Hard Inquiry vs Soft Inquiry in Credit Report: Everything You Need to Know

Huzaifa Majid

Published on: 05/11/2025

Credit inquiries are records of when your credit information is accessed by a lender, creditor, or another authorized entity. There are two main types of inquiries that appear on your credit report — hard inquiries and soft inquiries. The key difference between the two determines whether your credit score will be affected or not.