Which Cards Pull Equifax?

Most major credit‑card issuers use Equifax for hard pulls on new applications.

• American Express Equifax hard pull - typically runs a hard Equifax inquiry.
• Chase Equifax hard inquiry - usually performs a hard pull on Equifax (and often the other bureaus).
• Citi Equifax hard pull practice - commonly uses Equifax for its hard credit check.
• Capital One Equifax hard pull details - frequently pulls Equifax for a hard inquiry.
• Discover Equifax hard pull information - regularly issues a hard pull on Equifax.
• Bank of America Equifax hard inquiry - generally pulls Equifax for a hard credit check.

When a hard pull shows up on Equifax, it means the issuer chose that bureau for that specific application. Issuers rotate among Experian, TransUnion and Equifax, so a card may pull Equifax for one person and a different bureau for another.

Recent user reports and credit‑card blogs document a few cards that have pulled Equifax in the last 12‑24 months:

• American Express Blue Cash Preferred - a September 2023 applicant saw an Equifax hard inquiry, reported by CreditCards.com review.
• Discover it Cash Back - a January 2024 new cardholder received an Equifax pull, detailed on Reddit's r/credit forum.
• Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards - a March 2024 application generated an Equifax inquiry, noted in Bankrate's card review.
• Chase Sapphire Preferred - a July 2023 user reported an Equifax hard pull, mentioned in The Points Guy analysis.
• Capital One Quicksilver - a December 2023 case showed an Equifax pull, cited by NerdWallet's review.

These examples illustrate that a card can pull Equifax even if the issuer's default bureau is different. In the next section, we'll walk through three steps to verify which bureau a specific card will use for your own application.

The fastest way to confirm whether a card will pull your Equifax file is to run three quick checks.

1. Search the issuer's official FAQ - Look for terms like 'credit bureau used for hard pulls' on the bank's website. Some issuers (e.g., Citi credit card FAQ) state the bureau they use, but many do not disclose this information publicly, so the answer may be absent.
2. Start a soft‑pre‑approval - Many applications let you see a soft pull result before you submit a hard request. The pre‑approval screen often lists the credit bureau that will be queried; note that this is a soft pull, not a hard one.
3. Submit a real application and monitor your Equifax report - After you finish the application, check your Equifax credit file (you can use a free quarterly report). An inquiry will appear within 1 - 2 days. Remember, hard credit inquiries remain on your report for up to two years even if you cancel the application; cancelling does not erase the pull.

Soft Equifax pulls typically happen when a lender checks your score for a pre‑approval, account review, or a 'see if you qualify' tool; they do not appear on your public credit report and they do not lower your score. You can usually see them only in the issuer's portal or a credit‑monitoring service, and they disappear after a few months.

Hard Equifax pulls occur when you submit a formal credit‑card application; they register on your Equifax file, stay visible for 12 months and can reduce your score by a few points, especially if you have several in a short period. The impact fades over two years, but each hard pull is recorded for lenders to assess recent credit activity.

Most issuers space Equifax hard pulls about 30 days apart, with a typical window of 30‑45 days before another hard pull registers on the same file; recent reports show Capital One may pull again after 14 days for a different product, while Chase and American Express usually wait the full 30‑day cycle, and Discover often enforces a 45‑day gap to avoid duplicate inquiries. The timing aligns with internal risk models that treat each pull as a separate credit event, so applying for multiple cards within a two‑week span can still generate two distinct hard pulls, whereas waiting a month generally consolidates the impact into a single entry on your Equifax report.

For a detailed breakdown of issuer‑specific intervals, see the Equifax hard pull timing guide. This timing rule feeds directly into the next section on whether pre‑approval offers rely on Equifax data.

Pre‑approval offers often generate a soft Equifax pull, and recent reports show several cards use that bureau for their soft checks. Examples include the Citi Simultaneous Card, Discover it® Cash Back, Capital One Quicksilver, and Amex Blue Cash Everyday; each typically triggers a soft pull on Equifax rather than a hard inquiry.

