Anyone who wants to work out their own creditworthiness (Bonität) now faces a new SCHUFA score, introduced on 17 March 2026, whose composition is meant to be traceable for the first time. This guide explains what you can recalculate yourself, what you cannot, and which routes exist for requesting your score and the data stored about you.
In short: Since 17 March 2026, SCHUFA rates creditworthiness on a scale of 100 to 999 points. According to the consumer advice centre (Verbraucherzentrale), the score rests on twelve criteria with a visible points distribution, so you can trace and recalculate it. SCHUFA states the criteria and point values in its account. Last updated: November 2026.
Key points at a glance
- The new SCHUFA score has applied since 17 March 2026 and ranges from 100 to 999 points.
- It rests on twelve criteria whose points distribution is publicly visible for the first time (Verbraucherzentrale, as of November 2026).
- Consumers and companies receive the same score. The former base score shown as a percentage (maximum 100) is being replaced.
- The old percentage and the new points value are not directly comparable: 98 percent does not automatically equal 980 points.
- You can recalculate SCHUFA’s score. Your creditworthiness as a whole is assessed by contract partners using their own standards.
What is creditworthiness and what is the SCHUFA score?
Creditworthiness describes how likely a contract partner considers it that you will meet your payment obligations. The SCHUFA score is one of several assessments that banks, mobile providers or landlords may draw on in their decisions. It is a number based on stored data and not a judgement about you as a person. Whether a given value is enough for a contract is decided by each contract partner.
That is why creditworthiness in the broad sense cannot be calculated by yourself. Only the score that SCHUFA derives from its criteria can be recalculated. An overview of the scale and the classes is in What the new credit score 2026 means for you.
What changed on 17 March 2026?
| Feature | Before | Since 17 March 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Presentation for consumers | Base score as a percentage, maximum 100 | Points value from 100 to 999 |
| Basis | Not publicly visible | Twelve criteria with a visible points distribution |
| Recipients | Companies received different values from consumers | Consumers and companies receive the same score |
| Class system | excellent, good, acceptable, satisfactory, insufficient | Unchanged |
At launch, about 25 percent of contract partners use the new score, according to SCHUFA. The old sector scores are therefore still in circulation, and the point at which use becomes universal cannot be put in figures. For most people the class stays the same according to SCHUFA, with about 8 percent rated worse and around 9 percent better.
Can I calculate my SCHUFA score myself?
In part, yes. According to the Verbraucherzentrale, you can trace how the score comes about from the points distribution, and you can recalculate the points yourself. SCHUFA, too, states on its page about the new score that points are assigned to each criterion and can be calculated easily. The figures per criterion and the calculation steps are in the SCHUFA account, which includes an explanatory tool for the formula behind the score. The points depend on your stored data. For the calculation you therefore need your own data copy or your account.
| What you can trace | What you cannot recalculate |
|---|---|
| Your SCHUFA score from the points per criterion | A contract partner’s decision on your application |
| Which stored data influence your score | Scores of other credit agencies or providers’ internal assessments |
| How the value is weighted, according to the Verbraucherzentrale | The point at which all contract partners use the new score |
How do you request your score and your data?
According to the Verbraucherzentrale, there are two routes at no charge. The first is the data copy under Article 15 GDPR (DSGVO), which you request from SCHUFA. It arrives by post and contains the new score and the data stored about you. The second is a SCHUFA account, which requires identification that can also be done by PIN letter. Make sure to use the free account and not a paid add-on.
- Request the data copy under Article 15 GDPR from SCHUFA or register for the free account.
- Identify yourself via the route provided, for example by PIN letter.
- Retrieve your score and the points distribution and check every entry for accuracy.
- Have incorrect entries corrected by the body that reported them and notify SCHUFA of the correction.
How the GDPR access request works in detail is explained in Requesting a credit report: step by step.
How do you compare the old and the new value?
A direct comparison does not work. The former base score was a percentage, the new score is a points value on a different scale. An example (assumption): if you had 98 percent before, you cannot infer 980 points. The Verbraucherzentrale points this out. A more reliable comparison is by class, which still runs from excellent to insufficient. The point ranges per class are on SCHUFA’s page about the new score.
What does this mean for students and career starters?
Whether a mobile contract, a current account or a flat comes about is decided by each provider using its own criteria. The score is one building block. If you are turned down, you can ask the provider for the reasons. If a provider confirms that a contract was refused, worsened or terminated because of the score, you can find out how the score came about, according to the Verbraucherzentrale.
Further notes on contracts without a credit check and on overdrafts are in Mobile contract without a credit check: options and risks and Overdraft for students: what overdrawing really costs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best SCHUFA score?
The scale runs from 100 to 999 points. The classes are called excellent, good, acceptable, satisfactory and insufficient. SCHUFA states on its page about the new score which point ranges belong to which class.
Is requesting my score free of charge?
The data copy under Article 15 GDPR and the SCHUFA account are free of charge according to the Verbraucherzentrale. Make sure to use the right account, since paid offers also exist.
What is the difference between the data copy and the account?
The data copy under Article 15 GDPR arrives by post and contains the new score and the stored data. The account requires identification, which can also be done by PIN letter, and according to SCHUFA includes an explanatory tool for the formula behind the score.
Where can I see how my score is made up?
You can see how many points each criterion brings in your case in your SCHUFA account. Also check whether the underlying entries are correct, and have incorrect or outdated information corrected.
Can I improve my score?
The points distribution shows which criteria count and to what extent. Targeted changes require that you know the distribution for your own data. Start by checking for incorrect entries.
How to proceed
- Request your data through the data copy under Article 15 GDPR or the free SCHUFA account.
- Recalculate the points per criterion from the distribution and compare them with your entries.
- Have incorrect entries corrected and document the correspondence.
- For comparison with earlier values, use the classes rather than the percentage of the old score.
Related guides
- Money, accounts and credit: the overview for young adults
- What the new credit score 2026 means for you
- Requesting a credit report: step by step
- Mobile contract without a credit check: options and risks
- Overdraft for students: what overdrawing really costs
Sources: Verbraucherzentrale, new SCHUFA score: the key facts (retrieved November 2026); SCHUFA, page on the new score with criteria and points (retrieved November 2026).
Last updated: November 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
