Soft search
Soft searches are the standard tool for the early stages of a finance application. They let a lender run an indicative decision — checking the credit file for CCJs, defaults, overall utilisation and existing commitments — without flagging to other lenders that an application is in progress. A soft search does not affect the business's or director's credit score, even if it is repeated multiple times.
Comparison sites, eligibility checkers and most fintech lenders begin with a soft search. They typically only escalate to a hard search once the applicant has accepted an indicative offer and wants to proceed to underwriting. Some traditional lenders still run a hard search at the quote stage, so it is worth asking before submitting any data.
Even though soft searches don't show to other lenders, they do show on the file as a record visible to the consumer or business itself. This means a director can see when each soft search was run and by whom, which is useful when working through a decline and trying to reconstruct what lenders were considered.
Worked example
How the numbers play out
A director runs three soft-search eligibility checks across different lenders. The credit score is unchanged. They accept one indicative offer, the lender then runs a hard search to underwrite, and only that hard search becomes visible to other future lenders.
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Important — educational guidance only
- Not regulated by the FCA and not a credit broker.
- Not financial, legal or tax advice.
- Not a loan offer and not a guarantee of approval.
- Subject to lender underwriting — criteria can change.
Lendrly provides general eligibility guidance only. It is not financial advice, a loan offer, or a guarantee of approval. Provider criteria can change and final approval is subject to lender underwriting, affordability checks, credit assessment, and documentation. Lendrly is not a regulated credit broker; we do not submit applications on your behalf.