You're right to be cautious. Say you're rebuilding after a collection and you'd like a second card, but you're afraid one more application will set you back.
Some steps in getting approved for a credit card check your credit and some don't, so it helps to know which is which before you submit anything.
What is the difference between a hard and a soft inquiry?
A hard inquiry is a record that a lender checked your credit report because you applied for credit, and the CFPB says it can affect your credit scores (opens in a new tab). A soft inquiry is a check that doesn't come from a credit application, such as when a lender sends you a preapproved offer or when you look at your own report (opens in a new tab), and the CFPB says it doesn't affect your scores.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) limits who can pull your report. A lender needs a permitted reason, such as your application or your permission (opens in a new tab), before it makes a hard inquiry. For more detail, see how hard and soft pulls differ.
Does applying for a credit card hurt your credit?
Sometimes, yes. A full application typically causes a hard inquiry, and a hard inquiry can affect your scores. A denied application can still leave a hard inquiry, because the lender checked your report to make its decision.
For context, FICO says new credit, which covers recent applications and newly opened accounts, is about 10% of a FICO Score (opens in a new tab). The same page puts payment history at 35% and amounts owed at 30%.
Which step of applying pulls your credit?
Some of the steps before a full application may be soft checks, and the issuer's disclosure is what tells you which. Prequalification is a tool on an issuer's site that estimates which cards you may qualify for before you apply.
Table: Which credit check each step can trigger.
| Step | Type of check | Recorded as a hard inquiry? | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Checking offers on an issuer's site | Soft or hard, as the page says | Only if the page says hard | Read the disclosure before you continue |
| Prequalification | Soft or hard, as the disclosure says | Only if the disclosure says hard | Compare the offers, then pick one |
| Full application | Usually hard | Yes, usually | Apply only for a card you want |
| A lender reviewing a card you already have | Soft or hard, as the issuer says | Only if the issuer says hard | Ask the issuer which kind of check a limit increase request uses |
Wording varies by issuer, so read the fine print on the button or the disclosure before you continue. A button that says "check your offers" and one that says "submit application" can lead to different kinds of pulls.
How long does a hard inquiry last?
A hard inquiry runs on two clocks. One is how long it can affect a score, and the other is how long it stays on your report.
- On your score. The CFPB says a hard inquiry can affect your credit scores.
- On your report. The CFPB says a hard inquiry stays on your credit report for two years (opens in a new tab). It shows on the report from each credit bureau the lender checked, whether that's Equifax, Experian or TransUnion.
The two-year figure covers the report only. It doesn't tell you when a score will recover, because that depends on everything else on your report.
You can dispute an inquiry you didn't authorize, such as one from a lender you never applied to. When you dispute an item, the bureau has to delete or change it if it's found to be inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable (opens in a new tab).
An inquiry from an application you submitted is accurate, so a dispute gives the bureau no reason to delete it. The guide on what you can do about an inquiry you didn't authorize walks through the steps for one you don't recognize.
What if I apply for more than one card?
Each full application can add its own hard inquiry, so three applications can mean three inquiries. A new account also lowers the average age of your accounts, which is the average of how long each one has been open.
Length of credit history is about 15% of a FICO Score (opens in a new tab), and a new account pulls the average down more when you have only a few accounts. If you're thinking about stacking applications, the risks of applying for several cards are worth a read first.
Checklist: what to do before you submit an application
- Check your own report first. Pull your reports at AnnualCreditReport.com (opens in a new tab), the federally authorized source, and look for errors.
- Prequalify where the issuer offers it. Where the disclosure says prequalification is a soft check, you can see offers before you commit. There are several ways to prequalify before you apply.
- Confirm whether the application is hard or soft. The button or the disclosure near it usually says which one you're agreeing to.
- Apply for one card at a time. That way you can see how the first application turns out before you decide on another.
- Match the card to your credit. If your history is short or has negative marks on it, look at starter cards for thin or damaged credit before you apply for a card you're unlikely to get.
- Hold off if you don't need the card. If you expect to apply for a loan in the next few months, a card you don't need adds an inquiry and a new account for no reason.
Example: Sam applies for a second card
Say Sam has a $0 balance on a $500 card and is rebuilding after a collection. Sam wants a second card and starts with the issuer's prequalification tool, which shows two offers. The tool's disclosure says it uses a soft inquiry, which the CFPB says doesn't affect scores.
Sam picks one offer. Its disclosure says the full application will be a hard inquiry, and Sam submits it on March 3. The issuer checked Experian, so Sam's Experian report now shows a hard inquiry dated March 3. If the card is approved, the new account appears on the report too, and that account lowers the average age of Sam's accounts.
Going by the CFPB's two-year figure, the inquiry can stay on Sam's report for two years from March 3. Sam can't know in advance how a particular score will respond, which is why Sam prequalified first and applied for only one card.
Frequently asked questions
Is it bad to open multiple credit cards at once?
Opening several credit cards at once can add several hard inquiries and several new accounts in a short time. Each new account lowers the average age of your accounts, so opening cards one at a time gives you room to see how each application turns out. If you're thinking about it, the post on the risks of applying for several cards explains what repeated applications can do.
Does having more than one credit card affect your credit score?
How long does a hard inquiry stay on your credit report?
A hard inquiry stays on your credit report for two years, according to the CFPB (opens in a new tab). That clock covers the report only, so it doesn't tell you when a score will recover.
Does prequalifying for a credit card hurt your credit?
Prequalifying for a credit card may involve only a soft inquiry, which the CFPB says doesn't affect your scores. Issuers word their pages differently, so the disclosure is what tells you whether the check is soft or hard. A full application that follows is usually a hard inquiry, and the ways to prequalify before you apply show how to compare offers first.
Can I remove a hard inquiry from my credit report?
You can dispute a hard inquiry that is inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable, such as one from a lender you never applied to. If you submitted the application yourself, the inquiry is accurate, so a dispute gives the bureau no reason to delete it. An accurate inquiry drops off the report on its own after two years, and the guide on what you can do about an inquiry you didn't authorize covers the steps for one you don't recognize.
Written by
Damon DeCrescenzo
Co-founder and board member, The Credit Pros
Co-founder of The Credit Pros. Built the company's technology as CTO from 2009 to 2025 and now sits on its board.
