Premier Bank's Credit Check Method

Premier Bank uses a hard pull (also called a hard inquiry) when you request a credit card, not a soft pull. A hard pull means the bank will request your full credit report from one or more of the three major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion. This inquiry shows up on your credit report and can lower your credit score by a few points, typically for about three to six months.

A soft pull, by contrast, does not appear on your credit report and does not affect your score. Banks use soft pulls for pre-qualification offers you receive in the mail or when they check your creditworthiness for existing customer products. Premier Bank does not use soft pulls for new credit card applications.

The reason Premier Bank conducts a hard pull is standard across the industry: they need to see your complete credit history, payment patterns, and existing debt before deciding whether to approve you and at what interest rate. This protects both you and the bank by ensuring the terms match your actual credit profile.

Key Takeaways

  • Premier Bank performs a hard pull when you request a new credit card, which will appear on your credit report and may lower your score slightly.
  • A hard pull shows your complete credit history and existing debts, allowing Premier Bank to make an informed approval decision.
  • The impact of a hard pull typically fades within three to six months, and multiple inquiries for the same type of credit within 14 to 45 days usually count as one inquiry.
  • You can ask Premier Bank whether you are pre-may have access to for a card before formally requesting one, which may involve only a soft pull.

What Happens When Premier Bank Pulls Your Credit

When you submit a credit card application to Premier Bank, they will request your credit report from at least one bureau. This hard pull becomes visible to other lenders and creditors who check your report. It typically reduces your credit score by 5 to 10 points, though the exact impact depends on your overall credit profile and how many recent inquiries you have.

The hard pull remains on your credit report for two years, but its effect on your score diminishes after the first few months. If you apply for multiple credit cards within a short window — say, two weeks — the bureaus often treat those inquiries as a single inquiry for scoring purposes, since they recognize you are rate-shopping rather than seeking multiple new credit lines.

Premier Bank will also review your credit score, payment history, account balances, and length of credit history. They use this information to decide whether to approve you and what credit limit and interest rate to offer.

When Premier Bank May Use a Soft Pull Instead

Premier Bank may conduct a soft pull in specific situations where a full credit check is not necessary. If you receive a pre-qualification offer from Premier Bank in the mail, that offer is based on a soft pull — the bank has already screened their customer list and identified people who may may have access to for a particular card.

If you are already a Premier Bank customer and you inquire about a different credit card or credit product, the bank may use a soft pull to check your may be able to access without triggering a hard inquiry. This is sometimes called an internal review. You can contact Premier Bank directly to ask whether a particular product check would involve a soft or hard pull before you formally request it.

Soft pulls also occur when Premier Bank reviews your account for credit limit increases or when they monitor your account for fraud prevention. These do not require your permission and do not affect your credit score.

How to Minimize the Impact of a Hard Pull

If you plan to apply for a Premier Bank credit card, you can reduce the damage to your score by spacing out applications. Applying for multiple cards in a single month will result in multiple hard pulls, each one lowering your score. Waiting 30 to 90 days between applications allows your score to recover somewhat before the next inquiry.

You can also check your own credit report before applying. Checking your own credit is a soft pull and does not affect your score. Reviewing your report lets you spot errors or negative items that might cause Premier Bank to deny your application. You can obtain a free credit report once per year from each bureau through AnnualCreditReport.com, which is the official site run by the three bureaus.

Another strategy is to research Premier Bank's credit requirements before applying. If you have a credit score below their typical approval range, a hard pull will lower your score without resulting in approval. Calling Premier Bank's customer service to ask about their minimum credit score for a particular card can help you decide whether to apply.

Hard Pulls Versus Soft Pulls: The Difference for Your Score

The key difference between a hard pull and a soft pull is visibility and impact. A hard pull appears on your credit report for two years and affects your credit score immediately. A soft pull does not appear on your report and does not affect your score at all. Only you and authorized parties (like Premier Bank, if you are their customer) can see soft pulls on your report.

Hard pulls signal to other lenders that you are seeking new credit, which can make you appear riskier. Soft pulls are invisible to other lenders and carry no scoring penalty. This is why pre-qualification offers use soft pulls — the bank wants to invite you without damaging your score if you decline.

For credit card applications specifically, hard pulls are standard because the lender needs to assess your risk accurately. Premier Bank cannot make a fair lending decision based on limited information, so they conduct a full review every time you apply for a new card.

What to Do Before Applying to Premier Bank

Before you submit a credit card application to Premier Bank, gather the information they will need. Have your Social Security number, date of birth, current address, and employment information ready. Premier Bank will verify this information as part of their review.

Check your credit score using a free service like Credit Karma, NerdWallet, or your bank's own credit monitoring tool. These services show you your score without triggering a hard pull. Knowing your score helps you decide whether to apply and which Premier Bank card might be the best fit for your credit profile.

Read the card's terms and conditions, including the annual percentage rate (APR), annual fee (if any), and rewards structure. Premier Bank will offer you specific terms based on your credit, so the APR you see advertised may not be the APR you receive. Understanding the range helps you evaluate whether the offer is worth the hard pull to your credit score.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will Premier Bank tell me if I will be approved before they pull my credit?

Premier Bank may offer a pre-qualification tool on their website or app that gives you an estimate without a hard pull. However, a formal approval decision requires a hard pull. You can call their customer service to ask whether a particular card has a pre-qualification option available.

How long does a Premier Bank hard pull stay on my credit report?

The hard pull remains visible on your credit report for two years, but its impact on your credit score typically fades within three to six months. After that time, the inquiry has minimal effect on your score, though it is still visible to other lenders.

If I apply for a Premier Bank card and get denied, does the hard pull still hurt my score?

Yes. The hard pull affects your score regardless of whether you are approved or denied. This is why it is worth researching the card's requirements before applying — a denial still costs you points. If you are denied, you can ask Premier Bank why and whether you should wait before reapplying.

Can I ask Premier Bank to use a soft pull instead of a hard pull?

No. Premier Bank's policy requires a hard pull for new credit card applications. You cannot request that they use a soft pull instead. However, you can ask whether they offer a pre-qualification process that uses a soft pull before you formally apply.

Do multiple applications to Premier Bank count as one hard pull?

Each application to Premier Bank results in a separate hard pull. However, if you apply for multiple Premier Bank cards within 14 to 45 days, the credit bureaus may treat those inquiries as a single inquiry for scoring purposes, since they recognize you are shopping for credit within a short window.