Frequently asked questions
A selection of topical questions are listed below. We update this FAQ page on a regular basis.
General
What is the Positive credit register?
The main purpose of the register is to prevent households from taking on too much debt. Private individuals can view up-to-date information about their loans in the register and set a voluntary ban on credits for themselves free of charge. Also, lenders can better assess the loan applicant's ability to repay the loan when they receive up-to-date data on the applicant's loans and income from the register.
Why is the register positive?
The register is positive because it does not show ‘negative’ credit information, such as data about payment defaults or recovery by enforcement. The register’s name is enacted by law.
When will the register be introduced?
The Positive credit register opened on April 1st 2024, when lenders started using the data for the assessment of creditworthiness, and private individuals could look at their own data in the register's e-service.
Is the register available at all times?
As a rule, the register is available 24/7 throughout the year. As in all IT systems, however, the Positive credit register also has occasional service or maintenance breaks, but these will be announced in advance.
Why was the Tax Administration chosen to build and maintain the Positive credit register?
The Tax Administration was selected because we already have experience in building, introducing and maintaining a corresponding information system, i.e. the Incomes Register.
My data in the register
Where can I see my own data?
You can view your own data in the Positive credit register's e-service. You can log in to the e-service with a mobile certificate, online banking codes or a certificate card. You can use the service on a computer, mobile phone or tablet device.
If you log in to the service with a mobile phone or tablet, Google Chrome is the recommended browser.
What information about me is reported to the register?
Data on the following loans granted to you will be reported to the register:
- home loans
- car loans
- consumer credits
- credit cards
- student loans
- hire-purchase financing.
In addition, the register receives
- reports on the amortizations you have paid
- information that your loan has ended.
No information on any payment defaults you may have is stored in the register. However, if your loan instalment is more than 60 days late, the lender will report this to the register.
Why does my registered data show the entire loan although I have taken it out together with another person?
If you have taken out a home loan together with your spouse, for example, the register shows the total amount of loan. When you go to loan details, you can see that you and your spouse share liability for the loan. When your spouse logs in to the Positive credit register, they also see the total amount of loan.
Lenders, in turn, see the total loan balance on the credit register extract, but they also see the number of debtors. In other words, if you and your spouse have taken out a home loan together, lenders see the total loan balance on both debtors’ credit register extracts. In addition, however, they also see that the loan has two debtors.
Are payment default entries stored in the credit register?
No, they are not. However, if your loan instalment is more than 60 days late, the lender will report this to the register. The lender will remove the information on the delayed amount after you pay off the instalment in full. The lender will also remove the information on the delayed amount if you agree with the lender on a new payment plan regarding the delayed amount.
Where does the register's data come from?
The data on your loans is reported to the register by lenders, i.e. banks and other financial institutions. You income data is received from the Incomes Register.
What should I do if I notice that my loan data stored in the register is incorrect?
If your data is incorrect, you should contact the lender in the first place. You can also contact our customer service.
How does the register show loans that are included in a debt arrangement?
Lenders report consumer credits granted to you to the register. If a loan is included in a payment plan in a debt arrangement, this is indicated in the register, and only limited data is shown about the loan. When the payment plan ends, the lender must remove the entry about the loan’s inclusion in a payment plan in a debt arrangement.
If you have not paid off the loan in accordance with the payment plan, the loan may still be shown in the register even though the entry about the debt arrangement has been removed. If you have a confirmed liability to make additional payments after the end of the payment plan, the loan will appear in the register again.
What should I do if a loan that was included in a debt arrangement is shown in my information even though I think I have paid it off?
The register receives information about your loans from lenders, so you should contact the lender to find out why the entry about the loan has not been removed.
Are loans that were granted before the introduction of the Positive credit register also stored in the register?
Yes, but only if the loan has not ended yet.
What is the difference between data stored in the Positive credit register and data in commercial credit registers?
Payment default entries and negative credit information are not stored in the Positive credit register. They can be found in commercial credit registers as before. In other words, the Positive credit register contains only loans granted to you and your income data.
Who can request my data?
Are landlords allowed to request data on prospective tenants from the register when a tenancy agreement is being made?
No, they are not.
Will the Tax Administration use the register’s data?
No. The Tax Administration does not have access to the data stored in the register.
Can Kela request my data from the register?
No.
If I know my neighbour’s personal identity code, can I view their data in the credit register?
No, you can't. You can view only your own data in the Positive credit register’s e-service.
Can just anyone see my loan data in the register?
No, they can't.
The Act on the Positive Credit Register is very specific about who has the right to receive information from the register. Lenders are entitled to request a credit register extract about your data when you are applying for a new loan or changing your loan contract.
Some authorities defined by law have limited access to the data. They use the register's data for monitoring the credit market, for example, and for purposes of statistics and supervision.
How do I know who has asked for my credit information?
In our e-service you can see whether lenders have requested your data from the register and, if so, which organisations have requested your data, when and why, and what data has been disclosed to them. The e-service will open on 1 April 2024.
If I make a hire-purchase agreement with a furniture shop, for example, can the salesperson see my loan data?
Hire-purchase deals are financed primarily by financial institutions, not by shops. Your ability to repay the loan is assessed by the financial institution providing hire-purchase financing. In other words, if the furniture shop does not finance your hire-purchase deal, they do not have the right to check your data in the credit register.
Can a lender request my data from the register only when I'm applying for a new loan, or can they view my loan data throughout the loan lifecycle?
The lender cannot view your loan data freely, but only when
- you are applying for a new loan
- the loan principal is being raised
- you are requesting a change to the terms of the loan that requires a creditworthiness assessment
- the lender is in the process of accepting a guarantee or third-party security as collateral for the loan.
What income data is disclosed to the lender from the Positive credit register?
The credit register extract sent to the lender contains information about your monthly income for the 12 calendar months preceding the date when the extract was requested. Income data is provided only for full months. Your monthly income is separated into gross income and net income. The income data is received from the Incomes Register, so it includes information on wages, benefits and pensions paid to you. The Incomes Register does not contain information on capital income or business income.
Your income data is shown only in the credit register extract. If no extracts have been ordered, you will not see your income data in the Positive credit register's e-service at all.
If you want to view your income data more closely, log in to the Incomes Register’s e-service.
Information on the Incomes Register
Protection of personal data
How is the personal data stored in the credit register protected?
The credit register has an increased level of information security. This means that the data is stored and processed in a highly protected environment.