Checking your credit on Credit Karma does not lower your score

When you log into Credit Karma and view your credit score or report, the site performs what's called a soft inquiry — a background check that does not affect your credit score at all. Soft inquiries don't show up on the credit report that lenders see, and the credit bureaus don't count them when calculating your score.

The confusion usually comes from mixing up soft inquiries with hard inquiries, which do lower your score by a few points. Hard inquiries happen when you apply for a credit card, loan, or mortgage, and the lender pulls your full report to decide whether to lend to you. Credit Karma checking your score is not the same thing — it's you looking at your own information, which has no penalty.

Credit Karma pulls your credit reports from Equifax and TransUnion (two of the three major bureaus) and shows you the scores those bureaus calculated. The act of pulling that data to show you is a soft inquiry, not a hard one.

Key Takeaways

  • Viewing your own credit score on Credit Karma is a soft inquiry and does not lower your score.
  • Hard inquiries — which do lower your score by a few points — only happen when you apply for credit with a lender.
  • You can check your credit score as often as you want without any penalty to your score.
  • Credit Karma shows scores from Equifax and TransUnion but not Experian, so you may see different numbers elsewhere.

How soft inquiries and hard inquiries differ

A soft inquiry is a background check that does not show up on the credit report lenders see. When you check your own credit, when a company pre-screens you for an offer, or when an employer checks your background, those are all soft inquiries. They have no impact on your score.

A hard inquiry appears on your credit report and lowers your score by a small amount — usually between 5 and 10 points per inquiry. Hard inquiries happen when you apply for a credit card, auto loan, mortgage, or personal loan. The lender pulls your report to decide whether to lend to you and at what rate. Multiple hard inquiries in a short time can add up, but they fall off your report after about 12 months and stop affecting your score after two years.

Credit Karma performs only soft inquiries. The site is showing you information about yourself, not helping a lender make a lending decision, so there is no reason for it to count against you.

Why Credit Karma can show different scores than other sites

Credit Karma pulls data from Equifax and TransUnion but not from Experian, the third major credit bureau. If you check your score on another site that uses Experian, or if a lender pulls Experian when you apply for credit, you may see a different number. This is normal — the three bureaus sometimes have different information about you, and they use slightly different formulas to calculate scores.

Credit Karma also shows you VantageScore 3.0, which is a scoring model created by the three bureaus together. Many lenders use FICO scores instead, which can be higher or lower than your VantageScore. The score you see on Credit Karma is real and accurate for that model, but it may not match the score a lender sees when you apply.

You can also check your score for free once a year from each bureau at AnnualCreditReport.com, which is the official government site. That report shows you what lenders see, though it does not include a score — you have to get that separately from the bureaus or from other free sites.

What actually does lower your credit score

Hard inquiries lower your score, but only by a few points and only when you apply for new credit. Paying late, carrying high balances on credit cards, defaulting on a loan, or having a collection account reported all do much more damage. Closing old credit card accounts can lower your score because it reduces the total credit available to you. Applying for multiple credit cards or loans in a short time can also hurt because each application triggers a hard inquiry.

Checking your own credit — whether on Credit Karma, your bank's website, or directly from the bureaus — never lowers your score. You can check as often as you want without any penalty.

How often you should check your credit

Checking your credit regularly helps you catch fraud, errors, and identity theft early. Many people check monthly or even weekly on Credit Karma at no cost. Some check before applying for a major loan so they know what score a lender will see. Others check after paying down debt to see the score improve.

There is no downside to checking often. The only reason to space out checks is if you are trying to monitor progress toward a goal — checking daily when you are paying down debt will show tiny changes that are not meaningful. Checking every month or every few months gives you a clearer picture of whether your score is moving in the right direction.

If you notice errors on your credit report — a late payment you made on time, an account you did not open, or a debt you already paid — you can dispute it with the bureau. Credit Karma lets you start a dispute directly from the app, though you can also contact Equifax or TransUnion yourself.

When checking credit does matter for your score

The only time checking your credit affects your score is if you are applying for new credit and a lender pulls your report. That hard inquiry will lower your score slightly. But the act of checking your own score beforehand — to see what you are working with — does not cause that hard inquiry. The hard inquiry happens when the lender pulls your report, not when you do.

If you are planning to apply for a mortgage, auto loan, or credit card, it makes sense to check your score first on Credit Karma so you know what to expect. Then when you apply and the lender pulls your report, that is when the hard inquiry happens. But your own checking did not cause it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Credit Karma sell my information to lenders?

Credit Karma shows you offers from lenders based on your credit profile, but it does not sell your personal information. Lenders can see that you viewed an offer, and if you click through to apply, then the lender pulls your credit report. Your choice to view an offer does not trigger a hard inquiry or lower your score.

Can I check my credit too many times?

No. Checking your own credit as many times as you want has no penalty. You can log into Credit Karma daily if you choose. The only limit is on hard inquiries from lenders, which do lower your score slightly, but those happen when you apply for credit, not when you check your own score.

Why does my Credit Karma score differ from my bank's score?

Different companies use different credit bureaus and different scoring models. Credit Karma uses Equifax and TransUnion with VantageScore 3.0. Your bank might use Experian or FICO scores instead. All of these numbers are real — they just come from different sources and use different math.

Should I worry about soft inquiries on my credit report?

No. Soft inquiries do not lower your score and do not matter to lenders. They appear on your credit report but are invisible to anyone but you. You can ignore them completely.