Every time something checks your credit, it creates either a hard inquiry or a soft inquiry. One can lower your score. The other doesn’t affect it at all. Here’s exactly what each one is and when each happens.
What is a hard inquiry
A hard inquiry (also called a hard pull) happens when a lender checks your credit as part of a lending decision — a credit card application, a car loan, a mortgage, an apartment rental application, or a student loan. You have to authorize a hard inquiry by giving your permission when you apply.
Hard inquiries stay on your credit report for two years but only affect your score for about 12 months. A single hard inquiry typically lowers your score by 5–10 points. Multiple hard inquiries in a short period look like financial desperation and have a larger combined effect.
What is a soft inquiry
A soft inquiry (soft pull) happens when someone checks your credit without it being a lending decision — checking your own credit score, pre-qualification offers from credit card companies, background checks by employers, or account reviews by existing lenders. Soft inquiries do not affect your credit score at all, ever. You may not even know they happened.
Common examples of each
- Hard inquiries: Applying for a new credit card, applying for a car loan, applying for a mortgage, applying to rent an apartment, applying for a personal loan
- Soft inquiries: Checking your own score on Credit Karma or your bank app, pre-approval offers you receive in the mail, employer background checks, insurance quotes, existing lenders reviewing your account
Rate shopping exception
If you’re shopping for a mortgage, auto loan, or student loan and apply to multiple lenders within a short window (14–45 days depending on the scoring model), all those inquiries are treated as a single inquiry. This is intentional — the credit bureaus recognize that comparing rates is smart financial behavior, not a sign of desperation. Apply to as many lenders as you want during this window without worrying about multiple score drops.
How to minimize hard inquiries
Only apply for credit when you actually need it. Use pre-qualification tools (soft inquiries) before formally applying to check your approval odds. Space out credit applications — applying for three cards in one month looks very different to lenders than three applications over 18 months.