Which personal loan lenders use a soft credit pull for pre-qualification?

Soft vs hard credit pull: A soft pull (soft inquiry) does not affect your credit score and is not visible to other lenders reviewing your credit report. A hard pull (hard inquiry) temporarily reduces your score by 5-10 points and is visible to other lenders for 2 years. All legitimate personal loan pre-qualification processes use soft pulls. The hard pull only occurs when you formally submit a loan application for funding.

Lenders with confirmed soft-pull pre-qualification (as of 2026): SoFi: soft pull for rate check; hard pull at application. LendingClub: soft pull for rate; hard pull at application. Upgrade: soft pull for rate; hard pull at application. Avant: soft pull at pre-qualification step. Marcus by Goldman Sachs: soft pull for rates. Discover Personal Loans: soft pull for rate check. LightStream: rate check typically involves a soft pull; some users report a single soft pull for the initial inquiry and hard pull only at application. Upstart: soft pull for rate estimate. Best Egg: soft pull for rate.

Lenders that typically require a hard pull from the start: A few smaller or credit-union lenders still initiate a hard pull from the first inquiry - this varies by institution and is becoming less common. Credit unions in particular may not have separate pre-qualification systems and jump straight to application.

How to pre-qualify safely: Use each lender's 'check your rate' or 'pre-qualify' button rather than the main 'apply now' button. The pre-qualification flow collects basic information (income, loan amount, credit score estimate) and returns your estimated rate range based on a soft pull. You are not committed to anything at this stage. Multiple soft pulls in the same day for rate shopping do not compound - they are each recorded separately but none affect your score.