Voluntary ban on credits – how can it be set and what impact does it have?

Recent news of data breaches and personal data ending up in the wrong hands has made many private individuals set a voluntary ban on credits for themselves in the Positive credit register. Some 4,600 bans were set in April and as many as 16,900 in May.

How can a voluntary ban on credits be set?

If you are concerned about your data privacy, protect your data as well as possible. The voluntary ban on credits is one way to protect your data. The ban on credits serves as a safeguard if your personal data has been stolen and someone is trying to apply for a loan using your identity. In addition, it is a tool to help you control your personal finances.

As a private individual, you can set a voluntary ban on credits for yourself in the Positive credit register’s e-service. The ban will not cost you anything. Select “Set or remove a voluntary ban on credits” under “My transactions” in the e-service to set, remove or edit a ban at any time. You can select whether the ban is valid indefinitely or for a fixed period. You must also select any of the following reasons:

• Risk of identity theft
• Control of personal finances
• Other reason

If you cannot use the e-service, you can also set a ban on credits using a paper form.

What impact does the ban on credits have?

If you have set a voluntary ban on credits for yourself, lenders must consider the issuance of new loans more thoroughly. In contrast, the voluntary ban on credits does not have any impact on the use of a previously issued loan such as a credit card.

Information about the ban on credits can only be disclosed directly to lenders, not to telecom operators, lessors or power companies, for example. Lenders will only obtain the information if you are applying for a new loan because, in this case, lenders need to request a new credit register extract of your data. Information about your ban on credits is entered in the credit register extract.

Consent to disclosing information may have an impact on the acquisition of a rental apartment or mobile subscription

When you set a ban on credits for yourself, you will be asked to specify in the e-service whether you want to give your consent to also disclosing information about your ban to credit information companies, including Dun & Bradstreet Finland (formerly Bisnode) and Suomen Asiakastieto.

If you do not give your consent to disclosing information, information about your ban on credits will only be disclosed to potential lenders. Lenders will obtain information about your ban on credits if you apply for a new loan or if someone attempts to apply for a new loan using your data.

If you give your consent to disclosing information, credit information companies can forward information about your ban on credits to telecom operators, landlords and power companies, for example.

• When you apply for a new electricity agreement, insurance policy or mobile subscription, the seller will request a credit register extract from the aforementioned credit information companies. The extract indicates any payment defaults and information about any ban on credits.
• Correspondingly, landlords can obtain information about your ban on credits if you apply for a rental apartment, in which case they will request a report on your payment defaults from credit information companies.

In these situations, information about customers is obtained from sources other than the Positive credit register. In practice, these sources are credit information companies to which information about you ban on credits has been disclosed with your consent. In general, credit information companies provide significantly less information about customers than the Positive credit register: In addition to bans on credits, they provide information about any payment defaults.

You can remove a ban or set one again

Unlike from credit information companies, you cannot obtain a certificate of your voluntary ban on credits from the Positive credit register. In contrast, you can remove your ban and set it again at any time in our e-service.

• If you have a voluntary ban on credits and you need to apply for a loan, you can remove your ban during the loan negotiations. As a result, you do not need to provide any additional clarifications for the loan.
• If you have given your consent to disclosing your information to credit information companies and you are applying for a rental apartment but do not want your potential landlord to obtain information about your ban on credits, remove your ban. Please note that information about the removal of a ban is forwarded to credit information companies with a delay.

Remember to set a ban again once you have entered into a loan or rental agreement. If you want information about you ban on credits to be disclosed to lenders only, do not give your consent to disclosing your information to credit information companies.

Further reading

• Voluntary ban on credits