Junk mail keeps showing up no matter how often you sort through it. You toss the catalogs and advertisements into the recycling bin, only to find another stack waiting a few days later.
Instead of dealing with the same paper week after week, try cutting down what arrives in the first place. No single opt-out stops every piece of unwanted mail, but these four options can help reduce the pile.
Register With DMAchoice
If catalogs, magazine offers, donation requests, and other advertisements fill your mailbox, start with DMAchoice. The Association of National Advertisers runs the service, which costs $8 to register online for 10 years, though it doesn’t cover bills, statements, mail from companies you already do business with, prescreened credit offers, or mail addressed to “Current Resident.”
Opt Out of Prescreened Credit and Insurance Offers
Credit card and insurance offers use a separate opt-out process. The FTC recommends OptOutPrescreen, run by the major credit bureaus, where you can opt out for five years online or by phone, or start the permanent opt-out process, though offers from other mailing lists may still arrive.
Cancel the Catalogs You Don’t Want
If the same catalogs keep arriving month after month, Catalog Choice lets you search for individual companies and request that they stop sending certain catalogs and other unwanted mail. You can also request mail addressed to a former resident or someone who has died, but it may take six to eight weeks for mailings to stop, and not every company honors these requests.
Related: 15 Important Documents You Should Never Throw away
Contact the Companies That Keep Mailing You
Some businesses may continue sending promotional mail after you’ve used general opt-out services, especially if you’ve purchased from them before. Check the company’s website for mailing preferences or contact its mailing department directly, as the U.S. Postal Service recommends asking the sender to remove your name from its list.
Related: 15 Ways Retirees Are Dramatically Lowering Their Monthly Expenses
The Goal Isn’t an Empty Mailbox
No single service can stop every piece of unwanted mail because some advertisements go to entire neighborhoods and some senders don’t take part in opt-out programs. Still, cutting down on catalogs, promotional offers, and prescreened credit mail can mean much less paper to sort through each week.
