How to Request a Credit Limit Increase: Soft Pull

When you request a credit limit increase, soft pull approval processes are better for your credit score. Asking for an increased credit limit can be intimidating, and credit card companies aren't always transparent about how they consider limit increase requests.

Understanding the difference between hard and and when to use each is an important aspect of taking control of your finances. DoNotPay makes requesting a credit limit increase without allowing a hard pull a simple and straightforward process. Here's what you should know about increasing your spending capacity without hurting your credit score.

What Is the Difference Between a Soft and Hard Pull?

There are two types of credit inquiries. Understanding what happens when an institution checks your credit can be confusing, so it's important to know the difference so you can make the best financial decisions for yourself.

Soft Pull

A , or soft inquiry, is a check on your credit that isn't used to make a lending decision and doesn't impact your credit score. Because they don't impact your credit, it's okay to use a soft pull whenever you'd like to check your credit report.

Soft pulls are commonly used for:

Credit monitoring
Pre-approval for credit
Insurance quotes
Credit checks performed by an employer

Hard Pull

A hard pull, or hard inquiry, is done when you apply for a loan. Hard pulls can sometimes cause a temporary dip in your credit score, especially if you have many of them. Many people are concerned about hard inquiries. While they do impact your credit score, the impact is usually only a few points and goes away within a year. Still, it's important to use hard pulls thoughtfully and only when necessary.

Three common hard pull examples are:

Mortgages
New credit cards
Rental applications

Both types of inquiry have their place in your financial life. Hard pulls don't need to be avoided completely. Rather, carefully consider when and how often you apply for new lines of credit to keep your credit score as high as possible.

How to Request a Credit Limit Increase With a Soft Pull

In most cases, it's the credit card company's decision whether to use a hard or a soft inquiry when increasing your credit limit. That decision is usually based on company policy, not your financial profile. However, increasing your credit line with a soft pull is possible. These are two steps you can take to avoid a hard inquiry while increasing your line of credit.

Qualify for an automatic increase	Credit card companies often offer increases to qualified customers automatically, and these are more likely to be done with a soft pull. Pay your bill on time every month and avoid overspending, and you may be able to get a limit increase automatically.
Ask upfront	If your credit card company doesn't specify, ask what type of credit inquiry will take place. If the company requires a hard pull, you can then make an informed decision about whether the limit increase is worth it for you.

Requesting a credit limit increase is generally a straightforward process that you can do either online or by phone. You should expect your card issuer to ask for your income, monthly housing cost, and type of employment.

Easily Request a Credit Limit Increase With DoNotPay

Ensuring that your credit card provider only uses a soft pull to approve your limit increase can be difficult. DoNotPay's fast, easy and successful credit limit increase product allows you to specify whether you're willing to allow a hard pull. This makes it simple to avoid unnecessary hard inquiries when you apply for a credit increase, so you can enjoy only the credit benefits without the hit to your score.

How to request higher credit limits using DoNotPay:

If you want to request higher credit limits but don't know where to start, DoNotPay has you covered in six easy steps:

Go to the Credit Limit Increase product on DoNotPay.
Select which type of card you own and your credit provider.
Tell us more about your card, such as when you first created this card, your current credit limit, what you would like your new limit to be, your card number, and whether you've missed past payments.
Tell us more about your current income and expenses and why you would like to request a limit increase.
Indicate whether you want to allow hard inquiries to be made into your credit history. Upload a copy of your ID and provide your e-signature.
Submit your task. DoNotPay will deliver the request letter on your behalf. You should hear back from the card provider with confirmation or a request for more information within a few weeks.

What Else Can DoNotPay Do?

DoNotPay works across all credit card companies, which makes it easy to request a credit limit increase wherever you have an account. Some of these banks and lenders include: