Checking your credit score generally does not hurt your credit. When you check your credit score, a "soft inquiry" is performed, which does not affect your credit. Soft inquiries occur when you or a potential lender checks your credit for informational purposes, such as when pre-approving you for a credit card or when reviewing your current credit status. Soft inquiries have no impact on your credit score.

In contrast, a "hard inquiry" occurs when a lender or organization pulls your credit report for purposes of evaluating a credit application. This is usually done when you apply for a loan, lease, or other financial product. Hard inquiries can temporarily lower your credit score by a few points but typically have a minimal and short-lived impact.

However, frequently applying for credit in a short amount of time can result in multiple hard inquiries and significantly hurt your credit score. Therefore, it is crucial to manage your credit inquiries wisely to minimize potential negative effects on your credit score.