Underwriting & credit
Soft Pull vs. Hard Pull: Definition & Example
Also called: Soft inquiry, Hard inquiry, Soft credit check, Hard credit check
What Is Soft Pull vs. Hard Pull?
A soft pull is a credit check that does not affect your credit score, such as checking your own credit or a prequalification. A hard pull is a check made when you apply for credit and can lower your score slightly.
What does soft pull vs. hard pull mean?
Soft inquiries include checking your own credit, prequalified offers, account reviews by existing lenders, and some employment and rental screenings. They are visible only to you and do not affect your score.
Hard inquiries happen when you apply for new credit, such as a credit card, auto loan, or mortgage, and authorize the lender to pull your report. Each can lower a FICO score by a few points and stays on the report for two years, though it only affects FICO scores for one year.
Rate shopping is treated specially. Multiple mortgage, auto, or student loan inquiries within a short window, 14 to 45 days depending on the scoring model, count as a single inquiry. Rental screening pulls may be soft or hard depending on the screening company.
Soft pull vs. hard pull example
A shopper checks whether she prequalifies for a credit card, which is a soft pull with no score effect. She then formally applies, which triggers a hard pull, and her score dips from 741 to 737 for a few months.
Related terms
- Credit ScoreA credit score is a three-digit number, usually from 300 to 850, that estimates how likely a person is to repay debt based on the information in their credit report.
- Tenant Screening ReportA tenant screening report is a consumer report a landlord orders from a screening company, usually combining credit, eviction, and criminal record information about a rental applicant.
- Permissible PurposePermissible purpose is a legally valid reason under the Fair Credit Reporting Act for obtaining someone’s consumer report, such as evaluating their application for credit, insurance, employment, or housing.
- CreditworthinessCreditworthiness is a lender’s judgment of how likely a person or business is to repay borrowed money on time, based on credit history, income, debts, and assets.
Soft pull vs. hard pull FAQ
- Do landlords do a hard or soft pull?
- It depends on the screening company. Many tenant screening products use a soft inquiry, but some report a hard inquiry. Ask before you apply.
- Does connecting a bank account affect my credit?
- No. Sharing bank account data through a read-only connection is not a credit inquiry and does not appear on your credit report.
