Questions and Answers

Over 30,000 businesses in Switzerland rely upon information from CRIF. most retailers, web shops, real estate agencies, telecommunications providers, banks and leasing companies reach for CRIF's database to verify the customer's address and check their solvency. The solvency certificate allows you to demonstrate a good, very good or excellent level of solvency.

For safety's sake, we recommend that you scan in your certificate as soon as you receive it. Once the three month validity period has expired, you can order a new certificate whenever it is needed.

In addition to the certificate, you also receive an up to date debt enforcement report, which you can hand over with the certificate. The certificate confirms to the retailer or landlord that this is a genuine debt enforcement report. In contrast with a normal debt enforcement report, the QR Code in the certificate can even be used to prove that the debt enforcement report has not been forged.

If the name changes, the certificate is still valid, but you may need to attach proof of the name change, such as a marriage certificate.

As market leader, CRIF possesses the largest volume of information in Switzerland. As well as CRIF information, the solvency certificate also contains up-to-date information on debt enforcement and is the most informative form of solvency assessment of private individuals available in Switzerland today. The ZEK database is directed solely at the consumer credit sector and does not form part of the CRIF database.

Over 30,000 businesses in Switzerland use CRIF data to find customers' addresses and check their solvency. An assessment of solvency is only possible if an indvidual is registered by CRIF in the database. Many companies refuse to provide credit or apartments to unrecognised individuals, they may also refuse to allow them to make purchases on account. Many companies do not give loans or apartments to unknown people or offer purchases on their own.

In the case of private individuals, CRIF stores their first name, family name, residential address and date of birth. This information is enough to ensure that there really is such a person and that the person is known at this address. In order to make credit-relevant decisions, CRIF holds details that are relevant to solvency, such as debt collection cases, debt enforcement proceedings, certificates of loss and publications.

A business transaction is always associated with a certain level of risk. In order that it can still provide a certain service, e.g. sending out goods on account, granting a line of credit or renting out a flat, a company can secure its interests before concluding the transaction by using the CRIF database to check that person.

Data protection is of the highest priority to CRIF. We adhere to the Swiss law on data protection, which sets out clearly how Information may be gathered and processed. In addition, the law also provides comprehensive rights of information, correction and deletion.

Anyone can ask the person responsible for information about whether any personal details involving the questioner are being processed (Article 25, Para. 1 of the Swiss law on Data Protection (DSG)). This form of self inspection can be undertaken once every year at no charge. Delivery of the information must be within the period of 30 days required by law. Further information reagarding applying for these details about yourself is available at www.crif.ch. However, you can also view your details electronically via myCRIFdata and benefit from other advantages, such as a certificate, the monitoring of your information and a comprehensive advice service.

The score is essentially determined by the following three factors: number, status and topicality of known payment problems. The greater the number of individual events, the more serious the status of the single event and the more recent the individual events, the greater their weighting.

The data is stored exclusively in Switzerland and only the commercial partners CRIF and myCRIFdata can access it.