How Many Hard Credit Inquiries are Too Many? | Chase (2024)

When you apply for a credit card or a loan, your lender conducts a hard inquiry into your credit. Since hard inquiries affect your credit score and what is found may even affect approval, you might be wondering: How many inquiries is too many? The answer differs from lender to lender, but most consider six total inquiries on a report at one time to be too many to gain approval for an additional credit card or loan.

In this article, we will review:

  • What a hard credit inquiry is
  • What the difference is between hard and soft inquiries
  • How long hard inquiries stay on credit reports
  • If credit card applications are considered hard or soft inquiries
  • How hard inquiries affect your chances of getting a credit card

What is a hard credit inquiry?

A hard inquiry (also known as a “hard pull”) is a request by a lender to see your full credit report in order to help determine eligibility for loans and credit cards. Hard pulls are a necessary and unavoidable part of extending credit in most circ*mstances.

What is the difference between hard and soft credit inquiry?

Just as there are hard inquiries, there are also soft inquiries. There are few key differences between the two.

A hard inquiry affects your credit score, impacting it by a few points, while a soft inquiry does not. A hard inquiry is necessary for a lender to determine your APRs, credit limits and more, while a soft inquiry can be run for the purposes of pre-screens and as part of a background check.

Soft inquiries are sometimes used to help determine your pre-approval status for certain credit cards as well, however this is not the same as being approved for a credit card or loan.

How long do hard inquiries stay on my credit report?

Hard inquiries remain on your credit report for about two years. However, this does not necessarily mean they will hurt your credit score for this long. Generally speaking, the effects of a hard pull on your credit score are not significant and the impact usually lessens over time.

Are credit card applications considered hard or soft inquiries?

A credit card application (as well as other applications, such as for auto loans and mortgages) requires a hard inquiry. Soft inquiries, however, can be used as part of a pre-approval process.

How can hard inquiries affect my chances of getting a credit card?

Having too many hard inquiries can hurt your credit score and potentially make it harder for you to get approved for a credit card. For example, if you apply for multiple credit cards within a short period of time, this may appear as a red flag for the issuer. They may be suspicious that you potentially may not make payments back on time towards your current credit cards or are looking to make purchases that you may not be able to pay off.

If you collect about six hard inquiries within a two-year period on your credit report, you may have a difficult time getting approvals for future cards and other lines of credit. Hard pulls can affect your credit score and may also hurt your eligibility for new credit cards and/or loans — especially if the number of inquiries reaches six.

If you’re curious about how your credit score is being impacted and want to find ways to improve it, be sure to enroll in Chase Credit Journey®, a free online tool that provides strategies if you want to improve your credit before applying for a loan and tips after a hard inquiry has affected your score.

In summary

Hard inquiries are a necessary part of the process of getting a new line of credit. While they can hurt your credit score at first, they won't typically have a lasting impact. Unless you collect several hard inquiries (especially in a short period of time), hard inquiries shouldn’t affect your ability to get your next credit card, loan or other credit account. Remaining aware of your financial habits, such as the frequency you get new lines of credit, can help you better prepare yourself for a healthy financial future.

How Many Hard Credit Inquiries are Too Many? | Chase (2024)

FAQs

How Many Hard Credit Inquiries are Too Many? | Chase? ›

Since hard inquiries affect your credit score and what is found may even affect approval, you might be wondering: How many inquiries is too many? The answer differs from lender to lender, but most consider six total inquiries on a report at one time to be too many to gain approval for an additional credit card or loan.

How many hard inquiries are too much? ›

For many lenders, six inquiries are too many to be approved for a loan or bank card. Even if you have multiple hard inquiries on your report in a short period, you may not see negative consequences if you're shopping for a specific type of loan.

Is 12 inquiries bad? ›

However, multiple hard inquiries can deplete your score by as much as 10 points each time they happen. People with six or more recent hard inquiries are eight times as likely to file for bankruptcy than those with none. That's way more inquiries than most of us need to find a good deal on a car loan or credit card.

