ADDRESSED TO YOU
The Mailing Preference Service
MPS is a free register that can remove your details from up to 95 per cent of direct mailing lists. It takes 2 to 3 months to have full effect.
Match your junk mail
JUNK MAIL, SORTED
Different junk,
different opt-out.
Junk mail is not one thing, so no single form stops it all.
Post addressed to you by name, leaflets delivered with your letters and flyers pushed through by local firms are handled by different schemes. Used together, they cut most of it. What is left usually needs a word with the sender.
95% of mailing lists, at most
Match your junk mail- Addressed: register with MPS
- Leaflets: opt out separately
- The rest: ask the sender
- Three routes, one letterbox
THE SHORT ANSWER
Name on it, or not?
That decides the route.
Look at the envelope first.
A name, 'The Occupier', or nothing at all each points to a different fix.
UNADDRESSED LEAFLETS
Two separate opt-outs
Royal Mail's Door to Door Opt Out stops leaflets delivered with your post. The 'Your Choice' scheme asks other distributors in the DMA to stop too.
Steps to take
WHAT IS LEFT
'The Occupier' and old suppliers
MPS cannot stop post addressed to 'The Occupier' or 'The Homeowner', or mail from firms you already deal with. For those, contact the sender.
Your right to say noGeneral information only, not financial advice. For advice on your own situation, speak to a regulated financial adviser or a free money-advice service.
FOUR STEPS TO A QUIETER LETTERBOX
Register once,
then tidy up.
Start with the schemes that cover the most post, then deal with what still arrives.
Register with MPS
Free, online, by phone or by post. Each person registers in their own name, and it does not need renewing.
Opt out of leaflets
Use Royal Mail's Door to Door Opt Out for leaflets with your post, and the 'Your Choice' scheme for other distributors. Note the date: the Royal Mail opt-out lapses after two years.
Leave the open register
The open register is the version of the electoral register anyone can buy a copy of. GOV.UK says opting out does not affect your right to vote.
Tell the stragglers
Still getting mail after 3 months? Ask the sender to stop, and use the free MPS complaint service for unsolicited mailings to a registered address.
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
Most lists covered,
but set a reminder.
One figure on how far MPS reaches,
one on how long a leaflet opt-out lasts.
≤ 95%
Direct mailing lists MPS can remove you from
nidirect says the Mailing Preference Service can remove your details from up to 95 per cent of direct mailing lists. It will not stop mail from overseas, unaddressed material or post for 'The Occupier'.
ADDRESSED MAIL · NIDIRECT
2 years
How long a Royal Mail door-to-door opt-out lasts
Royal Mail stops delivering unaddressed mail within 6 weeks of receiving your form. The registration expires automatically after two years, and Royal Mail will not remind you to renew.
LEAFLETS · WARWICKSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
MPS registrations are made per person, not per household: each person who wants fewer addressed mailings is registered in their own name. Registration stays in place until you ask to be removed.
A QUICK JUNK MAIL MATCH
What is landing
on your mat?
Pick the kind of junk mail you get most. The bar shows how much effort it takes to stop: one registration, a renewal, or sender by sender.
Based on nidirect, the Mailing Preference Service, Warwickshire County Council and the ICO.
YOUR RIGHT TO SAY NO
Firms must stop
when you ask.
The ICO tells organisations that people have an absolute right to object to their data being used for direct marketing, with no exemptions or grounds to refuse. An objection can be made verbally or in writing.
Organisations are expected to respond without undue delay and within one month. They usually keep your details on a suppression list, so they know not to mail you again. For leaflets you cannot trace, nidirect suggests recycling them, but not putting envelopes in the paper collection.
Questions
Questions people ask
Does the Mailing Preference Service stop all junk mail?
No. It reduces mail addressed to you by name. It does not stop mail from overseas, unaddressed leaflets, post for 'The Occupier' or 'The Homeowner', or mail from companies you already deal with.
How long does MPS take to work?
Your name is added to the register immediately, but MPS says it can take 2 to 3 months to have full effect, because mailing campaigns are prepared months ahead.
Can I register everyone in my house with MPS?
Only with their consent. MPS works on each person's name, not the household, so each person who wants fewer mailings should be registered.
How do I stop leaflets that come with my post?
Use Royal Mail's Door to Door Opt Out. Warwickshire County Council says deliveries stop within 6 weeks and the opt-out expires after two years.
Does opting out of the open register affect voting?
No. GOV.UK says opting out of the open register, the version anyone can buy, does not affect your right to vote.
Sources
- nidirect: Junk mail, spam and unwanted phone calls
- Mailing Preference Service: FAQs
- Mailing Preference Service: 'Your Choice' preference service for unaddressed mail
- Warwickshire County Council: Junk mail
- ICO: Right to object (UK GDPR guidance)
- GOV.UK: Opt out of the open register
Updated