Reviewed September 2026.
A soft inquiry is a credit check that usually does not change your FICO or VantageScore. A hard inquiry is a check tied to an application for new credit and can appear on Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion files and nudge a score for a few months. The labels are about how the pull is coded, not how scary the salesperson sounded.
This page is the definition and comparison. Deeper shopping tactics and the “ask before you apply” script: Hard vs soft credit checks. Score timing for hard pulls: How does a hard inquiry affect credit score.
Side-by-side definitions
| Soft inquiry | Hard inquiry | |
|---|---|---|
| Also called | Soft pull, soft check | Hard pull, hard check |
| Typical trigger | You viewing your own report/score; many prequalifications; some employer/landlord/utility screens | You submitting a card, auto, mortgage, personal loan, or many store-financing applications |
| Score impact | Typically none | Can lower a score modestly for months; models weigh recent hard pulls in “new credit” |
| Where you see it | Often on the report copy you pull; may be hidden from lenders | Listed on lender-facing reports for about two years |
| Your permission | Sometimes account-review soft pulls on open accounts; prequal usually needs your consent | You start an application that authorizes a full pull |
A soft prequalification rate quote is not final approval. Many lenders soft-pull for a range, then hard-pull when you formally apply (Soft-pull prequalification).
How long each lasts
- Hard inquiries: generally visible about two years on credit reports; scoring impact is front-loaded in the first few months.
- Soft inquiries: may appear on your own report for a period set by the bureau/product; they are not the same risk stack as hard pulls.
Rate shopping for a mortgage or auto loan in a short window is often treated more gently by models than five unrelated card apps in one week. Details: Hard inquiry score effects.
Examples you will actually meet
| Situation | Usually soft or hard? | Ask this |
|---|---|---|
| Bank app shows your FICO | Soft (you checking yourself) | None needed |
| “See if you prequalify with no impact” card offer | Soft if truly prequal | “Is the prequal soft, and when does a hard pull happen?” |
| Store clerk opens a private-label card at checkout | Hard when you submit | “Will this create a hard inquiry today?” |
| Mortgage underwriting after you signed intent | Hard (often multiple bureaus) | Which bureaus, and when |
| Employer background screen | Often soft | Confirm with HR/vendor |
| Credit limit increase request | Soft or hard by issuer | Ask before you click submit (Limit increase) |
Worked example
Casey wants a new rewards card. Site A offers “prequalify with no score impact.” Casey enters SSN, sees a likely APR range, and stops. Soft inquiry only so far.
Casey then hits “Continue to full application” and accepts terms. The issuer runs a hard inquiry on Experian. Casey’s monitoring app shows a small score dip the next week. The hard pull remains on the report toward the two-year mark even after the dip fades.
When something looks wrong
- Hard pull you did not authorize: Remove a hard inquiry mistake and consider a freeze (Freeze at all three bureaus).
- Soft pull you do not recognize: usually low score risk; still review Unauthorized soft inquiry.
Checklist
- Before any counter or online application, ask: soft or hard?
- Treat prequal quotes as soft until you submit a full application.
- Space unrelated hard pulls; cluster same-purpose mortgage/auto shopping when you can.
- Read the inquiries section on your AnnualCreditReport PDFs (Section-by-section read).
- Do not pay a service to “remove” accurate hard pulls from real applications.
Educational only. Issuer coding of soft vs hard can vary; confirm at application time.