What is SCHUFA? Germany's credit score guide

What SCHUFA actually is

SCHUFA Holding AG is Germany's largest credit bureau (Auskunftei). The name originally stood for “Schutzgemeinschaft für allgemeine Kreditsicherung” – roughly “protective association for general credit security”. Banks, retailers, landlords, mobile phone providers and other companies report contracts and payment problems to SCHUFA, and they query it before giving you a contract that involves a payment risk.

When you apply for a credit card with a credit line, the bank almost always requests a SCHUFA report. It wants to estimate how likely you are to pay your statement on time. SCHUFA is not the only credit bureau – there are others such as CRIF or Experian, and some card providers check only with them.

What data is stored – and what isn't

SCHUFA does not store any information about your income, assets, account balances or shopping habits. What it does store are your basic personal details and contracts that involve credit:

• Name, date of birth and current and previous addresses
• Current accounts (Girokonten) and credit cards
• Instalment loans, credit lines, mortgages and guarantees
• Leasing contracts, instalment purchases and mobile phone contracts
• Inquiries from companies, for example when you apply for a credit card or a loan
• Payment defaults such as undisputed claims after several reminders, debt collection and court proceedings

The new SCHUFA score: 100 to 999 points

Since March 2026 SCHUFA has calculated a new score. Instead of a percentage, it uses a points scale from 100 to 999 – the higher, the better. The score is based on twelve criteria, and SCHUFA discloses how they are calculated in your SCHUFA account. Companies may keep requesting the old score until the end of 2028, so depending on the bank, you may still be assessed with the old percentage value.

Payment defaults have the strongest effect. Other factors include how long your oldest bank account and your oldest credit card have existed, how long you have lived at your current address, how many inquiries and new contracts there have been recently, whether you have taken out new instalment loans and whether your identity has been verified.

How to view your data and score for free

In the free SCHUFA account you can view your stored data and your score online. To sign up you have to verify your identity, for example with the online ID function of the German ID card (Online-Ausweisfunktion). Independently of that, Art. 15 GDPR (DSGVO in German) gives you the right to a free copy of your data at any time, which you can also request in writing.

You only need the paid BonitätsAuskunft (a credit report to show others) if a landlord or another contract partner asks for proof. To check your own data, the free access is all you need.

Finding and correcting errors

If you spot incorrect or outdated entries – say, a paid claim that is still listed as open, or an account you closed long ago – you have the right to have them corrected or deleted. Write to SCHUFA or to the company that reported the entry and enclose evidence, such as proof of payment or a confirmation from the creditor that the matter is settled.

A payment default you have paid off is not deleted immediately: it is marked as settled and removed according to SCHUFA's review and deletion periods. That is why it pays to settle open claims quickly and make sure the settlement is reported.

How to improve your score

Most criteria can only be influenced slowly. These steps help the most:

• Always pay bills and instalments on time – payment defaults weigh most heavily
• Keep your oldest current account and your oldest credit card, because their age earns points
• Close unused, newer accounts and cards instead of constantly opening new ones
• Bundle loan and card applications rather than submitting many in a short time; when comparing offers, use condition-only inquiries (Konditionsanfragen)
• Tell your contract partners when you move or change your name so that your data stays accurate
• Check your own data regularly and have errors corrected

Credit card with or without a SCHUFA check

Genuine credit cards and charge cards almost always require a credit check, because the bank advances your spending until the statement is settled. Around one in five cards in our comparison, on the other hand, works without a SCHUFA check – mainly debit cards from online banks and prepaid cards. If a card with a credit line is approved, it appears in your SCHUFA data; used as agreed, it is not a negative entry.

Frequently asked questions about SCHUFA

Does a credit card application affect my SCHUFA score?

Yes. Inquiries and newly opened contracts for current accounts and credit cards are a separate criterion in the new score. A single application is not a problem, but many applications in a short time can lower your score. Pure condition inquiries (Konditionsanfragen), where a bank only checks the interest rate and terms, have no effect.

How often can I access my SCHUFA data for free?

You can request the data copy under Art. 15 GDPR free of charge, and SCHUFA does not limit this to once a year. In addition, you can view your data and score online in the free SCHUFA account.

What is a good SCHUFA score?

In the new score, 776 to 999 points count as excellent and 709 to 775 as good. Banks set their own thresholds, and for a credit card your income matters too. If you still see the old percentage score: values above 95% were considered very good there.

Should I cancel old credit cards to improve my score?

Better not your oldest credit card and oldest account – their age counts positively in the new score. What does make sense is cancelling unnecessary newer cards and not taking out new contracts all the time.