Soft Pulls: The Pre-Check Step
When you submit a request through a matching service, the initial check that surfaces potential offers is typically a soft inquiry. Soft inquiries don't affect your credit score at all, aren't visible to other lenders, and you can have as many as you want without any credit cost.
Hard Pulls: The Final Approval Step
Once you accept a specific offer, the lender you chose typically runs a hard inquiry to finalize approval. A hard inquiry can lower your score by a small amount — commonly cited as roughly 5 to 10 points, though the exact impact varies by scoring model and your existing credit profile — and stays on your report for about two years, though its effect on your score fades well before then.
What Actually Determines the Damage
- Number of hard pulls in a short window — scoring models generally treat multiple hard inquiries for the same loan type within a short rate-shopping period (commonly 14–45 days depending on the model) as a single inquiry.
- Your existing credit file — a thin credit file tends to see a larger point swing from a single hard inquiry than an established file with a long history.
- What else changes at the same time — a new account opening, not just the inquiry itself, is what most affects your average account age and utilization going forward.
| Stage | Inquiry Type | Credit Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Matching / pre-qualification | Soft pull | None |
| Accepting a specific offer | Hard pull | Small, temporary — fades faster than it stays on your report |
| New account opened | N/A | Affects average account age and utilization, separate from the inquiry itself |
Quick Questions
Does checking loan offers hurt my credit score?
The initial check through a matching service is typically a soft inquiry, which does not affect your score at all and is not visible to other lenders. A hard inquiry only happens later, when you accept a specific offer.
How much does a hard inquiry lower my score?
Commonly around 5 to 10 points, though the exact impact varies by scoring model and your credit profile. It stays on your report about two years, but its effect fades well before then.
Do multiple applications each hurt my score?
Scoring models generally treat multiple hard inquiries for the same loan type within a short rate-shopping window, commonly 14 to 45 days depending on the model, as a single inquiry. A thin credit file tends to see a larger swing from one inquiry than an established file.
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