What is a soft credit inquiry?
Soft credit inquiry: A soft credit inquiry is a credit check that does not affect your credit score. It is often used to show what loan or card options may be available to you.
Soft inquiries happen when you check your own credit, when a company prescreens you for an offer, or when you check your options with some lenders. They can appear on your own copy of your credit report but are not shown to other lenders.
Checking your options through Lendara uses a soft credit inquiry.
When you compare offers
A soft inquiry is a way to compare what may be available before you formally apply. A lender usually runs a hard inquiry once you submit a full application.
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.