{"id":3396,"date":"2026-07-16T10:40:54","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T10:40:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quickloanslender.co.uk\/blog\/?p=3396"},"modified":"2026-07-16T10:40:57","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T10:40:57","slug":"what-is-a-soft-credit-check-and-why-does-it-matter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quickloanslender.co.uk\/blog\/what-is-a-soft-credit-check-and-why-does-it-matter\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a soft credit check and why does it matter?\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When\u00a0taking out\u00a0a loan or a credit card, your credit history is thoroughly checked.\u00a0There are two types of credit checks: hard and soft.\u00a0They serve different purposes\u00a0and have different impacts\u00a0on your credit score.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Credit checks are inquiries&nbsp;into your credit report that lenders make to know your past payment behaviour.&nbsp;You might have a strong income source, but it does not&nbsp;make it certain&nbsp;that&nbsp;you will keep up with payments.&nbsp;By analysing your credit report, lenders figure out whether you adhered to payments in the past or not.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is a soft credit check?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A soft credit check is a type of inquiry that does not&nbsp;pull your credit points. It is just a background check of your credit history, often made for pre-qualification purposes. Here are examples of when soft inquiries are made:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>When you\u00a0examine\u00a0your own credit\u00a0rating\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>When a lender pre-approves your application\u00a0(in\u00a0the\u00a0case of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickloanslender.co.uk\/unsecured-loans.php\" title=\"\">unsecured loans\u00a0<\/a>and mortgages)\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>When an employer runs a background check,\u00a0it needs your prior permission\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>When insurance companies offer premiums\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>When\u00a0landlords\u00a0do background checks\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not every time is your permission&nbsp;required&nbsp;to conduct soft checks, but they are not reported to credit bureaus. Therefore, they do not lower your credit score.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is the difference between soft and hard credit checks?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Unlike soft credit checks, hard inquiries affect your credit score. Each inquiry pulls at least five points. Multiple hard inquiries can wreak havoc on your credit report. The following table&nbsp;reveals the difference&nbsp;between&nbsp;both&nbsp;types of credit checks:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Aspects<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/td><td><strong>Soft credit inquiries<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/td><td><strong>Hard credit inquiries<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Impact on credit score&nbsp;<\/td><td>No impact at all&nbsp;<\/td><td>Lowers your score temporarily&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Purpose&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/td><td>Background check&nbsp;<\/td><td>Done for a loan approval&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Visibility&nbsp;<\/td><td>Not visible to lenders&nbsp;<\/td><td>Visible to lenders&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Consent needed&nbsp;<\/td><td>Implicit&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/td><td>Explicit&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why do soft credit checks matter?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Soft inquiries are harmless. No matter how many times you check your credit score, it will never hurt your credit rating. Though borrowers find soft checks irrelevant, they still contribute to the health of your credit score.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>They help you stay informed<\/strong>\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Checking your own credit score ensures that your credit report does not&nbsp;contain&nbsp;unidentified accounts and&nbsp;erroneous&nbsp;information that lower your credit score. You might be the victim of identity theft. It is impossible to know about errors in your credit report without checking it. If you find any errors, you can dispute them. Credit reference agencies take at least a month to fix them.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Soft checks enable pre-qualification<\/strong>\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lenders often use soft checks\u00a0to offer you pre-approval letters. If you are to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickloanslender.co.uk\/no-guarantor-loans.php\" title=\"\">apply for\u00a0no guarantor loans<\/a>\u00a0or mortgages, you can receive quotes from multiple lenders.\u00a0The\u00a0comparison will help you\u00a0find an\u00a0affordable deal.\u00a0Prequalification offers are made\u00a0without extensive credit checks,\u00a0and hence they do not affect your credit score.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>They\u00a0maintain\u00a0transparency<\/strong>\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Soft checks are helpful&nbsp;to evaluate the risk involved.&nbsp;Knowing this helps you&nbsp;know whether you need to improve your credit score.&nbsp;You can know your past financial mistakes and avoid them in the future.