Also, the Chinese system is very importantly NOT opaque you can just go to your local courthouse and ask them what you need to do to raise it. Usually stuff like some community service or volunteer work.

It was also used as an alternative to prison for low level offenses. So like shoplifting just dings your credit instead of getting you put in jail.

Credit systems still suck, but if you're going to have one, at least have it controlled democratically and make it transparent and use it as an alternative to prison whenever you can.