Overview
- Consumers will access their score via a new Schufa account with identity verification, free quarterly updates and optional paid real‑time access, released in stages after waitlist registration.
- If payment disturbances are on file, no score is generated and lenders only receive a notice of the disturbance, requiring changes to automated decision rules.
- About 25 institutions are testing the model, early users include BBVA, Bank Norwegian and Ikano Bank, and Schufa expects roughly half of clients to adopt it by year‑end with at least 30 banks onboard.
- The model rewards longer banking relationships and successful identity checks, and groups multiple credit inquiries within 28 days so they count only once.
- Consumer advocates in North Rhine‑Westphalia warn of structural disadvantages for young people, frequent movers and heavy users of credit checks or invoice purchases, and they flag ongoing risks from erroneous collection entries.