ZEK - Zentralstelle für Kreditinformation
The ZEK (Central Office for Credit Information) collects and manages information on all aspects of the personal loan, leasing and credit card business.
All private creditors in Switzerland are obliged to be members of ZEK. In contrast to the IKO, where information on current loans of a borrower is administered, information on credit enquiries and expired credit agreements is also available on the ZEK. In particular, information concerning payment difficulties of existing or expired loans or information on blocked or withdrawn credit cards is important here.
This information is stored in the form of creditworthiness codes. The reporting obligation for personal loans includes the following information: - Personal data of the borrower (surname, first name, date of birth, address) - Type of loan (cash credit, instalment contract, etc.) - Start of contract - Number of instalments - Gross amount of the loan including contractually agreed interest and costs - End of contract - Amount of repayment instalments (credit instalments), if agreed - Late payments All ZEK members are obliged to record this information in the database. For lenders, this data enables a comprehensive assessment of the borrower within the framework of the credit check. ZEK data can only be accessed by ZEK member companies and the person about whom data is stored. The ZEK is subject to the Data Protection Act.
Everyone has a right to a so-called "self-disclosure". These can be submitted online and are usually processed by ZEK within a few days.