Hard vs soft searches
Lesson 6 of 12 in our free Credit Scores & Files guide: a 5-minute money game with the key points below.
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Questions you'll answer
Dex: 'Checking your own score lowers it, so never look.' What's the truth?
Quick facts
- Submitting a full credit card application → Hard search. Full applications leave a hard search other lenders can see.
- Checking your own credit report → Soft search. Checking yourself never harms your file.
- Using a lender's eligibility checker → Soft search. These usually use a soft search — read the small print to be sure.
- Applying for a phone contract → Hard search. It's a credit agreement, so it's a hard search.
- A quote that says 'this won't affect your credit score' → Soft search. That's the giveaway for a soft search.
- Fact: “Hard searches stay visible on your file for a while, usually around a year or more.” — They stay visible for a period (often 12 months, recorded for longer at some agencies). One or two is normal; a cluster is the concern.
- Myth: “Getting a quote for insurance or a mortgage is always a hard search.” — Many quotes use soft searches. Ask or check the wording before you go ahead.
- Myth: “Being declined is recorded on your file as 'declined'.” — The file shows the search, not the decision. But many searches in a row can still hurt your chances.