Hard pull data vs. soft pull data

[Tdatb64]

I'm just wondering exactly what data does a hard pull provide a potential lender that a soft pull doesn't? There must be a difference, right?

[GatorGuy]

No difference, a hard pull just creates a record on your profile of you requesting credit. 

[coldfusion]

More specifically, a hard pull creates a record that is visible to any party that has permissible purpose to pull your credit report.   A soft pull will only be known to you, the credit reporting agency, and whomever it was that requested the soft pull. They are not viewable by other parties even if they have permissible purpose to pull your credit report.

[SouthJamaica]

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@Tdatb64 wrote:

I'm just wondering exactly what data does a hard pull provide a potential lender that a soft pull doesn't? There must be a difference, right?

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I believe there is a difference.  But I don't know what the differences are.

[PNWRambler]

As far as I can tell, there's no difference as to what information is shown in a soft pull vs hard pull. The differences are all about the circumstance. A soft pull is when credit card companies or lenders check your credit on their own to determine if you qualify, or when you check your own credit. A hard pull is only allowed when you give consent. And it generally indicates a new line of debt or credit opened (which is why it needs to be on your credit report for other lenders to see), whereas a soft pull could just be you keeping tabs on your score, or a lender trying to pre-approve you so that you'll apply for their product.