Several years ago, the credit agency Schufa launched a “transparency offensive,” culminating in the introduction of a new Schufa score in March 2026. This score rates the likelihood of a consumer repaying their debts. Schufa’s assurance was that, unlike previous versions, consumers would now be able to see all the criteria and their corresponding weightings. This visibility, they claimed, would allow individuals to improve their score through responsible behavior, giving them better opportunities for things like obtaining a loan from a bank or signing a mobile phone contract.
However, reports from the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” and NDR suggest that the impression created during this transparency campaign-that only one Schufa score would exist in the future-is incorrect. Internal documents indicate that Schufa has been offering banks and corporate clients at least an additional score, the Hypothekenscore (Mortgage Score), since Summer 2025. This specific score is allegedly used for long-term mortgage transactions and is calculated differently from the new main Schufa score. The dilemma, according to the media, is that consumers do not see this score in the app, and Schufa has never broadly communicated its criteria or weighting.
Furthermore, research suggests that companies are allowed to purchase information about individual consumers. This data is theoretically integrated into decisions regarding loans or contracts, meaning that while consumers may only see the main score in the application, that score may not be the sole basis for decisions made by banks or other major clients.
This process has drawn criticism, particularly from consumer advocacy groups. Claudio Zeitz-Brandmeyer, a representative at the Consumer Center Federation (VZBV), questions the actual value of the supposed transparency gain if additional scores exist that the consumer is unaware of. He stated that consumers expected Schufa to publicly discuss these additional scores and provide clear, transparent information. Without this clarity, “one could gain the impression that something is still happening behind closed doors.”
When approached by NDR and the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, Schufa reacted with visible annoyance. The agency denied ever communicating that there would only be a single score. Schufa explained that the goal has always been to narrow down the roughly 50 existing credit scores to “a select few.” The new main Schufa score is intended to be the central score for about 80 percent of these until 2028.
Nevertheless, a spokesperson confirmed that, in addition to the main score, there are expected to be a Mortgage Score, Chance Scores, Collection Scores, and B2B Scores. The company confirmed that the Mortgage Score is already being used and is transmitted approximately 300 times a week. This is considered low compared to the main Schufa score, which the newspaper and NDR estimate is delivered around 300,000 times weekly.
In response to inquiries, Schufa stated that once the Mortgage Score becomes relevant to consumers in the real estate loan market, the agency will display and elaborate on all its criteria within the Schufa app. The agency also confirmed that some major clients can purchase aggregated creditworthiness information, although they emphasized that “banks and other companies decide whether and under what conditions to offer a loan contract according to their internal guidelines and criteria.” Because they cannot dictate how the external data is utilized by banks or other businesses, Schufa was unable to provide further detailed information on its use.
