How to Stop Discover Card From Sending Me Applications

Unsolicited credit card applications are annoying and wasteful.

For many consumers, unsolicited credit card applications are an unwanted burden. Discover Card offers are among the most annoying -- since most merchants don't accept Discover cards as payment, few consumers have any interest in applying for them. Receiving credit card offers forces the recipient to spend time destroying the envelope and its contents, since they often contain sensitive information. To avoid wasting time and paper, you can opt out of future mailings.

Instructions

Stop Discover Card Mailings

1. Call the Discover Card company at 1-800-225-5202. Go through the automated menu until you are connected with a live representative.

2. Tell the company representative that you no longer wish to receive Discover Card mailings.

3. Provide your name, address and all other required personal information upon request. To prevent Discover from selling your information to an affiliate, specify that you don't want the company to share your information with any other companies or use it for promotional mailings.

Stop All Unsolicited Credit Card Mailings

1. Call the toll-free number 1-888-5-OPT-OUT or visit www.optoutprescreen.com to discontinue the unsolicited mailings for five years. To permanently discontinue mailings, visit the website to begin the application process.

2. Provide required personal information upon request, including your social security number, phone number, name and birth date.

3. Print out, sign and mail the "Permanent Opt-Out Election Form" provided by the opt out website. If only opting out for five years, you don't need to send this form.

References

• Federal Trade Commission: Unsolicited Mail, Telemarketing and Email: Where to Go to "Just Say No"
• Federal Trade Commission: Prescreened Offers of Credit and Insurance
• Washington Post; Opting Out of Unsolicited Credit Card Offers; Annys Shin et al; February, 2006
• Discover Card; Discover Card Privacy Policy; August 2010

Resources

• Do Not Mail: Stop Junk Mail