The kind of credit inquiry that has no effect on your credit score is a soft inquiry (soft pull).

What kind of credit inquiry has no effect on your credit score?

Soft inquiries are credit checks that do not impact your credit score at all. They may show up on your credit report, but they are for your information or for marketing purposes, not for a new credit decision.

Common examples of soft inquiries include:

  • Checking your own credit score or full credit report
  • Prequalified or “preapproved” credit card or loan offers
  • Background or identity checks that include a credit look (in some employment or insurance contexts)
  • Account reviews by existing lenders for things like credit line increase offers

None of these will lower your credit score, even if they occur many times.

By contrast, hard inquiries —like when you actually apply for a credit card, auto loan, mortgage, or personal loan—can temporarily lower your score by a few points because they signal that you’re seeking new credit.

Quick Scoop

  • Answer in one line:
    A soft inquiry has no effect on your credit score.
  • Soft = safe for your score:
    You can check your own credit as often as you want without hurting your score.
  • Hard = small, temporary impact:
    Applications for new credit generally create hard inquiries, which can slightly lower your score for a short time.

Mini FAQ

Does checking my own credit hurt my score?
No. Checking your own credit report or score is a soft inquiry and has no impact on your credit score.

Do preapproved offers hurt my credit?
No. Prequalified or preapproved offers use soft inquiries and will not affect your score.

Do all hard inquiries hurt a lot?
No. A single hard inquiry usually has only a small effect, and the impact fades over time.

Quick HTML SEO Elements

Meta description (example):
What kind of credit inquiry has no effect on your credit score? Learn why soft inquiries (like checking your own credit or preapproved offers) won’t hurt your credit and how they differ from hard pulls.

Simple fact table (HTML):

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Type of inquiry</th>
      <th>Affects credit score?</th>
      <th>Typical situations</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Soft inquiry</td>
      <td>No effect on your credit score[web:3][web:5][web:7][web:8]</td>
      <td>Checking your own credit, preapproved offers, some background checks[web:3][web:5][web:7][web:8]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Hard inquiry</td>
      <td>May slightly lower your score for a short time[web:1][web:5][web:7][web:9][web:10]</td>
      <td>Applying for credit cards, auto loans, mortgages, personal loans[web:1][web:3][web:5][web:7][web:9][web:10]</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Bottom note:
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.