How to Stop Getting Catalogs in the Mail: 5 Steps That Work

calendar Jun 7, 2026 / · 6 min read · catalog opt out general method mail preferences dmachoice catalog choice paperkarma junk mail direct mail  ·
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Why One Opt-Out Never Stops Every Catalog

DMAchoice reaches companies you have never bought from. The stores you do buy from have to be asked one by one. That split is why catalogs often keep coming after people "opt out." The DMAchoice FAQ says it plainly: "if you've purchased from, subscribed to, or donated to a company or organization in the past two years, you will need to ask them to be removed directly."

Catalog Choice, a free nonprofit service, says the same thing from the other side. Its FAQ says that "no current service has the capability to stop all of your incoming junk mail in one fell swoop, because there are many different kinds of mail coming from different sources."

So the method on this page is a short set of steps, each one aimed at a different source of catalogs. Do them once, and the pile gets much smaller. Then use our per-catalog guides for the stores that keep mailing.

How to stop getting catalogs: step by step

  1. Contact the stores you have bought from. Look at the catalogs on your table and pick out the stores you have ordered from in the last two years. Those need a direct request, by phone, email or the store's own opt-out page. Some stores take requests only from you. L.L.Bean's catalog page says it "no longer honors requests made by" third-party opt-out services. Our guides walk through each store: L.L.Bean , Lands' End , Pottery Barn , Restoration Hardware and more. When you ask, give your name and address exactly as they are printed on the label.

    Not sure what to write? On its Restoration Hardware listing , Catalog Choice gives this text to paste into a store's comments box, and it works as a short letter to any store: "Please remove me from your postal mailings list. I no longer wish to receive your mailings. Do not rent or sell my name or address to other organizations." The last sentence matters, because it asks the store not to pass your address to other companies.

  2. Register with DMAchoice for everyone else. DMAchoice is the mail preference service run by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA). You choose which kinds of mail you do not want. The FAQ lists the fee as "$8 for online and $9 for mail-in registration," says your choices are kept for 10 years, and says to "allow 90 days for your request to take effect." One profile can hold up to five mailing addresses. The FTC says DMAchoice "will stop most, but not all, promotional mail."

  3. Use Catalog Choice for specific catalogs. Catalog Choice is free and run by The Story of Stuff Project. It says it has "nearly 10,000 titles in our database, ranging from clothing brands to credit card companies to charities." Log in, search for the catalog, and click to opt out. You either fill in Catalog Choice's form or get sent to the store's own opt-out page. Its About page recommends using it together with DMAchoice, "because many catalog merchants share lists of personal information with other merchants."

  4. Stop prescreened credit and insurance offers. These are not catalogs, but they arrive in the same mailbox. OptOutPrescreen is run by the credit bureaus Equifax, Experian, Innovis and TransUnion, under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The FTC's page on prescreened offers gives two choices: opt out for five years online or by calling 1-888-567-8688, or opt out permanently by signing and returning a form you get from the same site.

  5. Optional: hand the rest to an app. PaperKarma is a paid app. You photograph a piece of mail, and it identifies the sender and sends the opt-out for you. Its pricing page lists $24.99 a year, $59.99 one time, $15.99 for six months, or $3.99 a month. It makes sense if you would rather pay than make the calls yourself. Steps 1 to 4 cost $8 at most.

Mail for someone who no longer lives here

Catalog Choice handles this. Its FAQ says you can opt out "on behalf of another person, such as a family member or the previous resident of your home, by entering their name in the opt-out form rather than your own." For a family member who has died, Catalog Choice also suggests the Deceased Do Not Contact List. The FTC's junk mail page says DMAchoice runs that list, and also a "Do Not Contact for Caretakers List" for someone in your care.

Our guides on catalogs for a previous resident and stopping catalogs after you move cover both cases step by step.

Mail addressed to "Current Resident"

None of the steps above stop this kind of mail. Catalog Choice explains that mail addressed to "Current Resident" or "Our Neighbor" "is usually distributed by the USPS to every house in a given area," so the sender does not have your name to remove. Its FAQ adds that, according to the USPS, "you can visit your local post office and fill out a form to opt-out of these kinds of mailings."

What to expect

The mail will slow down over several weeks, not stop on one day. Catalogs are printed and labeled ahead of time, so a few more will arrive after you ask. Each service gives its own timeline:

  • DMAchoice: "allow 90 days for your request to take effect."
  • Catalog Choice: it "may take 6-8 weeks to stop receiving mail from a particular merchant."
  • PaperKarma: "Allow 8-12 weeks for mail to taper off."
  • Stores you contact directly: it varies. Lands' End says 2 to 4 weeks. L.L.Bean gives no time and says catalogs "are planned in advance."

Some catalogs may still come after that. Catalog Choice warns that "there is unfortunately no law requiring companies to honor opt-out requests," so it depends on each company. If one store keeps mailing, contact it again with the exact name and address from the newest label. If you get a lot of other junk mail as well, OptOut.ws has a guide on how to stop junk mail beyond catalogs.

Frequently asked questions

Can I stop all catalogs at once? No. Catalog Choice says no service can stop all junk mail in one go. DMAchoice covers companies you have not bought from recently. Stores you buy from need a direct request.

How do I remove my name from catalog mailing lists for free? Catalog Choice is free; its FAQ says donations let it "provide our service free of charge." Contacting a store directly is free. The OptOutPrescreen five-year opt-out is free online. DMAchoice costs $8 online.

Which is better, DMAchoice, Catalog Choice or PaperKarma? They do different jobs. Our comparison of DMAchoice, PaperKarma and Catalog Choice explains when to use each.

Will a new order put me back on the list? It can. The DMAchoice two-year rule means a recent purchase makes you a customer again, and customers have to ask the store directly.

References

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