Dept Store Cards in the store - SP or HP?

[DSFA]

When applying for a card at the register in a store such as Macy's etc., do they do a SP or a HP? I still can't get the shopping cart trick pop up to pop up, so figured I'd give it a shot at the register as long as it's not a HP.

Thanks

[RobertEG]

Any request initiated by a consumer for credit gives the creditor permissible purpose to pull your credit report without any further authorization from the consumer.

Consumer-initiated requests for credit can always be hard.

It is at the discretion of the creditor to get coded as soft.

[DSFA]

Thank you for the answer and while I understand what you're saying, that really doesn't help much. For example, it's been stated over and over that Fingerhut does a soft pull. The shopping cart trick does a soft pull. Is there no way to know in advance if Macy's or Kohls or Target is going to do a SP or a HP? 

I know they can do a HP, I'm wondering if they will.

[RobertEG]

The forum is filled with posts by consumers who are promised at the cash register that no inquiry will be made or posted to their credit report, only to then see a hard inquiry.

I dont think you will get a definitive answer without running the risk.

[Kennie02]

RobertEG is right. I was at Costco and they offered me the Amex. They swore it would only be a SP but then I got a SW alert about a new inquiry. I think when they say that they will start w/ A SP but will HP if they want to get you approved.