A soft search lets you explore your car finance options without leaving a mark that other lenders can see — so checking has no initial impact on your credit score. This page explains what a soft search is, how it differs from a hard credit search, and what happens if you decide to go ahead. Trusted Car Finance is a credit broker, not a lender.
A soft search (sometimes called a soft credit check) is a look at parts of your credit information to help estimate which finance options might suit you. Crucially, a soft search has no initial impact on your credit score, and while it is recorded on your credit file, only you can see it — other lenders cannot. That means you can check your options as often as you like without it affecting how lenders view you.
Soft search: Used to give you an early indication of your options. No initial impact on your credit score, and not visible to other lenders.
Hard search: A full credit check a lender runs when you formally apply for finance. It is visible to other lenders and can have a small, usually short-lived effect on your score, especially if you make several applications in a short space of time. A hard search only happens later, and only with your consent.
When you check your options with Trusted Car Finance, we use a soft search to help match your circumstances to suitable lenders on our panel. You answer a few questions about you and the car you want, and we use that — with a soft search — to show which routes could be a fit. Because it is a soft search, it has no initial impact on your credit score. If you decide to proceed with a lender, they may then carry out a full (hard) credit search, and only with your consent.
A soft search is recorded on your credit file, but the record is only visible to you — not to other lenders or companies checking your file. It does not count as an application for credit, so it does not affect your score or how lenders assess you. This is different from a hard search, which is visible to lenders and forms part of your borrowing history.
A soft search is helpful for anyone who wants to understand their options before committing — including people who are worried about the effect of applying, are comparing finance types, or have adverse credit and want to check who might be able to help without a mark on their file. Being eligible for finance is never certain and depends on each lender's own checks, but a soft search is a low-risk way to get an early sense of where you stand.
Once you have seen an indication of your options, there is no obligation to go ahead. If you do choose to proceed, the lender will explain the next steps, which usually include a full application and a hard credit search carried out with your consent. You should always check the total amount repayable and make sure any repayment is affordable for you throughout the whole term before you commit.
No. A soft search has no initial impact on your credit score. It is recorded on your file but only you can see it, and it is not visible to other lenders. A full (hard) search may happen later if you proceed, and only with your consent.
A soft search gives an early indication of your options with no initial impact on your score and is not visible to other lenders. A hard search is a full check run when you formally apply, is visible to lenders, and can have a small, usually short-lived effect on your score.
Yes. A soft search only gives an indication — it is not a decision. Being accepted is never guaranteed and depends on each lender's own assessment of your circumstances and affordability when you formally apply.
As many as you like. Because soft searches are not visible to other lenders and have no initial impact on your score, checking your options repeatedly will not harm your credit standing.
No. Trusted Car Finance is a credit broker, not a lender. We use a soft search to help match you to a panel of UK lenders. How we are paid is set out in our commission disclosure.
See your car finance options with no initial impact on your credit score. A hard search may follow later, only with your consent.
Trusted Car Finance is a credit broker, not a lender.
