. The FCRA also provides consumers a right to opt out of receiving these pre-screened offers.

The Official Opt-Out Process

The primary method for stopping pre-screened credit and insurance offers is through a centralized opt-out service, jointly operated by Experian, Equifax, TransUnion, and Innovis. Consumers can initiate this process online at OptOutPrescreen.com or by calling 1-888-5-OPT-OUT (1-888-567-8688).

Individuals are presented with two choices: a temporary opt-out for five years or a permanent opt-out. The temporary five-year opt-out can be completed entirely online or over the phone.

To pursue a permanent opt-out, the process begins online or via phone but requires an additional step. After selecting the permanent opt-out, the system generates a “Permanent Opt-Out Election form.” This form must be printed, signed, and mailed to the specified address to complete the request. This provides a record of the consumer’s election for permanent removal from marketing lists.

When initiating the opt-out, consumers provide personal information to identify their records. This typically includes full name, current address, Social Security number, and date of birth. Providing a Social Security number and date of birth helps ensure the request is processed successfully and accurately links to the correct consumer file across all bureaus. If a consumer recently moved, previous addresses may also be requested for comprehensive removal from all relevant marketing lists.

Once the opt-out request is submitted, it is typically processed by the credit bureaus within five business days. However, it may take several weeks, or even up to a few months, before the flow of pre-screened offers completely ceases. This delay occurs because some companies may have already received consumer information for marketing campaigns initiated before the opt-out request was fully processed. The opt-out request, whether temporary or permanent, covers all four major credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, TransUnion, and Innovis), so a single submission is sufficient to address pre-screened offers from all of them. Should a consumer decide to resume receiving these offers at any point, they can opt back in using the same OptOutPrescreen.com website or toll-free phone number.

Limiting Other Marketing from Credit Bureaus

Beyond the federally mandated opt-out for pre-screened offers, consumers can take additional steps to reduce other forms of marketing that may originate from or be facilitated by credit bureaus. These actions are distinct from the FCRA-governed opt-out and address different types of solicitations.

To limit general direct mail solicitations, individuals can register with the Direct Marketing Association’s (DMA) Mail Preference Service at DMAchoice.org. This service allows consumers to remove their names from mailing lists of many companies that are members of the DMA, although a small service fee may apply. Similarly, to reduce unwanted telemarketing calls, consumers can register their phone numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry by visiting donotcall.gov or calling 1-888-382-1222.

Individual credit bureaus also offer options to manage direct marketing preferences that are not covered by the pre-screened offer opt-out. Equifax, for example, allows consumers to manage marketing email preferences through unsubscribe links in their emails or by adjusting settings within their myEquifax account. Equifax also provides a privacy choices page where consumers can limit the sharing of their information for marketing purposes. Experian offers various opt-out mechanisms, including emailing [email protected] for marketing emails and [email protected] for direct mail, telemarketing, and targeted online advertising. TransUnion provides an online form on their website under their privacy choices section, allowing consumers to submit requests to limit data sharing for marketing purposes. These direct actions with each bureau complement the broader FCRA opt-out by addressing other specific marketing channels and data uses.