Soft pull vs hard pull
One is invisible to other lenders and harmless. The other is visible and counts. Knowing which is happening, and when, removes most of the anxiety around applying.
The short answer
A soft inquiry is a look at your credit file that does not affect your score and is not visible to other lenders. A hard inquiry is a formal credit application check: it is visible, stays on your report for about two years, and can lower your score slightly. Applying here starts with a soft pull. A hard pull only happens once a specific provider is finalising an offer.
Side by side
The practical differences
| Soft inquiry | Hard inquiry | |
|---|---|---|
| Affects your score | No | Yes, usually slightly |
| Visible to other lenders | No | Yes |
| Stays on your report | About 2 years, visible only to you | About 2 years, visible to everyone |
| Needs your permission | Not always | Yes, always |
| Typical trigger | Pre-qualification, routing, your own credit check, account reviews | A formal application a lender is deciding on |
| When it happens here | At the start, when your file is routed | Later, if a matched provider is finalising an offer |
The sequence
What happens, in order, when you apply
Soft pull
Your file is read so the platform can route it to providers whose criteria you may meet. Nothing happens to your score.
Routing
Providers review the file. Many lease programs decide on income and banking history without any hard pull at all.
Hard pull, sometimes
A provider finalising an offer may run one — more likely on larger amounts and on installment loans.
Another provider, sometimes
If the first declines, the next may also inquire. Same-purpose inquiries in a short window are generally scored as one event.
If something looks wrong
An inquiry you do not recognise
Pull your free reports at annualcreditreport.com, the only site authorised by federal law for that purpose. Dispute the item with the credit reporting agency showing it, and with the furnisher that supplied it. The agency generally has 30 days to investigate.
If you suspect identity theft, report it at identitytheft.gov and consider a fraud alert or a freeze. If the inquiry came from an application you made through us, call 888-509-1370 and we will tell you which providers received your file.
Shopping around is not punished the way people fear
Scoring models were built knowing consumers compare offers. Several same-purpose inquiries inside a short window are generally treated as a single event, which is precisely why one application routed across a network beats five separate applications.
Questions
Common questions
Does checking my own credit hurt my score?
No. Checking your own file is a soft inquiry and has no effect, however often you do it.
How much does a hard inquiry lower my score?
Usually a small amount, and the effect fades within months. A single inquiry matters far less than a missed payment or a high balance.
How long do inquiries stay on my report?
About two years for both. Hard inquiries generally stop affecting your score well before they disappear.
Can I apply without any hard pull at all?
Often, yes. Several lease programs decide on income and banking history rather than a credit file. You cannot guarantee it in advance, because it depends which provider matches you.
Does a declined application hurt more than an approved one?
No. Scoring models do not record whether an application was approved. Only the inquiry is recorded.
Keep reading
Related guides
See what you qualify for
One application, the whole lender network. The first step is a soft credit check that will not affect your score.