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Soft Inquiry vs. Hard Inquiry

4 min read

Last Updated: February 20, 2025

Table of contents

Key Takeaways

Hard credit inquiries typically occur when you apply for new credit, such as applying for a new credit card.
Soft credit inquiries are usually part of a background check or prequalification process.
While a hard inquiry can negatively impact your credit score, a soft inquiry will not affect your credit score.

There are two types of credit checks: a hard inquiry, and a soft inquiry. But what does each one mean, and what are the main differences between a soft inquiry vs. a hard inquiry?

What is a soft inquiry?

Soft inquiries are sometimes referred to as “soft credit checks” or “soft credit pulls”. A soft inquiry happens when you or a company reviews your credit report. This could be as a part of a background check or pre-qualification for a credit card, for example.

A credit issuer doesn’t use a soft inquiry for the purpose of final approval for new credit. Instead, a soft pull allows a lender to review your account to get an overview of how you’ve managed your credit in the past. This information can help them decide if they want to offer you a pre-approval or promotional offer. For instance, your current credit card company might perform a soft pull to pre-qualify you for a new credit card.

Another type of soft inquiry is when a potential employer looks into your history as part of a background check. Your credit history might inform an employer if you’re financially responsible and reliable with your commitments. It can also serve as an additional step to confirm your identity.

When you check your own credit report that’s also a soft inquiry. Federal law allows you to receive one free credit report every 12 months from each of the three major credit reporting agencies. The Federal Trade Commission says that the three credit bureaus have permanently extended the program to include one free report per week.

You can request your free credit report at AnnualCreditReport.com (the only website authorized by the federal government). Additionally, you can ask for a free credit report within 60 days of being denied credit.

Does a soft inquiry affect your credit score?

A soft credit inquiry doesn’t affect your credit score. A soft inquiry only reflects:

A review of your credit file by your existing lenders
Prospective lenders looking to prescreen you
Your own reviews of your credit report

What is a hard inquiry?

Hard credit inquiries occur when a company or financial institution reviews your credit report as part of an application process for new credit. You might see these called a “hard credit check” or “hard credit pull”.

A hard credit check is typically triggered by:

Credit applications for a new credit card
Mortgage applications
Cell phone contracts
Personal loan applications
Student loan applications
Auto loan applications

When you apply for a new apartment rental or if you ask for an increase in your credit limit, you might also see a hard pull of your credit report.

Your credit card issuer may request a hard pull to review your credit report and evaluate your credit history as a potential borrower. Your credit report contains information about the type of credit you have, when you opened the credit account, your credit limits, payment history, current balances, as well as previous hard inquiries. Public record information, including overdue debt that has gone to collections and any bankruptcies, can also show up on your credit file.

To a potential lender, this is all valuable information they can use to determine if they want to extend you credit.

Does a hard inquiry impact your credit score?

Yes, a hard inquiry can impact your credit score. Exactly how much of an affect will depend on other factors like the length of your credit history.

A single hard credit inquiry can stay on your report for up to two years. However, the impact of a credit inquiry may begin to decrease within a few months.

How do multiple hard inquiries affect your credit score?

While a single hard credit inquiry can affect your credit score, multiple hard credit checks in a short amount of time can have a larger impact.

When a hard inquiry shows up on your credit report it demonstrates that you’re looking for credit. When you have multiple hard inquiries listed in a short period of time, this may represent a greater amount of risk to lenders.

The bottom line

When comparing hard inquiries to soft inquiries, remember that they differ in purpose and how they impact your credit score. A hard inquiry will happen when you apply for new credit or a loan—and it can lower your credit score. A soft inquiry is part of a background check or a tool to pre-qualify you for credit. Checking your own credit score is also considered a soft credit pull and won’t impact your credit score.

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