What is a hard credit inquiry?
Hard credit inquiry: A hard credit inquiry is a credit check a lender runs when you formally apply for credit. It can lower your credit score slightly for a time.
Hard inquiries are visible to other lenders. A single inquiry usually has a small effect, but several in a short period can have a larger one.
Credit scoring models often treat several inquiries for the same kind of loan within a short window as a single inquiry, which allows some rate shopping.
When you compare offers
Use soft-inquiry checks to narrow your options first, then apply with the lender whose offer fits you best.
Related guides
- Prequalification: Soft vs. Hard Credit Pulls
What a soft credit pull is, how it differs from a hard inquiry, and why checking offers through a marketplace like Lendara may not affect your credit score.
- How Your Credit Score Can Affect the Offers You See
Why the offers you see through a marketplace may vary with your credit score, and how prequalification tools try to show relevant options.
This glossary is for general educational purposes and isn't financial, legal or insurance advice. Lendara is not a lender and does not make credit decisions. Lendara is a free online marketplace that connects you with participating lenders and providers, who set their own eligibility rules, rates, fees and terms. Lendara may receive compensation from partners, which may affect which offers appear and their order.