Does checking my credit hurt my score?
Checking your own credit is a soft inquiry and does not affect your score. Hard inquiries, which happen when a lender checks your credit for a decision, are different — but their impact is usually small and short-lived.
- Author
- Jordan Bloomingdale
- Reviewed
- 2026-02-17
- Updated
- 2026-02-17
- Read time
- 4 min
In this article
Short answer
No. Checking your own credit report or score is a soft inquiry and does not lower your score. Hard inquiries from lenders can have a small, temporary impact, but they are not the same thing.
Soft inquiries vs. hard inquiries
- Soft inquiry: You check your own credit, or a lender pre-screens you for an offer. No impact on your score.
- Hard inquiry: A lender pulls your credit to make a lending decision. May lower your score a few points for a short time.
Why people get this wrong
The confusion is understandable. The credit bureaus don't make it obvious which type of inquiry is which, and some apps use language that sounds like checking will change your score. It usually won't.
When multiple inquiries count as one
For mortgages and auto loans, credit scoring models typically treat multiple inquiries within a short window as a single inquiry. That's designed to let you shop for the best rate.
Not knowing your own credit because you're afraid to look is one of the more expensive habits a person can have.