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>They encourage responsible borrowing<\/strong>\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With the help of soft credit checks, you can easily&nbsp;determine&nbsp;estimated&nbsp;interest rates, repayment&nbsp;terms&nbsp;and&nbsp;APRs. Though actual rates will be higher than this,&nbsp;there is still a possibility of adjusting&nbsp;your budget.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What are the misconceptions about soft credit checks?&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Misconceptions&nbsp;to&nbsp;be dispelled are as follows:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Soft credit inquiries are invisible\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both hard inquiries and soft inquiries are recorded in your credit report, but&nbsp;credit bureaus&nbsp;maintain&nbsp;your credit report in&nbsp;two categories \u2013 consumer-view and lender-view. Lenders cannot see these inquiries. They are only visible to you.&nbsp;Soft credit inquiries&nbsp;do not help lenders to make a lending decision.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Soft credit checks ensure approval\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even though you have received a pre-qualifying offer, it does not imply that you will get approval from a lender when you formally apply for a loan. Lenders make an approval decision only after running hard inquiries.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Soft credit checks do not matter at all\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some borrowers assume that soft credit checks are worthless. They cannot help you in any way. The fact is that they can let you gain insight into how lenders will perceive you without affecting your credit score.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The final word&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A soft credit check cannot change your credit score, but it can help increase your awareness about your current credit rating. They will help you know how likely you have chances of getting qualified for a loan. You can fix your credit score if you find that your credit report&nbsp;contains&nbsp;some&nbsp;erroneous&nbsp;information.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>FAQs<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Do small emergency loans require soft credit checks?\u00a0<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\"><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Whether you are taking out\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickloanslender.co.uk\/very-bad-credit-loans.php\" title=\"\">very bad\u00a0credit loans from direct lenders<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0or small car repair loans, your credit score will be checked.\u00a0However, if the loan amount is less than \u00a3500, lenders will run soft checks and make the decision based on your income sources.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who performs soft credit checks?\u00a0<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"2\" class=\"wp-block-list\"><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Employers, lenders (in case of pre-qualifications), insurance companies, and&nbsp;landlords&nbsp;run soft credit checks. In fact, when you&nbsp;check your credit score, a soft inquiry will be recorded.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Does\u00a0Quickloanslender\u00a0run soft checks?\u00a0<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"3\" class=\"wp-block-list\"><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes,&nbsp;<strong>Quickloanslender<\/strong>&nbsp;makes soft inquiries in two cases: when you want to get pre-qualified for unsecured loans and debt consolidation loans and when you are borrowing a small emergency loan, which is not more than worth \u00a3500.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How long\u00a0do\u00a0soft inquiries remain on your credit\u00a0file?\u00a0<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"4\" class=\"wp-block-list\"><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Soft inquiries&nbsp;remain&nbsp;for up to two years, but they are not visible to lenders. They do not hurt your credit score.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can you refuse soft checks?\u00a0<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"5\" class=\"wp-block-list\"><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are some cases when you can refuse it. For instance, your employer or&nbsp;landlord&nbsp;will have to get your consent to&nbsp;look into&nbsp;your credit report. It is up to you&nbsp;whether or not&nbsp;you consent, but withdrawing consent means struggling to find rented accommodation and a job with your employer.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When\u00a0taking out\u00a0a loan or a credit card, your credit history is thoroughly checked.\u00a0There are two types of credit checks: hard and soft.\u00a0They serve different purposes\u00a0and have different impacts\u00a0on your credit score.\u00a0\u00a0 Credit checks are inquiries&nbsp;into your credit report that lenders make to know your past payment behaviour.&nbsp;You might have a strong income source, but it &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickloanslender.co.uk\/blog\/what-is-a-soft-credit-check-and-why-does-it-matter\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;What is a soft credit check and why does it matter?\u00a0&#8220;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3397,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[100],"tags":[461],"class_list":["post-3396","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-poor-credit-history","tag-soft-credit-check","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO 4.9.9 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A soft credit check does not hurt your credit score. 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