Credit reports and SCHUFA: what they contain and how to check yours
Understand what SCHUFA stores, how the credit score works and how to request and check your free data copy.
What you will learn
- What a credit bureau is and which data SCHUFA stores and does not store
- How the SCHUFA score is structured and which behaviour influences it
- How to request the free data copy and correct wrong entries
- Why a better credit rating can save real money on a loan
Explanation
A credit bureau (Auskunftei) collects information about how people handle credit and payment obligations and passes it to companies that have a legitimate interest, such as banks, landlords or mobile phone providers. In Germany the best-known bureau is SCHUFA (Schutzgemeinschaft für allgemeine Kreditsicherung). Other bureaus exist, so a data check with SCHUFA alone may not show everything.
What SCHUFA stores
- Identity data: name, date of birth, current and former addresses
- Contracts: current accounts, credit cards, loans, leasing, mobile phone contracts, instalment purchases
- Credit inquiries by companies
- Payment disruptions (negative entries), for example a debt that was not paid after reminders
According to SCHUFA and consumer sources, it does not store income, assets, occupation, nationality or marital status. A credit score is therefore not a measure of wealth; it estimates how likely you are to meet payment obligations.
The score
A credit score is a number that summarises payment risk. In March 2026 SCHUFA presented a new score on a scale from 100 to 999 points (higher is better), based on 12 publicly named criteria. Payment disruptions carry the most weight. Other criteria include the age of your oldest bank account and credit card, how long you have lived at your current address, the number of inquiries and new contracts in the last 12 months, and new instalment loans. Not all companies used the new score immediately, so older industry scores may still be in use. Check the current details on SCHUFA's own pages.
Storage periods
As general orientation: settled payment disruptions are usually deleted three years after settlement; under a newer rule a first-time disruption settled within 100 days can be stored for a shorter period. Credit inquiries are typically stored for 12 months. Rules change, so check the current periods before relying on them.
Practical rules
- Pay every bill on time; one ignored invoice that reaches collection can weigh more than everything else.
- When comparing loans, ask lenders for a request for credit conditions (Anfrage Kreditkonditionen) rather than a full credit application, and do not apply to many lenders in a short time.
- Keep an old, unused current account or credit card open if it costs nothing; its age can help.
- Avoid many small instalment purchases ("buy now, pay later") at the same time.
Checking your data
Under Article 15 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR, German: DSGVO) you have a right to a copy of the data stored about you. SCHUFA offers this data copy (Datenkopie) free of charge through its official website. Be careful with third-party sites that charge for the same thing. The free copy is meant for your own check; landlords often ask for a paid credit certificate instead.
If an entry is wrong (a debt you never had, or one that should already be deleted), write to SCHUFA, include evidence such as a payment confirmation, and keep a copy. You can also contact the company that reported the entry.
Worked example
Hypothetical example: Two people borrow €10,000 for 48 months. Because of an old payment disruption, person B is offered an effective annual interest rate of 8%; person A, with a clean record, is offered 5%. Assumptions: equal monthly payments, no fees, rates fixed for the full term. The monthly rate is converted from the effective annual rate: (1 + annual rate)^(1/12) − 1.
- Person A, 5%: monthly payment about €229.79; total paid 48 × €229.79 ≈ €11,029.93.
- Person B, 8%: monthly payment about €242.82; total paid 48 × €242.82 ≈ €11,655.41.
- Difference: €11,655.41 − €11,029.93 ≈ €625 more interest for person B.
The calculation uses the annuity formula (payment = loan × r ÷ (1 − (1 + r)^−n)), where r is the monthly rate and n the number of months. Effective interest was explained in lesson 4. Real offers depend on many factors, not only the credit score.
Common mistake
Practice activity
Request your free data copy from SCHUFA's official website. When it arrives, check each line against this list: (1) Are name, birth date and addresses correct? (2) Do you recognise every contract? (3) Are closed accounts and repaid loans shown correctly? (4) Are there negative entries, and are they correct and still within the storage period? Write down any action you need to take.
Show solution
A good result is a short action list, for example: "Old address in Hamburg still listed – fine, historical. Mobile contract with provider X shown as open although cancelled in 2024 – send cancellation confirmation to SCHUFA and provider. No negative entries." If everything is correct, note the date and repeat the check once a year or before a major loan or rental application.
Limitations: SCHUFA is not the only credit bureau, and lenders also use their own internal data.
Key takeaways
- SCHUFA records contracts, inquiries and payment disruptions, not income or wealth.
- Payment disruptions are the most damaging factor; paying on time is the most effective habit.
- You can check your data for free under Article 15 GDPR and correct wrong entries with evidence.
- A weaker rating can cost hundreds of euros in extra interest on an ordinary loan.
Next step
In the next lesson you will get a general orientation on income tax for employees in Germany and how the annual tax return can bring money back.
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