Pre-Approved Credit Cards
Those pre-approved credit card offers that consumers find in their mailboxes
don't materialize out of thin air. Credit card companies target specific kinds of consumers
who meet certain criteria during what is called the pre-screening process.
In this process, a
credit bureau such as Experian screens
a list of consumers for their value as potential recipients of a direct mail
campaign, particularly one that offers pre-approved credit cards.
The list of consumers may be supplied by the paying customer or culled from
the credit bureau's own databases. Such screening is completed through
the application of tests and parameters that may be modified for each run. Pre-screen
products and services are available to customers according to their markets,
needs and sophistications. In addition to credit card issuers, customers might
include small firms-such as gardening services or construction outfits that
remodel homes-that want to solicit the business of an area's new homeowners,
for instance.
For the consumers, a pre-approved credit card offer generally doesn't automatically
grant credit, but offers the opportunity to apply for it. That's
because the creditor will want to see if the consumer's credit
history has taken a recent downturn before actually granting the credit
line. The creditor will also check to see if pertinent data in the history jibes
with information supplied by the applicant.
Valuing consumer privacy, Experian will make the effort to remove your name
and address from pre-screening consideration. You can opt-out by calling
1-888-5OPTOUT.