A hard inquiry is a credit check tied to a credit application that can temporarily lower a credit score, while a soft inquiry, such as checking one's own credit, does not affect the score. The two appear differently on a credit file.
A hard inquiry, or hard pull, occurs when you formally apply for credit and a lender reviews the credit report to make a decision. Hard inquiries are recorded on the credit report and can lower the credit score by a small amount for a limited time, and many scoring models group similar inquiries made within a short shopping window so that rate comparison has less effect. A soft inquiry, or soft pull, occurs without a credit application, such as checking one's own credit, a prequalification, or a background review, and does not affect the score. Knowing which type a lender performs explains whether applying will appear as a hard inquiry.
