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4 min read
What a soft credit check can and cannot tell you
Soft checks are free, invisible to lenders and do not change your score. Here is what they are good for, and where they stop.
Marcus Lee
Personal and auto loan advisor
Soft and hard checks
A soft check lets a lender see a summary of your credit to estimate a rate. It does not appear to other lenders and does not lower your score. A hard check happens when you formally apply, and it can lower your score by a few points for a short time.
What a soft check is good for
Use soft checks to compare likely rates across lenders without any risk. That is how our eligibility check works.
Where it stops
A soft check gives an estimate, not a promise. Your final rate is confirmed after a full application, once the lender has checked your income and documents.
