What does a soft check show?

Asked by: Dr. Aurore Corkery  |  Last update: September 11, 2025
Score: 4.2/5 (11 votes)

A soft pull on your credit shows basic personal information, a summary of your credit history, recent inquiries, any public records related to your credit, and sometimes a summary of your credit scores. It does not reveal detailed account-specific information and doesn't affect your credit score.

What is seen on a soft credit check?

Details of your repayment history, including any missed or late payments. Details of anyone you're financially linked to, for example a spouse or partner that you have joint credit with. Public record information on any County Court Judgements, bankruptcies, and individual voluntary agreements over the past six years.

How can you fail a soft credit check?

Can I 'fail' a soft credit check? Don't worry, you can't 'fail' a soft credit check. With a soft search, you're not actually applying for anything – so it won't result in a lender's decision.

Should I worry about a soft credit check?

Soft inquiries do not affect credit scores and are not visible to potential lenders that may review your credit reports. They are visible to you and will stay on your credit reports for 12 to 24 months, depending on the type. The other type of inquiry is a “hard” inquiry.

Will a soft credit check show defaults?

However, it's crucial to note that soft credit checks do not show defaults, missed payments, or County Court Judgments (CCJs). This makes them a useful tool for individuals and lenders to gauge creditworthiness without affecting the credit score.

What is a Soft Credit Check | Better

38 related questions found

How far back does a soft credit check go?

There are many factors that lenders consider when looking at your credit history, and each one is different. The typical timeframe is the last six years.

How to pass a rental credit check?

Here are some things you can do:
  1. Offer Advanced Payments. Landlords are usually only concerned by bad credit scores, which could result in late payments. ...
  2. Get a Co-signer. ...
  3. Provide Strong Proof of Income. ...
  4. Offer a Good Explanation. ...
  5. Live With a Roommate. ...
  6. Get References From Past Landlords. ...
  7. Rent an Apartment Month-to-Month.

How many points do you lose on a soft credit check?

A soft inquiry can occur even if you didn't apply for credit. It is primarily used to screen for preapproval offers or for a background check. Credit scores are not impacted by soft credit checks. A hard credit check can temporarily affect your credit score.

Does a soft credit check show your income?

Income is not part of your credit report. And while lenders often factor your income into their lending decisions, they'll typically get that information directly from you during the credit application process.

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.

Can companies see soft credit checks?

The credit report also won't show other soft inquiries on your credit, so potential employers won't be able to see if other employers have checked on you. But you will be able to see the soft inquiries if you request your own credit report.

How long does it take to recover from a soft credit check?

Like hard inquiries, soft inquiries remain on your credit reports for two years. However, because they're not related to an application for credit or a loan decision, they aren't associated with greater repayment risk and, therefore, have no effect on your credit score.

Can you do a soft credit check if your credit is locked?

Does a credit freeze prevent soft inquiries? Because a soft inquiry is not necessarily to open a new credit account, a credit freeze usually doesn't prevent soft inquiries. Certain companies (insurance providers, for example) can still look at your credit report, as can your existing creditors.

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.

Can someone do a soft credit check without permission?

But that doesn't mean your permission is always needed before a credit check — if someone is performing a hard credit check, they have to ask for permission, but if someone is performing a soft credit check, they don't have to ask for permission.

What is a soft background check?

While a hard or comprehensive background check examines everything in depth, a soft check is more surface-level. It can still uncover important information that can either make or break job prospects, but it will only examine things like financials if explicitly requested.

What information is given on a soft credit check?

A soft pull on your credit shows basic personal information, a summary of your credit history, recent inquiries, any public records related to your credit, and sometimes a summary of your credit scores. It does not reveal detailed account-specific information and doesn't affect your credit score.

Can I be denied a job because of my credit?

Smith explained that even if a potential employer isn't looking at your credit history specifically, they may still pull your credit report: “A credit score can affect your job chances by getting you denied employment. There are limited reasons why someone can obtain a credit report or consumer report about a person.

What credit score do you need to rent?

Most landlords seek credit scores of 650 or higher as a sign of tenant responsibility. Applicants with scores below 600 may face additional hurdles in securing approval. Exact minimum thresholds vary widely depending on factors like the type of apartment, current occupancy rates, and the landlord's discretion.

How accurate are soft credit checks?

Soft pulls can be as accurate as a hard credit pull and provide much of the same information. However, they won't affect your credit score like a hard pull would.

Can you fail a soft credit check?

No, it is generally not possible to fail a soft credit check. This is because soft credit checks are not formal applications for approval of new lines of credit or loans, so do not have any level of 'pass' or 'fail' decision attached to them.

What is considered a good credit score?

For a score with a range of 300 to 850, a credit score of 670 to 739 is considered good. Credit scores of 740 and above are very good while 800 and higher are excellent.

How can I hide my bad rental history?

Personal references can sometimes offset a poor rental history by highlighting your positive attributes and trustworthiness.
  1. Show proof of income and employment stability. ...
  2. Offer a higher security deposit or co-signer. ...
  3. Be honest and upfront.

Do apartments do hard or soft credit checks?

Most landlord credit checks are soft inquiries, which allow them to see the information in your credit reports and public records without impacting your credit score. However, some rental credit checks come in the form of a hard inquiry, which require tenants to give their permission upfront.

Can you rent an apartment if you owe another apartment money?

Although every rental management company evaluates broken leases differently, if you owe money to another rental company, most won't rent to you. However, if you've broken a lease and either don't owe money or previously owed money and paid it off, it's less likely to adversely affect your application.