Direct Marketing Privacy

Why do I get so much mail?

Direct marketing has enjoyed extraordinary success. According to a report in American Demographics, half of the people in the United States now buy through some form of direct marketing; direct marketing industry revenues top $25 billion a year, and the numbers just keep growing. Financial institutions have also discovered that direct mail is an effective way to market their credit card products.

To understand how financial products are marketed through the mail, it is important to realize that credit card offers come from banks and other financial institutions, not credit card associations (Visa and MasterCard). More than 6,000 independent financial institutions in the United States alone issue Visa cards. Each is competing through price and other value features to be the card you select and use most frequently. This competition allows you to choose the product that best meets your needs and enables you to comparison shop.

It's important to remember that an offer from a financial institution doesn't guarantee a credit card. All direct mail offers are "pending" until you sign an application form and give the credit card issuer the authority to pull your complete credit history.