Soft Inquiry.
In plain English
A soft inquiry, sometimes called a soft pull, is a look at your credit report that does not lower your score. It happens when you check your own credit, when a lender prequalifies you for an offer, or when an employer or landlord screens you with permission. Only you see soft inquiries on your report; lenders considering a new application do not. This is the opposite of a hard inquiry, which a lender runs when you formally apply for credit and which can shave a few points off your score.
01Why it matters
Knowing the difference means you can shop around and check your own credit as often as you want without worrying about hurting your score.
02The math, step by step
You log in to a card issuer's website and see you are prequalified for a card. That prequalification check is a soft inquiry, so it does not touch your score. Only when you submit the full application does the issuer run a hard inquiry, which may dip your score by a few points.
03What this is NOT
A soft inquiry is not a hard inquiry. Soft inquiries never affect your score and are not visible to lenders. Hard inquiries happen when you apply for credit and can lower your score slightly.
04Receipts
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Plain-English answers from our glossary. Receipts included. Never advice.
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