Credit Inquiry

A request for a credit report is called a credit inquiry, but not all inquiries are equal. There are two types of credit inquiries: a hard inquiry and a soft inquiry. At the same time, if either one happens, your credit report will show who requested the report and when.

When you request credit from a lender or credit card issuer its called a hard inquiry.

On the other hand, firms may request your report for the purpose of marketing a product to you - such as a credit card offer. This results in a soft inquiry.