In principle, in the event of payment defaults (as before), personal data on settled payment defaults is stored for three years.

A payment default is an outstanding, unpaid debt of a company (e.g. a loan that has not been repaid or an outstanding invoice) that has not been paid even after several reminders and has subsequently been reported to SCHUFA.

The 100-day rule provides for a reduction of the retention period to 18 months after settlement under three conditions in the event of one-off payment defaults:

• 1. if the payment default has been settled within 100 days of being transmitted to SCHUFA.
• 2. if no further negative data relating to the person has been reported to SCHUFA by the end of the shortened retention period of 18 months after clearing.
• 3. if no information is available from the debtor register or from insolvency announcements.

If these three conditions are met, the retention period for the cleared payment default is shortened.