Schufa explained: what it stores, how the score works and what rights you have

What is Schufa?

SCHUFA Holding AG in Wiesbaden is a private credit agency, not a public authority. It collects data from banks, mobile providers, online shops and public registers on how reliably people pay, and shares it with companies you want a contract with. It stores, for example:

• name, date of birth and addresses
• current accounts, credit cards, loans and mobile contracts
• enquiries from companies
• payment defaults, debtors' register entries and insolvency notices

The new Schufa score since March 2026

The score estimates how likely you are to pay on time. Since 17 March 2026 there has been a new score from 100 to 999 points, based on 12 published criteria, with five classes from excellent to insufficient. Not all companies used it at launch.

You can view your score free of charge at app.schufa.de after verifying your identity, for example with the online ID function or a PIN letter.

What affects the score – and what does not

Schufa does not store your nationality, religion, income or assets, so they cannot affect your score. Enquiries about loan conditions do not count either, and according to Schufa your neighbourhood is used only in rare exceptions.

Payment defaults carry the most weight. Other criteria include:

• the age of your oldest bank contract and credit card
• how long you have lived at your current address
• enquiries and new contracts in the last 12 months, such as for accounts, cards or phones
• new instalment loans and their remaining term
• a confirmed identity check

Schufa when renting or getting a phone contract or loan

Under a European Court of Justice ruling (7 December 2023, case C-634/21), scoring counts as an automated decision under Article 22 GDPR if a company relies on it decisively, which is generally prohibited without a legal exception. If you are turned down, ask whether the score was decisive. In practice:

• Renting: landlords may only ask for proof of creditworthiness once they have chosen you, and, according to data protection authorities, not for your full data copy or nationality.
• Mobile contract: providers often check with Schufa first; several enquiries within 12 months can lower your score.
• Loan: the bank must check your creditworthiness, including income and expenses. When comparing offers, ask for an enquiry about loan conditions.
• Mortgage: banks usually check income, savings and commitments in detail.

Free data copy under Article 15 GDPR

You have the right to know what data Schufa holds about you, where it came from and who received it. The data copy is free and shows your score; the consumer advice centre recommends checking yearly. How to get it:

• online at schufa.de under “Datenkopie nach Art. 15 DS-GVO” or by post with the order form
• on an ID copy, black out everything except name, address and date of birth (consumer advice centre tip)
• choose the free data copy, not the paid credit report (Bonitätsauskunft)

How long does Schufa keep entries?

Deletion periods are set in the credit agencies' code of conduct, approved by the Hessian data protection commissioner (as of November 2026):

• Settled payment defaults: generally three years after payment.
• Only 18 months if paid within 100 days of the report with no further negative entries, including public debtor or insolvency records.
• Loans: three years after repayment.
• Enquiries from companies: 12 months.
• Discharge of residual debt after personal insolvency: six months since the end of March 2023, confirmed by the European Court of Justice in December 2023.

Getting wrong entries corrected

Schufa must correct or delete wrong data free of charge (Articles 16 and 17 GDPR) and blocks disputed data until clarified. Contact the company that reported the entry and Schufa, and enclose proof such as a payment receipt. You do not need a paid service.

Otherwise, after contacting Schufa's customer service, you can turn to the Schufa ombudswoman free of charge. You can also complain to the Hessian Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information, who is responsible for Schufa, or to your federal state's authority. This article is general information, not legal advice.