Does A TransUnion Soft Credit Check Hurt Your Score?

TransUnion soft inquiries never subtract points from your credit score, so a soft credit check leaves your number unchanged. They appear on your TransUnion report for up to two years, visible only to you and not to lenders, and they are treated separately from hard inquiries that can lower the score. This is why the earlier 'soft vs. hard' section emphasized the scoring engine ignores soft pulls, and it also explains why the next section will explore whether lenders can see those soft checks.

TransUnion soft inquiries, also called soft credit checks, never change your credit score. They appear on your TransUnion report for up to two years, but only you can see them. Lenders, landlords, and employers do not see soft inquiries, so they never affect future loan approvals. Common uses include pre‑qualification offers, rental applications, and background checks.

Hard inquiries, in contrast, can lower your score by five to ten points when they first appear. They remain on your TransUnion report for 12 months in most scoring models and stay visible for up to 24 months. Lenders and other creditors see hard inquiries, and each one signals a new credit application, which can reduce your borrowing power.

Lenders typically cannot see your TransUnion soft inquiry; only hard inquiries appear in the data lenders request. A soft credit check stays on your TransUnion report for up to two years, but it never influences your score or shows up in most lender credit pulls.

• Soft inquiries are visible only to you and companies you authorize for a soft pull (e.g., landlords, employers).
• Traditional lenders (mortgage, auto, credit card issuers) see only hard inquiries that result from a formal credit application.
• If a lender asks for a soft credit check, you must grant permission; without consent, they have no access.
• Because soft checks don't affect scores, they pose no risk of lowering your credit, even if a lender could view them.
• Any impact on lending decisions comes from hard inquiries or the overall credit profile, not from soft credit checks.

• No, multiple TransUnion soft inquiries never add up to lower your score; scoring models ignore every soft credit check.
• Each TransUnion soft inquiry stays on your report for up to 2 years, visible to you but not used in any credit‑score calculation.
• Because they have zero score impact, having many of them does not change your creditworthiness at all.
• The only indirect risk is if a lender mistakenly treats a soft inquiry as a hard pull, or if a soft check prompts you to apply for a product that generates a hard inquiry.
• Monitor and clear unnecessary entries via your free TransUnion account; see TransUnion credit monitoring overview.

TransUnion soft inquiry itself never lowers your score, but it can become a hard inquiry the moment a lender moves from pre‑qualification to an actual application. For example, a credit‑card company may run a soft check to show you an estimated offer; if you click 'accept' or submit additional personal information, the same company usually follows up with a hard pull. The same pattern appears with mortgage or auto lenders who use a soft pre‑approval screen and then automatically trigger a hard pull once you request a formal quote.

Because the soft check lives on your report for up to two years without affecting the score, you won't see an immediate hit, but the subsequent hard pull will appear as a new entry and can drop your score by a few points. Keep an eye on the transition: any time you move from 'view only' to 'apply' or provide consent for a full credit review, the soft check can convert into a hard inquiry. This is why the next section on real examples of soft checks in mortgage and auto pre‑approval matters for planning your applications.

A mortgage or auto pre‑approval begins with a TransUnion soft inquiry, so your score stays unchanged.

Tenant and employer soft checks never lower your TransUnion score; they are classified as soft credit checks, not hard inquiries.

When a landlord or prospective employer runs a TransUnion soft inquiry, the request appears on your credit report for up to two years but does not factor into the scoring algorithm. Only the party that performed the check can see the result, and it does not show up on your public credit rating.

Because the score remains unchanged, soft checks usually do not affect your borrowing power, yet landlords and hiring managers may consider the information when making rental or hiring decisions. For details on what soft inquiries look like on your report, see TransUnion's guide to soft inquiries.

You can see every TransUnion soft inquiry on your credit report by accessing the inquiries section of your TransUnion file.

1. Visit the official portal and request your TransUnion credit report online or call 1‑800‑916‑8800 for a mailed copy.
2. Log in with your Personally Identifiable Information; the system will verify your identity before showing the report.
3. Scroll to the 'Inquiries' heading; TransUnion lists 'Soft Pulls' and 'Hard Pulls' in separate tables.
4. Look under the 'Soft Pulls' table - each entry shows the company name and the date the soft credit check occurred, and it remains on the report for up to two years.
5. If you spot an unfamiliar soft inquiry, note the date and creditor; you'll need this information when you move to the next step of correcting errors (see the 'Fix incorrect soft checks' section).

These steps let you locate every TransUnion soft inquiry quickly, so you can verify legitimacy and take action if needed.

Remove an inaccurate TransUnion soft inquiry by filing a dispute. TransUnion must investigate any credit report entry that you believe is wrong, and a successful dispute deletes the erroneous soft credit check.

• Gather proof that the inquiry is wrong (e.g., denial letter, lender statement, or lack of consent).
• Visit the TransUnion dispute center and select 'Soft inquiry' as the category.
• Submit the dispute online, attach your evidence, and describe why the inquiry is inaccurate.
• TransUnion will contact the source, usually within 30 days, and provide a written outcome.
• If the inquiry is removed, request a fresh copy of your report to confirm the correction.

After the dispute, keep an eye on future reports. A clean record of soft credit checks stays on your TransUnion file for up to 2 years but never harms your score.

Here are five concrete actions you can take to keep unnecessary TransUnion soft inquiries off your report. While a soft credit check never dents your score, excess entries can signal careless shopping and waste your privacy.

1. Pull your own report first - Use the free annual TransUnion credit report or a reputable free‑service. Knowing what's already there prevents duplicate soft checks from lenders who simply want to see if you've already been screened.
2. Choose 'soft‑pull' pre‑approval - When a retailer or lender offers pre‑qualification, explicitly request a soft‑pull option. Most major banks flag this on the application form; if they don't, ask before you submit any personal data.
3. Limit shared personal information - Give out your SSN or full address only to parties that need it for a hard inquiry. Many subscription offers ask for these details just to run a soft check; decline or use a masked email address instead.
4. Opt out of promotional credit checks - Credit card issuers and lenders often run routine soft pulls for marketing. Call customer service or adjust preferences in your online account to stop unsolicited screenings.
5. Ask lenders to use a 'soft‑first' approach - For major decisions like mortgages or auto loans, tell the dealer or broker you want a soft credit check before committing to a hard pull. This gives you a chance to compare terms without triggering a hard inquiry unexpectedly.

Following these steps keeps your TransUnion soft inquiry count low, preserves your privacy, and ensures you only authorize the checks that truly matter.