Do multiple hard inquiries count as one?

Asked by: Josephine West  |  Last update: October 17, 2025
Score: 4.7/5 (25 votes)

When a lender or company requests to review your credit reports after you've applied for credit, it results in a hard inquiry. Hard inquiries usually impact credit scores. Multiple hard inquiries within a certain time period for a home or auto loan are generally counted as one inquiry.

Do multiple hard inquiries for a credit card count as one?

FICO scores, which are used in 90% of lending decisions in the U.S., may count multiple hard inquiries from loans as one — but that doesn't apply to credit card inquiries.

Is it bad to have two hard inquiries within 30 days?

Is your concern that multiple hard inquiries will negatively affect your credit score? Multiple hard inquiries that show up with a short period of time (typically 30 days as is typical with car or house purchases) only affect your score as if there were a single inquiry.

Are any hard inquiries that occur within 14 days of each other are considered one inquiry for scoring purposes?

VantageScore counts multiple hard inquiries from a 14-day period as one inquiry. The VantageScore credit scoring models "deduplicate" hard inquiries from various credit applications—including loan and credit card applications—that occur within that 14-day window.

How long should you wait in between hard inquiries?

Generally, it's a good idea to wait about six months between credit card applications. Since applying for a new credit card will result in a slight reduction to your credit score, multiple inquiries could lead to a significantly decrease.

How Do Multiple Car Loan Inquiries Impact Your Score? Can They Be Removed?

22 related questions found

Is 4 hard inquiries too many?

There's no such thing as “too many” hard credit inquiries, but multiple applications for new credit accounts within a short time frame may point to a risky borrower. Rate shopping for a particular loan, however, may be treated as a single inquiry and have minimal impact on your creditworthiness.

What is the 5 24 rule?

What is the 5/24 rule? Many card issuers have criteria for who can qualify for new accounts, but Chase is perhaps the most strict. Chase's 5/24 rule means that you can't be approved for most Chase cards if you've opened five or more personal credit cards (from any card issuer) within the past 24 months.

How many inquiries is too many in 12 months?

If you collect about six hard inquiries within a two-year period on your credit report, you may have a difficult time getting approvals for future cards and other lines of credit.

What is considered a lot of inquiries?

In general, six or more hard inquiries are often seen as too many. Based on the data, this number corresponds to being eight times more likely than average to declare bankruptcy. This heightened credit risk can damage a person's credit options and lower one's credit score.

How damaging is a hard inquiry?

Compared to a soft inquiry (or "soft pull") — which doesn't pull your credit report — a hard inquiry can actually ding your credit score a few points, regardless if you end up being approved or denied for the credit card or loan.

What is the secret way to remove hard inquiries?

You cannot remove legitimate hard inquiries from your credit report. Fortunately, hard inquiries have a minimal impact on your credit, and they fall off your credit report after two years. If your credit report contains a hard inquiry that you don't recognize, you have the right to dispute it.

How many points does credit score drop with hard inquiry?

A hard inquiry typically only causes credit scores to drop by about five points, according to FICO. And if you have a good credit history, the impact may be even less.

Does getting multiple pre-approval hurt your credit?

Bureaus understand it's common to shop for a mortgage. Borrowers who get pre-approvals from multiple lenders aren't penalized for trying to get the best offer possible.

What habit lowers your credit score?

Late or missed payments can cause your credit score to decline. The impact can vary depending on your credit score — the higher your score, the more likely you are to see a steep drop.

Which is the most expensive form of credit?

Explanation: The most expensive type of credit is typically the unsecured personal line of credit. This type of credit does not require collateral, which means the lender has less security if the borrower fails to repay the loan.

Does your credit score go up after inquiries fall off?

In most cases, hard inquiries have very little if any impact on your credit scores—and they have no effect after one year from the date the inquiry was made. So when a hard inquiry is removed from your credit reports, your scores may not improve much—or see any movement at all.

Is 700 a good credit score?

A 700 credit score is considered a good score on the most common credit score range, which runs from 300 to 850. How does your score compare with others? You're within the good credit score range, which runs from 690 to 719.

How accurate is credit karma?

But, just how accurate are Credit Karma scores? They may differ by 20 to 25 points, and in some cases even more. When Credit Karma users see their credit score details, they are viewing a VantageScore, not the FICO score that the majority of lenders use.

Is 2 hard searches bad?

Each hard check is recorded on your report, so any company searching it will be able to see that you've applied for credit. Too many hard credit checks over a short period of time can affect your credit score for six months, reducing your ability to get approved for credit in the future.

Is 3 hard inquiries in a year bad?

There's no strict amount of hard inquiries that's too few or too many, especially considering the credit scoring models' rules for rate shopping. For example, if you're buying a new car, you might apply for auto loans from your bank and with online lenders.

How long should I wait between hard inquiries?

Lenders typically perform a hard inquiry on your credit if you're applying for a mortgage, auto loan, credit card or student loan. Space out your credit applications — about every six months — to avoid major damage to your score.

What is a good credit score?

There are some differences around how the various data elements on a credit report factor into the score calculations. Although credit scoring models vary, generally, credit scores from 660 to 724 are considered good; 725 to 759 are considered very good; and 760 and up are considered excellent.

What is credit card churning?

Credit card churning happens when a person applies for lots of credit cards to collect big sign-up and welcome bonuses (often in the form of cash back or miles). Once they get the sign-up rewards and bonuses, a credit card churner will usually stop using the cards or cancel them, only to repeat the process again.

What is the 2 30 rule for Chase?

2/30 Rule. The 2/30 rule says that you can only have two applications every 30 days or else you'll automatically be rejected.