Why do companies do soft credit checks?

Asked by: Prof. Mikayla Roob  |  Last update: June 13, 2025
Score: 5/5 (39 votes)

A soft inquiry, sometimes referred to as a soft credit check, may appear on your credit report when a company or person receives limited information to make a promotional offer, which is called a promotional inquiry, or check your credit as part of a screening process, which is called an account review inquiry.

What is the purpose of a soft credit check?

A soft credit check is an inquiry into your credit report, initiated either by you or a company. 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.

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.

How accurate is a soft inquiry for credit score?

To put it simply, a soft pull credit check is as accurate as a hard pull credit check. They are both very accurate.

Do lenders care about soft inquiries?

A soft credit inquiry does not impact your credit score or require your permission. It is typically done for informational purposes and not for lending decisions.

What Does an Employment Background Check Include?

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How many soft inquiries are too many?

A soft inquiry happens whenever you check your credit report, or when a lender checks your credit report without your knowledge or permission. Soft inquiries have no effect on your credit score. Lenders can't even see how many soft inquiries have been made on your credit report.

Do soft credit pulls cause trigger leads?

Unlike a hard credit pull, a soft inquiry does not negatively affect a person's credit score and does not activate trigger leads, causing an onslaught of calls to the consumer in an attempt to vie for their business.

Do I need to unfreeze credit for soft pull?

Even a soft credit pull requires that your credit be unfrozen. A soft credit check is when a creditor checks your score without lowering it, and a hard check is when your score can be affected. Good news: It's free and easy to unfreeze your credit before applying for a new credit card or loan.

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.

Why is my credit score going down when I pay on time?

Using more of your credit card balance than usual — even if you pay on time — can reduce your score until a new, lower balance is reported the following month. Closed accounts and lower credit limits can also result in lower scores even if your payment behavior has not changed.

How many points does a soft credit check drop your score?

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.

Do defaults show up on a soft credit check?

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.

Why do I have so many soft searches on my credit report?

Applying for several different credit cards in a short space of time might indicate that someone is trying to get more credit than they can afford. Multiple searches may even indicate fraudulent behaviour, potentially as a result of someone having their identity stolen.

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.

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.

Can you see when someone does a soft credit check?

Only you can see all the soft inquiries on your credit report. Users of the same product or in the same industry can see soft inquiries that other users can't see. For instance, insurance companies can see other insurance soft inquiries on your credit report, but they can't see other types of soft inquiries.

Is a 900 credit score possible?

What is the highest credit score possible? To start off: No, it's not possible to have a 900 credit score in the United States. In some countries that use other models, like Canada, people could have a score of 900. The current scoring models in the U.S. have a maximum of 850.

Can I buy a house with a 704 credit score?

The minimum credit score needed to buy a house can range from 500 to 700, but will ultimately depend on the type of mortgage loan you're applying for and your lender. While it's possible to get a mortgage with bad credit, you typically need good or exceptional credit to qualify for the best terms.

Can I get 50000 with 700 credit score?

A 700 credit score can help you in securing a Rs 50,000 Personal Loan with many benefits, such as: Lower interest rates. Higher loan amounts. Faster approval process.

Does a soft pull hurt your credit?

There are two types of credit score inquiries lenders and others (like yourself or your landlord) can make on your credit score: a "hard inquiry" and a "soft inquiry." The difference between the two is that a soft inquiry won't affect your score, but a hard inquiry can shave off some points.

Can someone run a credit check if my credit is frozen?

If you think someone has your personal information, you can use credit freezes, credit locks or fraud alerts to help protect you from fraud. However, credit freezes and credit locks don't completely block access to your credit reports or FICO® Scores.

How to block soft pulls?

In summary, freezing your credit report is an effective way to prevent unauthorized access and protect your financial information. While it won't remove existing soft inquiries, it will stop new ones from occurring without your consent.

What do lenders see in a soft pull?

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.

How do you avoid trigger leads?

You can also go to www.optoutprescreen.com or call 888-5-OPTOUT ( 888-567-8688) to begin the process of ending (or at least limit) unsolicited offers. You can opt out electronically for five years or mail in a permanent opt-out form that will prevent credit trigger lead calls for life.

Does credit karma hurt your credit?

Credit Karma allows you to check your credit report and score for free, without affecting your score. The service doesn't hurt your credit score because it counts as a self-initiated inquiry, which is a soft credit inquiry.