Can you get denied for too many inquiries? ›

The short answer is yes, but it depends on things like how many inquiries a credit bureau receives for you in a short period of time, and the type of inquiry. An error occurred.

What is the 5 24 rule for Chase? ›

What is the 5/24 rule? Many card issuers have criteria for who can qualify for new accounts, but Chase is perhaps the most strict. Chase's 5/24 rule means that you can't be approved for most Chase cards if you've opened five or more personal credit cards (from any card issuer) within the past 24 months.

How bad is 3 hard inquiries? ›

Each hard inquiry can cause your credit score to drop by a few points. There's no such thing as “too many” hard inquiries, but multiple credit inquiries within a short window of time can suggest that you might be a risky borrower.

How many inquiries is too many in 12 months? ›

In general, six or more hard inquiries are often seen as too many. Based on the data, this number corresponds to being eight times more likely than average to declare bankruptcy. This heightened credit risk can damage a person's credit options and lower one's credit score.

Is 7 hard inquiries too many? ›

Hard pulls can affect your credit score and may also hurt your eligibility for new credit cards and/or loans — especially if the number of inquiries reaches six.

What is the secret way to remove hard inquiries? ›

If you find an unauthorized or inaccurate hard inquiry, you can file a dispute letter and request that the bureau remove it from your report. The consumer credit bureaus must investigate dispute requests unless they determine your dispute is frivolous.

Is 20 hard inquiries bad? ›

Too many hard inquiries at a time will not only reduce your credit score but will also make you seem too desperate for cash. Lenders will not be able to trust you. Multiple hard inquiries might add up to multiple new accounts.

How do you get rid of hard inquiries in 15 minutes? ›

If you identify an unauthorized hard inquiry, here's a detailed approach on how to remove hard inquiries in 15 minutes:
  1. Dispute with the Credit Bureau: Initiate a dispute online or via mail. ...
  2. Contact the Creditor: Engage with the lender or creditor responsible for the inquiry. ...
  3. Safeguard Your Credit:
Oct 10, 2023

How long until hard inquiries fall off? ›

Hard inquiries are taken off your credit reports after two years. But your credit scores may only be affected for a year, and sometimes it might only be for a few months. Lenders may be concerned if you have too many hard inquiries on your credit report within a short period of time.

How do I fix too many inquiries on my credit report? ›

Here's how the credit inquiry removal process works.
  1. Obtain free copies of your credit report. You can order free credit reports once a year from each bureau. ...
  2. Flag any inaccurate hard inquiries. ...
  3. Contact the original lender. ...
  4. Start an official dispute. ...
  5. Include all essential information. ...
  6. Submit your dispute. ...
  7. Wait for a verdict.

What is the 48 month rule Chase? ›

First question: Have you earned a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve® welcome bonus in the last 48 months? If you have received a bonus for a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve® within the past 48 months, you cannot earn a new cardmember welcome bonus on a new Sapphire card.

What is the Chase 0 30 rule? ›

The 0/30 Rule

This Chase application rule means that you can not have applied for any Chase credit cards in a 30-day period before applying for a business card.

What is the 2 30 rule for Chase? ›

Some credit card experts believe that Chase is also likely to decline new card applications if you have opened two credit cards within 30 days. This is known as the "2/30 rule." Because I had just opened two new cards, Chase was reluctant to let me open another.

Is it bad to have 2 hard inquiries within 30 days? ›

Lenders and credit scoring models consider how many hard inquiries you have on your credit reports because applications for new credit increase the risk a borrower poses. One or two hard inquiries accrued during the normal course of applying for loans or credit cards can have an almost negligible effect on your credit.

Is 4 credit cards too many? ›

There is no right number of credit cards — it depends on how many you can manage. Having multiple credit cards helps reduce your utilization rate and provides lenders with more information to better gauge your creditworthiness.

Is 30 inquiries bad? ›

Inquiries can have a greater impact if you have few accounts or a short credit history. Large numbers of inquiries also mean greater risk. Statistically, people with six inquiries or more on their credit reports can be up to eight times more likely to declare bankruptcy than people with no inquiries on their reports.

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