Israel Lacks National Credit Score; Private Agencies Assign Scores Based on Data

Israel does not have a national credit score calculated by the Bank of Israel's credit data system. Instead, the system collects raw data from banks, credit card issuers, non-bank lenders, and enforcement and insolvency authorities. This raw data is then used by licensed private credit bureaus, which employ their own statistical models to generate credit scores based on the past three years of data. Consequently, the same individual can receive different scores from different bureaus, as each uses its own scoring scale.

A payment delay is defined as an open sum exceeding NIS 200 that is at least 30 days past its due date, reported after the customer receives a notification. For credit extended through asset or service sales, the threshold is higher: over NIS 500 and 60 days. Returned checks are reported separately within ten business days of customer notification, alongside account restrictions. Negative information carries more weight than positive information in these models, and a single delay can significantly impact a score.

Other factors that lower a credit score include fully utilizing or exceeding credit limits and making multiple credit inquiries within a short period. Conversely, consistent on-time payments over months, credit limits adjusted to actual usage, and prompt correction of errors in credit reports can improve a score. While the Bank of Israel retains data for ten years, it is typically only shared with credit bureaus and lenders for the first three years.

Personal characteristics such as age, gender, religion, ethnicity, and place of residence are legally prohibited from influencing credit scores. The focus remains solely on repayment behavior. Lenders may use credit scores as a primary or secondary factor in lending decisions, sometimes outweighing salary information. Income, assets, and pension savings, as well as utility bills not sent to collections, are not included in the credit data system. Direct debits for services like furniture purchases or motorcycle financing are also often absent from reports, meaning households can carry significant unmonitored monthly debt.

Temporary measures have adjusted reporting thresholds. In the summer of 2025, a directive temporarily changed the reporting threshold for payment delays to 60 days instead of 30 for June to August. In 2023, negative data reported during the war was flagged to distinguish it from pre-war data.