The act of a lender reviewing a borrower's credit file and then issuing an initial line of credit based on the results of the report, without the borrower requesting the loan. Lenders often do pre-approvals to entice people to borrow money from their company. Credit card companies send out letters on a regular basis that provide a person with a pre-approved line of credit. If the individual completes the pre-approved application, the credit line may be reduced or increased based on any changes in the borrower's credit file. Pre-approval offers typically do not decrease a person's credit score despite the multiple companies accessing it.