Creditworthiness: why the advertised rate and your personal rate differ
The advertised rate and your personal offer rarely match – here's why, and how to keep a conditions enquiry clearly apart from a loan application.
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Lenders assess the likelihood of repayment using their own methods. Income, commitments and external credit information can all influence the terms you are offered.
Do not rely on an example rate
An advertised rate does not automatically apply to everyone. Only a personal offer makes the instalment and total amount payable reliable.
Make enquiries deliberately
Check beforehand whether a conditions enquiry or a loan application is being made and which credit bureau (such as Schufa) is used. If you have specific doubts, check the stored data directly with the credit bureau.
What is new from 20 November 2026
The Act transposing the EU Consumer Credit Directive (BGBl. 2026 I No. 139) sets out more precisely which data a credit assessment may use. For contracts from 20 November 2026, the creditworthiness assessment is based on relevant and accurate information on income, expenses and other financial and economic circumstances (§ 505b (2) BGB). Health data and other special categories under Art. 9 GDPR may not be used for general consumer loans, and neither may data from social networks. If an offer was personalised on the basis of automated processing of your data, the lender must tell you so (§ 491a (5) BGB).
From the same date, new rules apply to credit scores (§ 37a BDSG): age, gender, name, address data, data from social networks and information on incoming and outgoing payments on bank accounts may not be used to calculate them, and scores on minors are not permitted. If a credit bureau records a payment arrear on a loan, it must inform you within 30 days (§ 30 (3) BDSG).
- Assessment based on income, expenses and financial circumstances
- No health data and no data from social networks
- Notice when an offer was personalised automatically
- Notification within 30 days of a recorded payment arrear
Frequently asked questions
Why am I not getting the advertised interest rate?
Advertised interest rates usually depend on creditworthiness and apply only to some applicants. Lenders assess income, existing commitments, employment situation and credit bureau data using their own undisclosed methods. For contracts from 20 November 2026, if the creditworthiness assessment is automated, you can request a clear explanation of the assessment and human intervention (§ 30 (6) BDSG). That is why the effective rate, instalment and total amount payable only become reliable in a personal offer.
What is the difference between a conditions enquiry and a loan application?
A conditions enquiry (Konditionsanfrage) is used only to find out which terms might be available, without obligation, and is designed so that it does not affect your credit bureau score. A loan application (Kreditanfrage) is a binding request and may be recorded by credit bureaus. Before you submit anything, check explicitly which type of request is being made.
How can I see the credit data stored about me?
Under Art. 15 GDPR (DSGVO) you have a right of access to the data a credit bureau holds about you, and a copy must be provided free of charge. You send the request directly to the credit bureau concerned. You can have incorrect or outdated entries corrected or deleted there.
Which data may be used in the credit assessment from 20 November 2026?
For contracts from 20 November 2026, the creditworthiness assessment is based on relevant and accurate information on income, expenses and other financial and economic circumstances (§ 505b (2) BGB). Special categories of personal data under Art. 9 GDPR, such as health data, and data from social networks are excluded for general consumer loans. From the same date, § 37a BDSG excludes, among other things, age, gender, name, address data and information on incoming and outgoing payments on bank accounts from credit scores. What information Schufa must give you about your score and how to request it is explained in the guide Schufa score: free report and rights.
Selected sources
Note: This article is general information and not legal advice. It does not replace an assessment of your individual case by a lawyer or a consumer advice centre. No guarantee of accuracy; the law and case law may change.
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