Qualifying
What is the difference between a soft pull and a hard pull on your credit?
A soft pull does not affect your credit score and is not visible to lenders. A hard pull requires your authorization, appears on your credit report, and can lower your score by a few points. Checking your own credit is always a soft pull.
The full picture
Soft pulls: what they are and when they happen
A soft inquiry — also called a soft pull — occurs when your credit is reviewed for a reason other than a new credit application. Soft pulls do not affect your credit score and are only visible to you on your own credit report; lenders cannot see them. Common examples include checking your own credit score, employer background checks, and pre-approval screening by credit card issuers.
- Checking your own credit score — always a soft pull, never hurts your score
- Pre-qualification offers — when a lender checks your file before you apply
- Employer background checks — with your permission; not visible to creditors
- Existing account reviews — when your current lender periodically reviews your file
Hard pulls: what they are and when they happen
A hard inquiry occurs when a lender formally reviews your credit as part of an application decision. According to the CFPB, you must typically authorize a hard pull. Hard inquiries appear on your credit report, are visible to lenders, and can lower your score by a small number of points. They remain on your report for two years but generally stop affecting scores after 12 months.
- Credit card applications — each application triggers a hard pull
- Auto loan, mortgage, or personal loan applications — lender reviews your report to make a credit decision
- Apartment rental applications — landlords often run a hard pull with your permission
- Rate shopping — FICO treats multiple mortgage, auto, or student loan inquiries within 14–45 days as a single inquiry
Does checking your own credit score lower it?
No. Checking your own credit score — through AnnualCreditReport.com, your bank, or a credit monitoring service — is always classified as a soft inquiry. It has zero impact on your score. This is one of the most persistent credit myths; the CFPB explicitly addresses it.
Soft pull vs. hard pull: key facts
- Soft inquiries do not affect your credit score and are only visible to you on your own credit report — lenders cannot see them. — CFPB
- Hard inquiries can lower your FICO Score by fewer than five points for most people, and their impact typically fades within 12 months. — myFICO
- For mortgage, auto, and student loan rate shopping, FICO groups multiple hard inquiries made within 14–45 days into a single inquiry so shopping around does not multiply the impact. — CFPB
Key takeaways
- Checking your own score is always a soft pull — it never lowers your score.
- Hard pulls require your authorization and lower your score by fewer than five points for most people.
- Hard inquiry impact fades after 12 months; the inquiry itself falls off your report at 24 months.
- Rate shopping for a mortgage, auto loan, or student loan within a short window counts as one inquiry, not many.
Frequently asked questions
Does checking your own credit score lower it?
No. Checking your own credit score — through AnnualCreditReport.com, your bank, or a credit monitoring service — is always classified as a soft inquiry and has zero impact on your score. This is one of the most persistent credit myths, and the CFPB explicitly addresses it.
What triggers a hard pull on your credit?
Formal credit applications trigger hard pulls: credit card applications, auto loan/mortgage/personal loan applications, and apartment rental applications with your permission. A lender must typically get your authorization before running one, per the CFPB.
How much does a hard inquiry lower your credit score?
Hard inquiries can lower your FICO Score by fewer than five points for most people, and the impact typically fades within 12 months. The inquiry itself stays on your report for two years but generally stops affecting your score after the first 12 months.
Does rate shopping for a loan hurt your credit multiple times?
Not for mortgages, auto loans, or student loans — FICO groups multiple hard inquiries for those loan types made within 14-45 days into a single inquiry, so comparing rates across several lenders doesn't multiply the score impact.
Published 2026-05-22 · Updated 2026-05-22 · https://clearvaluelending.com/answers/soft-pull-vs-hard-pull-credit