^{You provide some basic information about yourself; we use this to access your credit file and match your credit history to the lenders criteria. This allows us to show you the likelihood of being accepted for a loan. Don’t worry this search does not leave a footprint on your credit file so your credit score won’t be affected.}

^{So that we can work out your eligibility score for each loan and present you with your options. This way you can avoid applying for multiple loans you may not be eligible for and that may leave a footprint on your credit file making it more difficult for you to access a loan in the future.}

^{Every time a search is done on your credit file, it is recorded as either a ‘hard’ or ‘soft’ search. If you are making an application for credit, this is a hard search that leaves a mark that will be visible to other lenders on your credit file for 2 years. This matters because, for many lenders, several hard searches over a short period suggest you might be struggling to get a product, or that you’ve opened several accounts that could prove difficult to manage. However, you’ll only be doing a soft search when you or someone else looks at your file, but not in connection with an actual application. For example, when you put your details into our Eligibility Checker, we look at your file and work out how likely you are to be accepted for a range of products. This is based on what we know about providers’ acceptance criteria. This type of search cannot be seen by lenders and will not affect your score, but will be visible to you. You can use the Eligibility Checker as often as you like over any period without risking damage to your file.}

Pre-approval, this means that you have passed initial credit worthiness and affordability checks, based on your credit file and the information you have provided, for a lender. If you proceed with an application, the lender may still need to verify your identity, income and undertake fraud checks and if these are passed with the lender you will get accepted for credit.