When you apply for any type of loan or credit card, you allow the bank or financial institution to check your credit report.

It is believed that hard inquiry leads to the loss of credit score, albeit temporarily. And it shows on your credit report ...

A hard inquiry happens when a company checks your credit report because you have applied for credit. You can dispute hard inquiries you didn’t authorize, but you cannot remove legitimate credit ...

Once you submit an actual application though, you give the card issuer permission to check your credit, which is called a hard inquiry (or "hard pull"). This can sometimes result in a slight ding ...