Hard pull vs. soft pull: How credit checks affect your score

A hard credit pull is typically required when you apply for credit or financing, and it can affect your score slightly. A soft pull, such as checking your own score, won’t ding the number. 

Many people don’t even know taking a look is harmless. More than one in five Americans (22%) mistakenly believe checking their credit score could lower it, according to a Harris Poll survey conducted on behalf of FICO® for its Spring 2026 Score Credit Insights report.

The confusion comes down to the differences in soft pulls vs. hard pulls — including that checking your own is the soft kind. If you’re a business owner, you have another layer to consider: your business credit. This guide will cover each type of pull, the differences, and what actually affects your credit score and your business.

Hard pull vs. soft pull: Key differences

What is a soft credit check?

A soft credit check is when someone reviews your credit file for any reason other than a formal credit application. For example, a soft credit check may occur when:

• You check your own credit score
• A bank or card issuer preapproves or prequalifies you for an offer
• You apply for insurance coverage
• An employer performs a background check on you
• You open an account with a credit monitoring service

Lenders won’t see your history of soft pulls, though you may see them listed on your report. And because you aren’t asking to borrow money or take out credit, soft checks are left out of the score calculation.

What is a hard credit check?

A hard credit pull happens when you apply for credit or financing  with a bank or lender and give them permission to review your credit report. Hard credit checks happen when you apply for:

• A credit card
• Personal lending, such as a mortgage, personal loan or auto loan
• Business financing that checks personal credit

With some applications, the type of pull may not be clear upfront. A credit line increase or apartment lease application, for example, may use either a hard or a soft credit pull. 

A hard credit inquiry lowers your score modestly for a short time and is visible on your report to other lenders. If you’re rate shopping, several applications within a short window may count as one inquiry. With Nav you can see customized business credit card options that fit your needs, without an application or a hard credit check.

Does checking your credit score lower it?

Checking your own credit is always a soft pull and will never lower your score. Monitoring your credit regularly is a healthy financial habit. Daily checks don’t harm your score any more than yearly checks do.

Most Americans have gotten the memo: 70% check their credit scores multiple times per year, according to the FICO® study. 

Does a soft inquiry ever affect your credit score?

No. While you may see them on your report, neither FICO® nor VantageScore® factors soft pulls into its credit score formulas, no matter how many you get.

You may see a soft pull listed on your credit report for up to two years, but lenders and card issuers will never be able to view them.

Business credit pulls vs. personal credit pulls

Many business credit bureaus including Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) and Equifax Business do not distinguish between hard and soft pulls. Those that do, such as Experian Business, put less emphasis on credit pulls than personal credit bureaus. This is because the hard vs. soft pull framework comes from the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which doesn’t apply to business credit.

That means you can always check your business credit scores safely — and so can anyone else. They tend to age off after two years, but practices may vary.

Still, your business can affect your personal credit and vice versa. Applying for business financing or credit may still trigger a hard pull of your personal credit report, dinging your score slightly. And blended scores like the Experian Intelliscore Plus^SM score and the FICO® Small Business Scoring Service℠ Score (SBSS Score) factor both your business and personal credit. 

When do lenders use soft pulls vs. hard pulls?

Lenders use a soft pull to determine if you’d qualify for financing and estimate terms. They use a hard pull if you actually apply for credit. You’ll typically consent to the hard pull in writing, whether you’re applying for personal or business financing. A phrase like “Checking your rate won’t affect your credit score” is a common signal of a soft pull, but you can always ask directly if you’re unsure.

Most business credit cards require a hard pull of the business owner’s personal credit. If you’re looking to avoid the hard inquiry, there are some soft pull credit card options for business owners available.

Business loans are likely to require a hard pull of your personal credit once you apply, but there may be ways to avoid a hard pull. For instance, some business loans will look more closely at business credit and revenue.

How to check your credit without a hard pull

It never affects your score to check your own credit, which is easy to do with a credit monitoring service like Nav, which uses soft pulls. You can also get a free copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion from annualcreditreport.com.

You’d be in good company keeping an eye on that score: According to the FICO report, 56% of respondents who said that they were taking active steps to prioritize financial health management in the past year included credit monitoring as part of their actions.

Frequently asked questions