A hard credit check, also known as a hard search or hard inquiry, is when a company or lender takes a detailed look at your credit report as part of a formal application for credit.
This is standard whenever you apply for products like credit cards, loans, mortgages, car finance, or even some mobile phone contracts and utility services.
Unlike a soft credit check, which is usually a quick review of your credit file and doesn’t affect your credit score, a hard credit check leaves a visible mark on your credit report that other lenders can see.
This mark can influence your credit score and how future lenders view your financial reliability.
Why do hard credit checks matter?
Hard credit checks are an essential part of how lenders assess your financial behaviour and risk level.
Each time you apply for credit, the lender wants to see:
- How much credit you already have
- Your repayment history (including any missed or late payments)
- Public records such as bankruptcies or County Court Judgments (CCJs)
- Whether you’re on the electoral roll
- Any financial associations (e.g., joint accounts)
This information helps lenders decide if you’re a responsible borrower and what terms to offer you.
Too many hard credit checks in a short period can signal financial distress.
This makes you appear riskier and potentially reduces your chances of approval or leads to higher interest rates.
When does a hard credit check happen?
You’ll encounter a hard credit check when you:
- Apply for a credit card, loan, or mortgage
- Take out car finance or a personal loan
- Sign up for a pay-monthly mobile phone contract
- Apply to rent a property (landlords or letting agents may check)
- Set up a new utility account (electricity, gas, broadband)
- Sometimes, when applying for certain jobs (especially in finance)
Example:
If you apply for a new credit card and a car loan within a week, each provider will run a hard credit check.
Both will show up on your credit report, visible to any lender you approach in the next 12 months.
How do hard credit checks affect your credit score?
A single hard credit check usually lowers your credit score by just a few points and is unlikely to cause significant harm on its own.
However, multiple hard checks in a short time can have a much bigger impact.
Lenders may interpret this as a sign you’re struggling financially or desperate for credit, which could lead to rejections or less favourable terms.
Key stats:
- Hard credit checks remain on your credit file for up to 12 months in the UK, though some models may keep them visible for up to two years.
- The general advice is to limit credit applications to no more than two or three every few months to avoid negative effects.
Hard vs. soft credit checks
| Feature | Hard credit check | Soft credit check |
| Visibility to lenders | Yes | No |
| Impacts credit score | Yes (temporarily) | No |
| When used | Applying for credit, loans, mortgages, mobile contracts, rentals | Checking your own credit, pre-approval checks, eligibility checks |
| Stays on report | Up to 12 months (sometimes 2 years) | Not recorded for lenders |
You can check your own credit report as often as you like. These are soft checks and have no impact on your score.
Practical, achievable steps to manage hard credit checks
Here are a few actionable tips to help manage your credit score:
1. Use eligibility checkers before applying
Most major lenders and comparison sites offer eligibility checkers.
These use a soft credit check to give you an idea of your chances of approval without leaving a mark on your credit report.
- Action: Before applying for any credit product, use an eligibility checker. This helps you avoid unnecessary hard checks and reduces the risk of rejection.
2. Space out your credit applications
Applying for multiple credit products in a short time can hurt your credit score and make lenders wary.
- Action: Try to wait at least three months between credit applications. If you know you’ll need to apply for several products (e.g., moving house and changing utilities), plan ahead to avoid clustering applications.
3. Check your credit report regularly
Regularly reviewing your credit report helps you spot any unauthorised hard checks, which could be a sign of fraud.
- Action: Access your credit report for free from all major UK credit reference agencies (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion). Look for any hard checks you don’t recognise and dispute them immediately if necessary.
4. Only apply for credit you’re likely to get
Rejections can harm your credit score and confidence. By applying only for products you’re eligible for, you minimise the risk of rejection and unnecessary hard checks.
- Action: Check your eligibility and credit score before applying. If your score is low, take steps to improve it before making applications.
5. Keep up with all payments
Your payment history is the largest factor in your credit score. Even if you’ve had a few hard checks, making all payments on time helps your score recover faster.
- Action: Set up direct debits for bills and credit repayments to avoid missed payments.
6. Understand when a hard check is needed
Not all financial activity triggers a hard check. For example, comparing credit cards or loans using a comparison tool usually only results in a soft check.
- Action: Always check the terms on comparison sites. Look for language like “this will not affect your credit score” to confirm it’s a soft check.
7. Monitor for fraud and dispute unauthorised checks
If you find a hard check you don’t recognise, it could be a sign of identity theft. Check carefully to make sure it wasn’t something you had forgotten.
If you don’t recognise it, dispute it with the credit reference agency and the lender involved.
- Action: Report unauthorised hard checks to the credit agency and lender. If confirmed as fraud, they can remove the check and repair any damage to your score.
Example scenarios for hard credit checks
Here are 3 ways hard credit checks are used in everyday life.
Scenario 1: Applying for a Mortgage
You’re ready to buy your first home. Before you apply for a mortgage, you use an eligibility checker on a comparison site.
This soft check shows you’re likely to be approved by two lenders.
You apply to your top choice and they perform a hard credit check, which appears on your report.
Because you planned ahead and only applied once, your credit score remains healthy.
Scenario 2: Multiple Applications in a Short Time
You apply for a new credit card, a car loan, and a mobile phone contract all within a week of each other.
Each provider runs a hard credit check.
When you later apply for a personal loan, the lender sees these recent hard checks and may interpret them as a sign of financial stress, leading to a rejection or higher interest rate.
Scenario 3: Spotting Fraud
You check your credit report and notice a hard check from a lender you’ve never heard of.
You contact the credit reference agency and the lender, who confirm it was a fraudulent application.
They remove the check from your report, and your score is restored.
Actionable tips for managing hard credit checks
Here’s a quick list of my top tips for managing hard credit checks:
- Plan ahead: Know when you’ll need to apply for credit and avoid making multiple applications at once.
- Use soft checks: Always use eligibility checkers and comparison tools that use soft searches before making full applications.
- Monitor your report: Check your credit report at least every few months to catch errors or fraud.
- Limit your applications: Only apply for credit you truly need and are likely to be approved for.
- Keep your finances healthy: Make all payments on time, keep credit card balances low, and avoid unnecessary borrowing.
Hard credit checks
Hard credit checks are a normal and necessary part of managing your finances.
By understanding how they work and taking practical steps, you can protect your credit score and improve your chances of approval for the financial products you need.
If you’re shopping around for a financial product, use an eligibility checker first as that’s a soft check.
Once you identify the product you want, and will potentially qualify for, apply. That’s the hard check.
That’s all there is to it really!
Hard credit check frequently asked questions
Can I remove a hard credit check from my report?
You can’t remove a legitimate hard check resulting from your own application. If a hard check was made in error or due to fraud, you can dispute it and have it removed.
How long do hard credit checks stay on my file?
Most hard checks stay on your credit file for 12 months, but some may be visible for up to two years depending on the scoring model used.
Do hard checks affect my credit forever?
No. Their impact diminishes over time, and after 12 months they’re generally ignored by most lenders’ scoring systems.
