A “soft” credit inquiry does not affect your credit score. Examples of soft inquiries include a prospective landlord or employer running a check or a lender doing one to pre-approve you for an offer. A “hard” inquiry, on the other hand, can temporarily lower your score by a few points and is visible to other lenders. Examples of hard inquiries include a lender — such as a car dealership or mortgage company —or credit card issuer pulling your credit report when making the decision to approve you.