No, checking your own credit score does not lower it. When you check your own score, it's called a soft inquiry (or soft pull), which has zero impact on your credit score. You can check as often as you want without any negative effect.
Bottom line: Only hard inquiries from lender applications affect your score. Soft inquiries from self-checks, pre-approval offers, and employer background checks never appear on your credit report or affect your score.
Key Takeaways
- Soft inquiries: Checking your own score, pre-approval checks, employer checks, and insurance quotes — no score impact
- Hard inquiries: Credit card applications, loan applications, mortgage applications — may lower score 5-10 points
- Hard inquiries fall off: They affect your score for about 12 months and disappear from your report after 2 years
- Rate shopping exception: Multiple mortgage, auto, or student loan inquiries within 14-45 days count as one inquiry
- Check freely: You should monitor your score at least monthly using free tools like Credit Karma or your bank's app
| Inquiry Type | Score Impact | Shows on Report | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soft Inquiry | None — 0 points | No (only visible to you) | Checking own score, pre-approvals, employer checks |
| Hard Inquiry | 5-10 points (temporary) | Yes — for 2 years | Credit card apps, loan apps, mortgage apps |
| Rate Shopping (bundled) | 5-10 points total | Yes — but counts as 1 | Multiple mortgage quotes within 14-45 days |
Soft Inquiry vs Hard Inquiry Explained
A soft inquiry happens when you or a non-lending entity checks your credit. This includes checking your own score through Credit Karma, banks doing pre-qualification checks, employers running background checks, and insurance companies quoting premiums. Soft inquiries are invisible to lenders and have absolutely no impact on your score.
A hard inquiry occurs when you apply for credit and the lender checks your credit report to make a lending decision. This happens when you apply for a credit card, mortgage, auto loan, personal loan, or apartment rental. Each hard inquiry may temporarily lower your score by 5-10 points.
How Hard Inquiries Actually Affect Your Score
Hard inquiries account for about 10% of your FICO score calculation, making them the smallest factor. A single hard inquiry typically drops your score by just 5-10 points and the impact fades within 12 months. After 2 years, the inquiry falls off your report entirely.
The concern with multiple hard inquiries is that they signal to lenders that you may be desperate for credit. However, FICO's scoring model has a built-in 'rate shopping' buffer: if you're shopping for a mortgage, auto loan, or student loan, all inquiries of that type within a 14-45 day window count as a single inquiry.
How Often Should You Check Your Credit?
Check your credit score at least once a month, and review your full credit reports from all three bureaus at least quarterly. If you're actively building credit, applying for a major loan, or recovering from identity theft, weekly checks are recommended.
Free monitoring through Credit Karma (weekly VantageScore updates), Experian Free (monthly FICO Score 8), or your bank's app makes regular monitoring effortless. Set up alerts for score changes, new accounts, and hard inquiries to catch fraud early.
When to Avoid Hard Inquiries
Avoid applying for new credit in the 3-6 months before a major loan application (mortgage, auto, etc.). Multiple recent inquiries can lower your score just enough to push you into a higher interest rate tier. If your score is borderline (e.g., just above 740 for the best mortgage rates), even a 5-point drop matters.
Also avoid store credit cards at checkout. The 10-15% discount isn't worth the hard inquiry if you're planning major borrowing soon. Pre-qualification tools that use soft inquiries (like Capital One's pre-approval tool or Credit Karma's card recommendations) let you check your odds without any score impact.
How We Evaluated
Information based on FICO scoring model documentation, CFPB consumer guides, and credit bureau reporting standards as of 2026.
Check your credit score for free — soft inquiry only, no impact to your score.
Check Score FreeFrequently Asked Questions
How many points does a hard inquiry lower your score?
A single hard inquiry typically lowers your score by 5-10 points. The impact is temporary, lasting about 12 months for scoring purposes. The inquiry itself remains on your report for 2 years but stops affecting your score after the first year.
Does Credit Karma lower your credit score?
No. Credit Karma uses a soft inquiry to check your credit, which has zero impact on your score. You can check Credit Karma daily without any negative effect. The same is true for all self-check services like Experian, Credit Sesame, and bank-provided scores.
How many hard inquiries is too many?
More than 5-6 hard inquiries in the past 12 months may start to significantly impact your score and make lenders cautious. For Chase credit cards specifically, the '5/24 rule' means they'll deny you if you've opened 5 or more cards in the past 24 months.
Can I remove hard inquiries from my credit report?
You can dispute unauthorized hard inquiries (ones you didn't consent to) with the credit bureau. Legitimate hard inquiries from applications you made cannot be removed early. They automatically fall off after 2 years.
Does checking your credit score on your phone hurt it?
No. Checking your score through any app on your phone — whether it's Credit Karma, your bank's app, or Experian — is always a soft inquiry with zero score impact. Check as often as you like.
Editorial Disclosure: WalletGrower may earn a commission from partner links. Our editorial content is independent and not influenced by advertisers. We research products independently and only recommend what we believe in. Updated April 2026.