A hard pull (or hard inquiry) happens when a lender checks your credit as part of an application and can cause a small, temporary dip in your score. A soft pull happens when you check your own credit, when a lender pre-qualifies you, or when a current creditor reviews your account — and it never affects your score. The hard pull vs soft pull comparison below shows which checks cost you points and which are completely free.
Confusing the two causes a lot of unnecessary worry. Many people avoid checking their own score for fear of “hurting it,” when that action is always a soft pull. Others apply for several cards in one afternoon without realizing each application may add a hard inquiry. This guide explains exactly what triggers each type, how much a hard pull really costs you, how rate shopping works, and how to avoid inquiries you don’t need.
What Counts as a Hard Pull
A hard pull occurs when you give a lender permission to review your credit report because you’re applying for new credit. Common examples include:
- Applying for a credit card, including most secured cards.
- Applying for an auto loan, personal loan, student loan or mortgage.
- Applying for a new line of credit or a home equity loan.
- Some rental applications, depending on the landlord and screening service.
- Some credit limit increase requests, depending on the issuer.
- Occasionally, setting up new utility or phone service, depending on the provider.
Hard inquiries appear on your credit report and are visible to other lenders who review it. They generally stay on your report for about two years, but their effect on your score is usually limited to the first year and often fades within a few months.
What Counts as a Soft Pull
A soft pull is any credit check that isn’t tied to an application for new credit. Examples include:
- Checking your own credit score or report through a bank app, a monitoring service or a bureau’s website.
- Pre-qualification and “see if you’re approved” tools offered by card issuers and lenders.
- Pre-approved offers you receive in the mail.
- Existing creditors periodically reviewing your account.
- Employment background checks, with your authorization.
- Many insurance quotes.
Soft pulls may appear on your own copy of your credit report, but lenders don’t see them and they never affect your score, no matter how many there are.
How Much Does a Hard Pull Actually Hurt?
For most people, a single hard inquiry lowers a score by only a few points, and that effect fades within a few months as long as no other negative activity is added. It is rarely the reason for a significant score drop. When people see a larger decline after applying for credit, the cause is usually something else happening at the same time — a new account lowering their average account age, a higher reported balance or a missed payment.
Inquiries matter more for thin files. If you have only one or two accounts, each piece of data carries more weight, so a cluster of inquiries can have a more noticeable effect. See our breakdown of the five scoring factors for how new credit fits into the overall calculation.
Why Several Hard Pulls Close Together Are Riskier
Scoring models are more concerned with clusters of inquiries than with any single one. Several applications for different credit cards in a short period can look like you urgently need credit, which statistically correlates with higher risk. Lenders reviewing your report may also see recent inquiries as a sign you’re taking on new debt that isn’t yet visible.
The Rate-Shopping Exception
Scoring models recognize that comparing offers for a single large loan is responsible behavior. When you apply with several lenders for the same type of loan — a mortgage, an auto loan or, in some models, a student loan — within a short window, those inquiries are typically treated as one. The window varies by scoring model, commonly ranging from about 14 to 45 days. This exception doesn’t apply to credit cards: each card application is counted separately.
The practical lesson: when shopping for a mortgage or car loan, do all your comparisons within a couple of weeks rather than spreading them out over months.
How to Avoid Unnecessary Hard Pulls
- Use pre-qualification tools first. Many issuers let you check approval odds with a soft pull before you formally apply.
- Research requirements before applying. Applying for cards far above your current credit profile often results in a decline plus an inquiry.
- Ask before requesting a limit increase. Some issuers use a soft pull, others a hard one. A quick question avoids surprises.
- Space out applications. Waiting several months between card applications keeps inquiries from clustering.
- Consider no-credit-check products when rebuilding. Some secured cards don’t pull credit at all. See our OpenSky Secured Visa review.
How to Check Your Inquiries
You can review inquiries by pulling your free credit reports from each of the three bureaus. Hard inquiries are listed separately from soft ones. If you see a hard inquiry you don’t recognize, it could indicate an application you forgot about, a lender that used a hard pull when you expected a soft one, or possible identity theft. Unauthorized inquiries can be disputed with the bureau. See our guide to disputing credit report errors.
Inquiries and Secured Cards
If you’re building credit from scratch, you don’t need to shop around for a secured card the way you might for a mortgage. Most secured cards approve a wide range of applicants, so choosing one well-researched card and applying once is the best approach. See our secured card comparison to narrow your choice before you apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does checking my own credit score count as a hard pull?
No. Checking your own score or report is always a soft pull and never affects your score.
How long does a hard inquiry stay on my credit report?
Typically about two years, although its effect on your score usually fades much sooner.
Do soft pulls show up on my credit report?
They may appear on your personal copy, but lenders don’t see them and they don’t affect your score.
Can I remove a hard inquiry?
Only if it’s inaccurate or unauthorized. Legitimate inquiries from applications you made remain until they age off.
Does a declined application still create a hard inquiry?
Usually yes. The inquiry happens when the lender reviews your credit, regardless of the decision.
Common Situations and Which Pull They Trigger
Getting a pre-approved card offer in the mail: soft pull. Accepting the offer and formally applying usually triggers a hard pull.
Using a card issuer’s “check if you’re approved” tool: soft pull. If the tool shows you’re likely approved and you click to apply, that step typically becomes a hard pull.
Renting an apartment: it depends on the screening company. Some use soft pulls, others hard. Ask the landlord before submitting several rental applications in a row.
Opening a checking account: many banks use a separate screening database for deposit accounts rather than a credit pull, though some do perform a soft or hard check.
Buying a phone on a payment plan: often a hard pull, because the carrier is extending credit for the device.
Asking for a credit limit increase: varies by issuer. Many use soft pulls for existing customers, but some still use hard pulls.
Planning Around a Big Application
If you’re preparing to apply for a mortgage or auto loan, avoid opening new cards or applying for other credit in the six months beforehand. Fewer recent inquiries and no brand-new accounts give lenders a cleaner picture and help your score look its best at the moment it matters most. Once the big loan closes, you can resume normal applications at a sensible pace.
Do inquiries from utilities or cell phone companies count?
If the provider runs a hard check to extend credit — for example, financing a phone — it can appear as a hard inquiry. Many utilities use soft checks or deposit requirements instead. When in doubt, ask the provider which type of check it uses before you sign up.
Can too many soft pulls ever cause a problem?
No. There’s no limit on soft pulls from a scoring perspective. You can check your own score daily without any effect, although once a month is usually enough to follow your progress.
Hard Pull vs Soft Pull in Everyday Situations
Checking your own score, receiving a pre-qualified offer, and most background checks are soft. Card and loan applications are hard. The hard pull vs soft pull distinction matters most when rate shopping, since scoring models group similar hard inquiries made inside a short window as a single event.
Sources and Further Reading
- myFICO: What Is in Your Credit Score
- CFPB: Credit Report vs. Credit Score
- CFPB: Credit Reports and Scores
This article is for general educational purposes and isn’t financial advice. Scoring model treatment of inquiries varies. See our Advertising Disclosure for how this site is compensated.