Amex soft pulls ?

[newnew2015]

Hello,

Have a few questions regarding soft pulls. I've read a lot of posts below but can't seem to find the answer to a few of my questions. 

1. Once you already have AMEX I know they perform soft pulls once you request them (for new products, upgrades, CLI...). Do they randomly do soft pulls on their own just to view your credit without prompt or only when you ask for something ? If they perform soft pulls on their own without prompt when do they normally start doing them (example Q3 mos, Q6 mos, or no real pattern) (Q = every) 

2. My hard pull when I initially got the card was from Experian. Is that the only place my soft pulls will be from as well?

3. I've read that soft pulls do not affect the score at all. Just would like to fact confirm this ! 

Thank you !

[Anonymous]

Soft pulls do not impact score.

Amex will SP at least twice monthly, as they need to do that in order to update your credit score(s) on their site.  They provide both TU VS3 and EX Fico Score 8, meaning that they're soft pulling at least TU and EX monthly (on average).  Whether or not they SP EQ as well I'm not aware, so you'd have to look at your EQ credit report SPs to verify that. 

[SouthJamaica]

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@newnew2015 wrote:

Hello,

Have a few questions regarding soft pulls. I've read a lot of posts below but can't seem to find the answer to a few of my questions. 

1. Once you already have AMEX I know they perform soft pulls once you request them (for new products, upgrades, CLI...). Do they randomly do soft pulls on their own just to view your credit without prompt or only when you ask for something ?

Yes, all lenders do. But it's not necessarily "random".

If they perform soft pulls on their own without prompt when do they normally start doing them (example Q3 mos, Q6 mos, or no real pattern) (Q = every) 

A month or two.

2. My hard pull when I initially got the card was from Experian. Is that the only place my soft pulls will be from as well

I believe so, but I have no information on it. When they do a SP, I never find out about it.

3. I've read that soft pulls do not affect the score at all. Just would like to fact confirm this ! 

Confirmed.

Thank you !

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[Anonymous]

Just recently(and the first time ever), I saw an an inquiry from Amex on the Work Number right before November.  I know it is slightly off topic but they are checking up on more than the credit bureaus it seems.

[RobertEG]

The definition of a so-called soft pull is a credit inquiry that is only shown on credit reports provided to the named consumer.

They are, by definition, not available to any third party, and thus not available for credit scoring.

Only one type of so-called soft pull is explicitly provided for under the FCRA, and that is the so-called promotional inquiry made by parties who wish to make you an unsolicited offer for new credit.  In addition to the inquiree not being able to obtain your full credit report, the FCRA specifically mandates that such inquiries cannot be shown on any credit reports made available to parties other than the named consumer.

Other types of soft inquiries are established by CRA policy, such as consumer pulls of their own credit report, and the CRA provides codes that block such soft coded inquiries from inclusion in any reports they provide to parties other than the named consumer.

No, they cannot effect your credit score.