Also called: Hard pull, Soft pull
Hard and soft credit enquiries
A hard enquiry is recorded on your credit file when a credit provider assesses a formal application, and other lenders can see it. A soft enquiry — such as checking your own file or some pre-qualification checks — is visible to you but does not affect how other lenders read your file.
What is a hard and soft credit enquiries?
A hard enquiry is recorded on your credit file when a credit provider assesses a formal application, and other lenders can see it. A soft enquiry — such as checking your own file or some pre-qualification checks — is visible to you but does not affect how other lenders read your file.
Example
An indicative quote based on a soft check leaves no visible mark, while lodging the application afterwards records a hard enquiry.
Why it matters
Knowing which type a lender will run lets you explore options without accumulating enquiries unnecessarily.