Does Checking My Credit Score Lower It?
No — checking your own credit score or report is a soft search and never affects your score, no matter how often you do it. The distinction that matters is soft vs hard searches, not who's looking.
No. Checking your own credit report or credit score is always a soft search, and soft searches never affect your score — no matter how many times you check, or which app or credit reference agency you use. The confusion usually comes from mixing this up with hard searches, which happen when you actually apply for credit and can have a small, temporary effect.
Soft search vs hard search — the actual difference
- Soft search: a check that doesn't leave a mark visible to other lenders. Covers checking your own score, eligibility checkers, and background checks some employers or landlords run with your permission. Has no effect on your score.
- Hard search: a full credit check, recorded on your file and visible to other lenders, that happens when you formally apply for credit — a credit card, loan, mortgage or, in some cases, a mobile contract.
Experian's own guidance is explicit: "checking your own credit report or credit score won't affect your score or your likelihood of being accepted for credit — no matter how many times you check them." Eligibility checkers (the "check your chances before you apply" tools most card and loan comparison sites offer) also use soft searches — you only get a hard search once you go ahead and submit a full application.
Why this catches people out
The word "check" does double duty, and that's the whole confusion: checking your own file (soft, no effect) and a lender checking your file when you apply (hard, small effect) sound like the same action but aren't. A few practical implications:
- You can check your credit score as often as you like — weekly, even daily — with zero cost to your score.
- Using an eligibility checker before applying for a card is free information: it estimates your approval odds using a soft search, so you can rule out weak matches before triggering a hard search.
- The only thing that actually affects your score here is submitting the full application, not the checking that comes before it.
What hard searches actually do
A single hard search typically has a small, temporary effect on your score. The risk isn't one search — it's several in a short window, which can look to a lender like you're suddenly seeking a lot of credit at once. Hard searches stay visible on your UK credit file for 12 months, though their effect on your score fades well before then.
If you're planning a big application — a mortgage, for example — it's worth avoiding unrelated credit applications (a new card, a phone contract, a car finance deal) in the months beforehand, not because checking your own score is risky, but because stacking several hard searches together is. See our guide on building a credit score from scratch for the fuller picture of what does move your score.
The short version
| Action | Search type | Affects your score? |
|---|---|---|
| Checking your own score via an app or credit reference agency | Soft | No |
| Using an eligibility checker before applying | Soft | No |
| Submitting a full credit application | Hard | Small, temporary effect |
| Several full applications in a short period | Hard (repeated) | Larger, more visible effect |
Internal links
- How to build a UK credit score from scratch
- Credit cards for new UK arrivals with no credit history
- How to open a UK bank account as a new arrival
This guide is information, not regulated financial advice. Individual lender policies vary — see our disclaimer.
Sources referenced in this guide
Read our methodology or report a correction. Check the effective dates and provider terms for your circumstances.
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