Issuers rarely publish which credit bureau they query, so the only way to be sure is to ask the lender directly or monitor your Equifax file for the soft pull. If a pre‑approval turns into a full application, the same bureau may be hit with a hard pull, depending on the issuer's internal process.

Business credit cards typically generate a hard pull on your personal credit, and the issuing bank may pull from Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion depending on its own policy; there is no guarantee of an Equifax‑only pull.

• Major issuers (American Express, Chase, Capital One, Citi, Barclays) all use hard pulls, but the bureau selected varies and is not publicly disclosed.
• Pre‑approval tools usually perform soft pulls; the hard pull occurs only after you submit a full application.
• Check the issuer's disclosure or call support to ask which bureau they use before you apply.
• If you want to avoid affecting your Equifax score, start with a soft‑pull pre‑approval and only proceed when you're comfortable with a hard inquiry.
• For a clear definition of hard versus soft inquiries, see the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau explanation.

Secured and student cards can generate an Equifax hard pull, but the pull type varies by issuer and specific product.

Most issuers treat these entry‑level cards like regular credit cards, running a hard inquiry to verify creditworthiness; a few newer programs have experimented with soft pulls to attract first‑time borrowers.

• Discover it® Secured - typically reports a hard pull to Equifax; Discover secured card details
• Capital One Platinum Secured - generally issues a hard pull; Capital One secured card information
• Citi Secured Mastercard - hard pull reported to Equifax; Citi secured card overview
• Bank of America® Travel Rewards Student - recent applicants confirm a hard pull; Bank of America student card page
• Discover it® Student Cash Back - hard pull to Equifax in the past 12 months; Discover student cash back details

Check the issuer's pre‑approval tool or application FAQ to see which pull type they use before you submit a full application.

If a card pulls other bureaus instead of Equifax, the issuer is querying TransUnion or Experian for the credit check. Recent issuers such as Capital One (TransUnion) and Chase (Experian) have publicly confirmed this practice for most of their 2023‑2024 releases.

Because the inquiry targets a different bureau, your Equifax file receives no hard pull; only the bureau used registers the inquiry. Your Equifax score therefore remains untouched, but the other bureau's score may dip if the pull is hard. Soft pulls still occur on the selected bureau for pre‑approval offers.

Check the issuer's bureau preference before you apply. Pre‑qualification tools often reveal which bureau will be hit and whether the pull is soft or hard; the credit card bureau preference guide lists current issuer policies. Choosing a card that uses Equifax, or waiting until after you've verified the bureau, helps you avoid an unwanted Equifax hard pull.

Credit Karma won't display Equifax data whenever the bureau hasn't supplied a record for the consumer. This occurs if the user has a credit freeze or fraud alert on the Equifax file, if an account is still being reported only to TransUnion, if a newly opened loan hasn't reached Equifax yet, or if Equifax blocks sharing because of a pending dispute or identity‑theft investigation.

In those cases the platform shows a TransUnion‑only view and omits the Equifax score and line‑item details.

When any of the above gaps appear, the missing Equifax information can change the VantageScore you see on Credit Karma, while lenders may still receive a FICO score based on the full file.

If you suspect a blank or outdated section, the next step is to check your Equifax report directly before relying on the free dashboard. This scenario also leads into the upcoming 'when you should check Equifax directly instead of Credit Karma' discussion.

Correct any inaccuracies on your Equifax report before you submit a card application. Pull your free annual report, then scan for common mistakes such as misspelled names, wrong addresses, outdated accounts, or duplicated entries. Pay special attention to:

• Name or Social Security number typos
• Incorrect address or phone number
• Accounts that belong to someone else
• Closed or paid‑off balances still listed

If an error appears, file a dispute through the Equifax dispute portal, attach supporting proof, and request correction within 30 days; Equifax must investigate and update the file. Monitor the final outcome before applying, because a clean file reduces the chance that a hard pull will hurt your chances.

With errors resolved, you're ready to avoid an unexpected Equifax hard pull, as covered in the next section.