Just found out Amex is doing something pretty smart with their credit cards with soft pull approval. Basically you can apply, get approved, and they won't touch your credit score in the process. Only if you actually accept the card do they run the hard check. Pretty wild considering every other card company just goes straight for the hard pull.

The soft pull feature means you can test your odds without worrying about the credit score hit. Normally each inquiry drops you like 5 points, so if you're applying to multiple cards that adds up fast. With credit cards with soft pull, you can see what you qualify for first. Amex says the approval is basically guaranteed after the soft check passes, though you won't know your limit until they do the full evaluation.

Right now it's only available if you apply directly through their website or call them, but they're planning to roll it out to co-branded partner sites eventually. Honestly this kind of credit cards with soft pull feature should be standard everywhere. Makes applying way less stressful when you're not sure if your credit's good enough.