If you are thinking about car finance and are worried about your credit score, a soft credit check could help. It gives you a simple idea of your options without leaving a mark on your credit file.
At Go Car Credit, we complete a soft quotation search after an application meets our minimum criteria. This gives us a view of your credit history and helps us review your application. It does not affect your credit score.
If the finance agreement is later signed and the application is ready to proceed, we complete a hard credit search. This leaves a visible footprint on your credit report.
We work with people who have poor or limited credit histories. A soft credit check could be a gentle first step if you have missed payments, defaults or other past issues and want to explore your options in a steady way.
Step 1: Calculate your monthly repayments
Step 2: Apply and track your application online, in real time (No login or app needed!)
Representative example – Total amount of credit £10,500, annual interest rate 18.25% (fixed), charge for credit £9,886.25 (£9,581.25 interest, £295 admin fee and £10 option to purchase fee), total amount payable £20,386.25. Loan term of 60 monthly instalments, 59 payments of £339.60 and 1 final instalment of £349.60. 34.5% Representative APR – Subject to status and affordability.
A soft credit check, sometimes called a soft search, is a light look at your credit file. It uses a small amount of information from the credit reference agencies to show how you have handled credit before.
A soft search does not leave a footprint that other lenders will see. You may see it yourself when you check your own report. It does not affect your credit score. Soft checks are outlined in simple terms on the Experian website.
Soft searches are used in many everyday situations across the UK. They may be carried out when you:
Soft searches may give a general sense of your chances of being accepted before you make a full application.
Soft and hard checks both use information from your credit report, but they work in different ways.
A simple comparison of the two is outlined in our guide to hard and soft credit checks.
We are a direct lender offering hire purchase car finance to people with poor or limited credit histories.
When you apply with us, the steps are simple:
If you have a low score or several recent hard searches, you may worry about applying again. A soft check could give you an early idea of your chances without adding to your credit footprint.
A soft credit check may help you to:
People who may find this helpful include those with past missed payments, CCJs, an IVA, a thin credit file or a mix of work income and benefits income.
More details on these situations are outlined in our bad credit car finance information.
Some companies use the term “no credit check car finance”. In many cases, this may mean that no hard credit search is completed when you first apply.
A lender may still use a soft credit search to review your credit history and check whether you meet its initial criteria. A soft search does not affect your credit score and is not normally visible to other lenders.
At Go Car Credit, we complete a soft quotation search after an application meets our minimum criteria. A hard search is only completed after the finance agreement has been signed and the application is ready to proceed.
A soft search is only one part of an application. We also check a few basic things about your situation. These are:
You can read simple information about credit in our credit explained section.
If you would like to see what could be possible, you may follow these steps:
All finance is subject to status and affordability.
No. A soft credit check does not affect your credit score and is not visible to other lenders. How soft checks appear is outlined on the TransUnion website.
Soft checks are normally visible only to you and the company that carried them out. They do not show up to other lenders.
Yes. A soft search gives an early view. A final decision may depend on your wider history, income and your regular credit commitments.
It could still help you explore your options. Soft checks do not affect your score, and you may still be able to continue depending on your full situation.
In many cases, yes, if the income is regular and reliable. More on this is outlined in our car finance on benefits page.
A soft credit check could help you explore your car finance choices without affecting your credit score. It may give you a clearer view of what could be possible before you decide what to do next.
If you would like to apply, you can use the online form on our car finance application page. If your application meets our minimum criteria, the first credit search is a soft quotation search.
