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Soft inquiry vs. hard inquiry, explained
When people talk about a "soft pull" and a "hard pull," they are describing two kinds of credit inquiry that lenders and others can make. They are commonly confused, so it helps to see them side by side.
No credit check · No SSN
This guide explains both factually, without declaring a winner. It also makes one thing clear up front: YesLane is a funding marketplace and runs no credit check at all, so neither kind of inquiry happens when you see which lenders work with businesses like yours.
Side by side
| Dimension | Soft inquiry | Hard inquiry |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A review of a credit file that is not tied to an application decision. | The kind of review a lender typically makes for a formal application. |
| When it tends to happen | Things like a pre-screen or a background review. | Usually when a formal application is under review. |
| How the bureaus treat it | Recorded, but handled differently from an application inquiry. | Recorded as an application inquiry on the file. |
| Where YesLane stands on both | YesLane makes no inquiry of any kind, no credit check, no SSN. | YesLane makes no inquiry of any kind, any inquiry is a lender’s own step. |
What each term means
A soft inquiry (often called a "soft pull") is a review of a credit file that is not tied to an application decision, for example a background check or a pre-screen. A hard inquiry (a "hard pull") is the kind a lender typically makes when reviewing a formal application.
The two are recorded and treated differently by the bureaus, which is the source of most of the confusion. Exactly how and when each happens is something a lender explains as part of its own process, and is a question worth asking that lender directly.
Where YesLane stands
A funding marketplace
YesLane is not a lender. We help you see which lenders in our marketplace work with businesses like yours.
No inquiry to see lenders
Seeing which lenders work with businesses like yours does not involve either kind of inquiry. No credit check · No SSN.
You stay in control
You choose which lenders to connect with. Any inquiry, of either kind, is part of a lender’s own process, never ours.