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How to Stop Getting Catalogs in the Mail

calendar Jun 7, 2026 / · 4 min read · catalog opt out General Method  ·
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Start Here: The Four Steps That Stop Catalog Mail

Three opt-out steps cover roughly 80% of the catalog senders filling your mailbox, and a fourth clears the stragglers. No single button stops everything because catalogs reach you through separate channels: mail-preference registries, each retailer's own customer list, and the credit bureaus' prescreen lists. Each channel has its own opt-out, so the durable fix is to hit all of them once rather than chasing one catalog at a time.

This page is the master method for StopTheCatalogs.com — the place to start whether you want to get off catalog mailing lists entirely, remove your name from a specific mailing list, or just stop catalogs being delivered to a name that isn't yours. If you want to stop one specific brand — L.L.Bean, Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware — use the per-catalog guides linked at the bottom; each adds that retailer's own preference center on top of these four steps. If you've just moved, that situation has its own playbook, also linked below.

Set your expectations on timing: opt-outs are not instant. Mailers print and address batches weeks in advance, so catalogs already in the pipeline keep arriving for a while. Give the full timeline below before deciding a step didn't work.

How to stop receiving catalogs: step by step

  1. Register with DMAchoice — The mail-preference service operated by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) is at dmachoice.org. For a $5 fee ($6 by mail), it suppresses your name from member mailers' prospect lists — catalogs, magazine offers, donation requests, and retail promotions — for 10 years. Allow up to 90 days to take effect.

  2. Opt out of prescreened credit offers — Many "catalogs" are really credit-offer vehicles fed by the credit bureaus' prescreen lists. Visit OptOutPrescreen.com or call 1-888-567-8688 (1-888-5-OPT-OUT) — a joint service of Equifax, Experian, Innovis, and TransUnion. This is a statutory opt-out under the Fair Credit Reporting Act; choose the five-year online option or the permanent mail-in option.

  3. Register with Catalog Choice — CatalogChoice.org is a free nonprofit service (operated by The Story of Stuff Project) with a database of nearly 10,000 senders. Search for the specific catalogs you receive and submit removal requests one at a time. It also handles catalogs addressed to a previous occupant or a deceased family member.

  4. Clear the stragglers with PaperKarma — For catalogs that ignore the registries above, use PaperKarma. You photograph the mailer in the app, it identifies the sender, and it submits the opt-out for you. It's the fastest path for persistent or obscure senders that aren't in the DMAchoice or Catalog Choice databases.

What to expect

DMAchoice and OptOutPrescreen requests take 30–90 days to propagate, because mailers prepare batches well ahead of delivery. Catalog Choice requests depend on each retailer's mailing cycle — some honor them in weeks, a few take a full quarter. PaperKarma requests typically resolve in 4–12 weeks per sender.

Realistically, expect a 60–80% reduction in catalog volume within three months of completing all four steps — not zero, but a dramatic drop. The remaining trickle is usually from retailers you've purchased from directly (who mail you as a customer, not a prospect) or local mailers outside the registries. Those need the brand's own preference center, which is exactly what the per-catalog guides cover.

Frequently asked questions

How do I remove my name from catalog mailing lists for free? Catalog Choice (free) plus OptOutPrescreen (free, statutory) cover most senders at no cost. DMAchoice charges a one-time $5 fee for a 10-year suppression. PaperKarma is a paid app for the stubborn remainder.

Why do I still get catalogs after opting out? Two reasons: pipeline lag (batches already printed before your request landed), and the customer-vs-prospect split — registries suppress prospect mail, but a store you've actually bought from mails you as an existing customer until you opt out with that store directly.

Does the post office stop catalogs? Not as a blanket service. USPS will return mail addressed to someone who doesn't live at your address, but for catalogs in your own name you have to opt out at the source. See the moving guide below for the previous-resident case.

References

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