by 
The Curious Bag
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A soft credit history inquiry does not affect a credit score, and it usually occurs without an application for credit, according to BankVibe.com.
MIsconceptions
Even though "pre-approved" credit cards offer a line of credit, these do not affect a credit score because the company has not received written approval to pull the credit history.
Benefits
Credit reporting agencies consider pulling one's own credit record a soft credit history inquiry. This allows a person to check for potentially negative items without dinging their score.
Features
A person's soft credit history appears on the credit record, but it is viewable only to the person who holds the record, not to lenders.
Function
Employers often perform a soft credit inquiry when making an employment decision, and banks run one to verify the identity of someone trying to open an account.
Tips
People should limit the amount of hard inquiries into their credit history, because these do start to negatively affect a score--especially when several types of them happen within a short span of time--by asking creditors what type of inquiry they run.
Source:
BankVive.com: Credit history inquiries: Hard Pull vs. Soft Pull
MoneyBlueBook.com: Difference Between Soft Credit Check and Hard Credit Check
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