Can You Do a Soft Pull if Your Credit is Frozen?

Key insights:

• A credit freeze restricts access to your credit report and accounts to help shield you from identity theft
• Soft credit inquiries do not impact your creditworthiness and may still occur when your credit is frozen
• Hard credit inquiries do impact your credit, but are typically blocked by a credit freeze
• You may temporarily unfreeze your credit to allow lenders to perform a hard inquiry when you apply for a new account

Freezing your credit can be a smart move if you’re worried about identity theft. It limits who can access your credit report and may help stop scammers from opening accounts in your name.

New credit applications typically rely on hard credit inquiries. Soft credit inquiries, on the other hand, may still happen while your credit is frozen.

Let’s explore what credit freezes are and how soft and hard credit inquiries work when your credit is frozen.

What is a credit freeze?

A credit freeze is a free security measure that can help protect your finances. It may help prevent fraud by stopping new loans and lines of credit from being opened in your name.

To freeze your credit, you’ll have to contact the 3 major consumer credit bureaus online, by phone or mail. Each bureau has its own freezing and unfreezing procedures, so the exact steps may vary. You may need to provide documents verifying your identity (such as a Social Security card or pay stubs) to freeze your credit.

While your credit is frozen, you can still check your own credit report for free with each bureau once every 12 months, and you may be able to take advantage of the free weekly credit reports.

What is a soft credit inquiry?

A soft credit inquiry gives someone access to your credit report without impacting your credit score. You may also see this referred to as a “soft credit check” or a “soft credit pull.”

Several situations might trigger soft credit inquiries. For example, card issuers may use soft credit checks to pre-screen you for new credit cards. Landlords and insurers may use soft credit pulls to evaluate your rental application or underwrite your policy. You may also initiate soft credit checks when you use pre-qualification to find loans or credit cards you may qualify for.

Soft credit inquiries may still happen if your credit is frozen, since credit freezes don’t completely stop access to your credit report – they keep lenders from running hard credit inquiries when you apply for new credit.

Soft vs. hard credit inquiry

There are several key differences between soft and hard credit inquiries. For example:

• Prompts: Soft credit checks may happen for a variety of reasons, while hard credit inquiries generally only occur when you apply for new credit.
• Permissions: Soft credit checks may happen without your knowledge, while hard credit inquiries generally require your permission.
• Credit score impact: Soft credit inquiries don’t impact your credit score, while hard credit inquiries do have a small impact. Hard inquiries can lower your credit score by a few points for about a year and may stay on your report for up to 2 years. Soft credit inquiries can stay on your credit report for up to 2 years.

When you apply for new credit, the lender generally performs a hard credit inquiry to help evaluate your creditworthiness. If your credit is frozen, however, they won’t be able to complete that step. They may pause the application or reject it.

Managing your credit inquiries with Citi

A credit freeze could be a proactive move to protect against identity theft. It doesn’t typically block soft inquiries, which means you may still receive pre-screened offers and check your own credit report without issue. A freeze, however, prevents hard inquiries. Lenders need to perform a hard inquiry when you apply for new credit, so a freeze will likely interfere with your application.

If your credit is currently frozen but you’re considering a new credit card, consider using Citi's pre-qualification tool. This soft pull lets you see potential card offers with no impact on your credit.

Credit freeze FAQs

Do credit freezes block soft inquiries?

No, soft credit pulls may still happen when your credit is frozen. Since soft inquiries don’t involve opening new lines of credit, bureaus allow them to go through. This lets existing creditors monitor your accounts and allows you to check your own credit report.

What can you not do if your credit is frozen?

You cannot apply for new credit if your credit is frozen. Applying involves a hard credit check, so you would need to unfreeze (or "thaw") your credit first. This involves contacting the 3 credit bureaus and following their thawing procedures. You may choose to temporarily unfreeze your credit if you plan to reinstate it after applying.

What is the quickest way to unfreeze your credit?

The quickest way to unfreeze your credit is to contact the credit bureaus online or by phone and follow their specific procedures to lift the freeze. It may take up to 1 hour for your credit to unfreeze after your request. Once your credit is “thawed,” you may submit your application and, if approved, start enjoying your new credit card.

Disclosure: This article is for educational purposes. It is not intended to provide legal, investment, or financial advice and is not a substitute for professional advice. It does not indicate the availability of any Citi product or service. For advice about your specific circumstances, you should consult a qualified professional.