Soft credit check vs hard pull: what a loan request does to your score
Updated 6 November 2026 · ActiviaFunds is a loan connection service, not a lender
A soft credit check does not change your credit score, and a hard pull can lower it by a few points and stay on your report for about two years. Sending a loan request through ActiviaFunds is a soft inquiry; a hard pull only happens if you go ahead with a specific lender's offer and that lender runs a full application.
The two inquiries, side by side
| Soft inquiry | Hard inquiry | |
|---|---|---|
| When it happens | Pre-qualification, rate checks, your own credit monitoring | A formal application for credit you have agreed to |
| Effect on your score | None | Usually a small dip, often under five points |
| Who can see it | Only you | Any lender that pulls your report |
| How long it shows | Up to two years, but it is never scored | About two years; the score effect fades sooner |
What happens when you send a request here
When you complete the form on the ActiviaFunds homepage, the request is passed to a network of lenders and lending partners. At that stage they look at the details you gave and, in most cases, run a soft inquiry or a check through an alternative bureau. Your score stays where it was. That is why the form says checking your options won't affect your credit score, and why it is safe to send a request even if you are not sure you will take an offer.
A hard pull belongs to a later moment. If a lender makes you an offer and you decide to accept it, that lender may run a full credit check as part of its own application. The lender tells you its terms before you agree, so the hard inquiry is something you walk into with your eyes open rather than something that happens because you looked.
Why the distinction matters when money is tight
People who are short before payday often avoid applying anywhere because they fear each application will knock their score down further. With soft inquiries, that fear is misplaced. You can send a request, read what comes back, and decline without any mark against you. The thing to watch is the number of formal applications you accept in a short period, because each one of those can carry a hard pull.
Scoring models also group several hard inquiries for the same kind of credit made within a short window and treat them as one event, because shopping for a rate is normal behaviour. The rule is not uniform across every model, so it is safer to send one request, compare what arrives, and commit once.
Three habits that keep your score steady
- Use soft-inquiry tools first. A request through a connection service, or a lender's own rate check, shows you where you stand without a mark.
- Accept one offer, not three. Each formal application you complete may add a hard inquiry. Read the terms, choose one, and stop there.
- Check your own report. Pulling your own report is always a soft inquiry. If you see a hard inquiry you did not authorise, dispute it with the bureau.
Do loans with zero credit review exist?
Offers that promise to skip every kind of credit review are usually misleading. Most lenders, even for a few hundred dollars, run some form of review, which may be a soft inquiry, a check with an alternative bureau, or a look at bank activity. ActiviaFunds does not make that promise. Lenders in the network consider all credit types, which means a thin or uneven history does not stop you from sending a request; it does not mean every request is approved.
Frequently asked
Will I see the soft inquiry on my report?
Yes, on the version of the report you pull yourself. Lenders do not see it and it is not used in scoring.
If I accept an offer, how much could the hard pull cost me?
Typically a few points, and the effect fades over the following months as you make payments on time. The lender's repayment record matters far more to your score than the inquiry.
Can a lender run a hard pull without telling me?
A lender needs your authorisation to pull your full report for a credit decision. Read the lender's application before you sign so you know when that authorisation is being given.
Check my options without a hard pull
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