Catalog Choice

What Catalog Choice does

Catalog Choice is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates a free consumer-facing online service enabling individuals to opt out of unwanted catalog and direct-mail marketing. Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Berkeley, California, the service maintains a database of approximately 10,000 catalog and mailer titles and claims to have helped more than 2 million users reduce unwanted mail over an eight-year operating window. Service availability is restricted to U.S. and Washington D.C. mailing addresses.

The platform is operated under The Story of Stuff Project, a parent nonprofit organization. Revenue is generated through a combination of individual donations and municipal government contracts; the most prominent government engagement is a contract with the City of Seattle to reduce unwanted mail delivered to city residents. The service integrates with DMA Choice, an industry-maintained opt-out registry, allowing suppression of consumer addresses from mailings distributed through that channel.

The business model is donation-supported and government-contract-supported, with zero cost to end users and no pricing tiers, advertising, or data-monetization layer. Customer segments consist of a long tail of individual consumers plus a small number of municipal government clients. The underlying technology is described as a website plus a proprietary catalog and mailer database without disclosed platform architecture, automation, or AI components.

Name

Catalog Choice

Legal name

Catalog Choice/The Story of Stuff Project

Website

https://catalogchoice.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Catalog Choice is a Berkeley-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a free consumer website that helps U.S. residents opt out of unwanted catalog and direct-mail marketing, funded by donations and government contracts and operated under The Story of Stuff Project.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Consumer Mail Preference Services

SIC

Services-Direct Mail Advertising Services (7331)

akta.pro primary industry

Multi-Category Generalist Catalog Department Store Retailers (CRAGAIAI)

Keywords

• Mail preference service
• Junk mail opt-out
• Catalog suppression
• Direct mail removal
• Consumer privacy protection

Headquarters

HQ city

Palo Alto

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Catalog Choice relies on donations from users and supporters to fund operations. Donations can be made online, by phone at 510-883-1055, or by mailing a check to their Berkeley office. EIN # 46-4334785.
2. Government Contracts: Catalog Choice has a contract with the City of Seattle to operate their city's opt-out registry, providing the service infrastructure for municipal junk mail reduction programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Catalog Choice operates a free, web-based mail preference service for U.S. consumers. Members search a database of nearly 10,000 catalog and direct mail titles and submit opt-out requests; the organization then acts as the member's authorized agent to instruct merchants to remove names and addresses from mailing lists and to refrain from sharing personal information with unaffiliated parties. The service supports opt-outs at multiple addresses, proxy requests for deceased persons or previous residents, opt-in selections for certain mailers and email newsletters, and merchant compliance reporting.

Product overview

Catalog Choice offers a single unified web-based service focused on catalog and junk mail opt-out management. The core product is the Catalog Choice Mail Preference Service, which allows users to search a database of nearly 10,000 catalog and mailer titles, submit opt-out requests directly to merchants, and track the status of their requests. Users can manage opt-outs for multiple addresses, add new companies to the database, and process requests for deceased persons or previous residents. The service is free for individual users and is operated as a nonprofit organization managed by The Story of Stuff Project.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Catalog Choice Mail Preference Service Free web-based service for U.S. adults that lets members search a database of nearly 10,000 catalog and direct mail titles, submit opt-out requests, and authorize Catalog Choice to act as the member's agent to instruct merchants to remove names/addresses from mailing lists and refrain from sharing personal information with unaffiliated parties. Supports multiple addresses, opt-in email newsletter selections, compliance reporting, and proxy requests for deceased persons or prior residents.
• Municipal Opt-Out Registry Service Contract-based service in which Catalog Choice operates a city government's opt-out registry infrastructure on behalf of municipal residents, supporting junk mail reduction and zero-waste programs. Documented customer is the City of Seattle.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2 million users have reduced junk mail using the service over 8 years
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Story of Stuff ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatalog Choice is managed and operated by The Story of Stuff Project, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The Story of Stuff Project provides organizational infrastructure, branding, and operational support for Catalog Choice's junk mail reduction mission.
• City of SeattlecoreOthersContract relationship where Catalog Choice operates the City of Seattle's opt-out registry as part of the city's junk mail reduction programs. Under this contract, members residing in Seattle have their PII transferred to the city if the contract is terminated.
• 100 Resilient CitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferenced in context of zero waste initiatives - though not a direct partnership for Catalog Choice, the organization is mentioned alongside 100 Resilient Cities' Roadmap to Zero Waste created for cities implementing waste reduction strategies.
• DMA ChoiceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry-affiliated service that Catalog Choice recommends users sign up for in tandem with their nonprofit service to take names off prospecting lists, as many catalog merchants share personal information with other merchants.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• DMA Choice (Direct Marketing Association): Industry-operated opt-out registry for direct mail lists, recommended by Catalog Choice itself. Functions as a parallel service with different stewardship (industry vs. nonprofit).
• PaperKarma: Mobile app that lets users photograph unwanted mail and submit opt-outs — same mission via a different delivery model (app vs. database search).
• 41pounds.org: Paid service that contacts mail senders on a user's behalf to remove them from mailing lists. Most direct commercial competitor in the junk-mail opt-out space.

Others

• The Story of Stuff Project: Catalog Choice's parent 501(c)(3). Mission-aligned environmental nonprofit providing shared operational infrastructure rather than competing directly.

Regional players

• National Do Not Call Registry: FTC-operated phone opt-out registry. Conceptually analogous (consumer opt-out of unsolicited contact) but for a different channel — voice instead of mail.

Emerging players

• Earth Class Mail: Mail-management service that scans and forwards physical mail, addressing the same consumer clutter problem via a paid mailbox-replacement model rather than opt-out.
• Catalog Spree: Online catalog aggregator that helps consumers browse catalogs digitally — operates in the inverse direction of Catalog Choice, attracting catalog traffic rather than suppressing it.
• OptOutPrescreen.com: Official opt-out registry for credit card/firm pre-screening lists run by the major US credit bureaus. A specialized, narrower analog focused on one mail category.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/catalogchoice
• Facebookfacebook.com/CatalogChoice
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/246359

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Catalog Choice