The one-time credit repair policy ends today—seize the final opportunity!

Ask AI: Why does the policy focus precisely on small overdue borrowers to rebuild credit?

Beijing Business Daily, issued by reporter Liu Sihong. On March 31, three months had passed since the People’s Bank of China released, in December 2025, arrangements regarding the implementation of a one-time credit repair policy. For overdue borrowers who meet specific conditions, if they pay off the outstanding debt in full today, the related overdue records will be removed from the credit reporting system; if the overdue debt is not settled, or if they miss this “credit repair” opportunity provided by the policy.

To ease the public’s “difficulty with credit” and help groups affected by objective factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic rebuild a credit ecology, the People’s Bank of China previously set four major eligibility standards. The policy’s coverage is limited to personal credit delinquency information generated between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2025, and each individual overdue amount (including principal, interest, and penalties) must not exceed 10k yuan.

This policy is known in the industry as “targeted relief.” It can apply to credit cards, mortgages, and consumer loans, and it implements an “no application required, benefits are automatic” mechanism. Users who meet the conditions do not need to submit additional applications or materials; the credit reporting system will automatically identify and process the case.

However, it is worth noting that the repayment deadline for this policy runs through March 31, 2026. That is, up to today, the repayment time will affect how quickly the credit record is updated. For those who meet the policy conditions: if they have already repaid by November 30, 2025, then overdue records will no longer be displayed starting January 1, 2026. If they repay between December 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026, then the update should be completed by the end of the following month (for example, if repaid in February, the record will be adjusted by the end of March).

Wang Pengbo, Chief Analyst at BoCom Consulting, said that the People’s Bank of China’s one-time credit repair policy has, overall, produced fairly positive practical effects on personal credit repair, the recovery of consumer finance, and the construction of the social credit system. On the one hand, the policy precisely targets small overdue groups affected by objective factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, helping many individuals lift credit reporting restrictions, restore normal credit qualifications, and effectively address the difficulty of credit repair; on the other hand, the reasonable loosening of credit reporting constraints also helps release some suppressed consumer credit demand, providing support for the steady recovery of the consumer finance industry. At the same time, it makes the social credit system more resilient and warmer, achieving a better balance between punishment for dishonesty and credit relief.

A Beijing Business reporter noted that after the policy was released, many regions advanced it through multiple measures to promote its rollout and effectiveness. For example, the Sichuan Branch of the People’s Bank of China acted swiftly, and, based on actual conditions, formulated a “one plan and two lists,” namely 《Sichuan Province’s Implementation Plan for One-Time Credit Repair》, the 《Task List for People’s Bank of China Sichuan Municipal and Prefectural Branches》, and the 《Task List for Financial Institutions》. Also, according to incomplete statistics, after more than one month of implementation, financial institutions in Shandong have already provided financing of 120 million yuan to more than 61k information subjects who have had their credit repaired, and the policy dividends are accelerating into practical results that boost consumption and stabilize growth.

Wang Pengbo pointed out that after the policy ends, if some overdue users still cannot make it into this repair window, they can continue to gradually improve their credit standing through legitimate channels. On the one hand, they should promptly settle the overdue debt, maintain good credit performance records going forward, and wait for unfavorable information to be naturally cleared according to regulations; on the other hand, if there are errors or disputes in their credit information, they can submit applications for handling through legitimate channels with financial institutions and the credit reporting center.

“It must be made clear that official channels handle it for free and do not require an intermediary to process it. There is no such thing as so-called internal channels or paid credit repair services. Any behavior that charges fees in the name of deposits, agency fees, ‘channel fees,’ etc., and promises to ‘whiten’ credit reports, is basically fraud, and the public needs to stay alert.” Wang Pengbo added.

The credit reporting center of the People’s Bank of China reminds that the one-time credit repair policy is completely free and benefits are automatic with no application required. Any solicitation of money or information in the name of this policy is fraud. If any institution or individual claims to have “internal documents” or to help “break through the 10k-yuan limit” or “whiten large overdue records” through “special channels,” the purpose is to骗取 money and may also cause leakage of personal sensitive information. Please do not trust them, and report to the People’s Bank of China or relevant departments.

In addition, also be wary of “debt optimization” scams. Be cautious of illegal intermediaries who encourage schemes like “borrowing to repay” and “bridge funding,” so as to avoid falling into bigger debt traps, and even getting involved in illegal cases such as “fraudulent loan applications.”