How Credits Work
Credits are used to unlock contact information (email and phone) for hiring managers and other professionals in Stori's database of 300M+ verified contacts.
What Are Credits?
Credits are the currency used in Stori to unlock contact information for professionals in a database of 300M+ verified contacts. Each credit unlocks one person's email address and phone number (if available).
When you find a hiring manager or recruiter you want to contact, you can see their name, job title, and company for free. To reveal their email and phone number, you spend 1 credit to unlock their contact information.
Once you unlock a contact, their information is saved to your account permanently. You will never need to spend another credit on the same person, even if your subscription changes.
Credits by Plan
The number of credits you receive depends on your subscription plan:
| Plan | Monthly Credits | Can Buy More? | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | 0 | No | Free |
| Outreach | 40 | Yes | $34/mo |
Only the Outreach plan includes monthly credits and the ability to purchase additional credit packs. Starter users who want credits must upgrade to Outreach first.
Two-Bucket System: Subscription vs. Purchased Credits
Stori uses a two-bucket credit system. Understanding how these buckets work helps you manage your credits effectively:
Subscription Credits (40/month on Outreach)
- Automatically added to your account at the start of each billing cycle
- Reset monthly — unused subscription credits do not roll over to the next month
- Used first when you unlock a contact
Purchased Credits (from credit packs)
- Added when you buy a credit pack
- Carry over forever — purchased credits never expire, regardless of your billing cycle
- Used second, only after all subscription credits are exhausted
Deduction order: When you unlock a contact, Stori always deducts from your subscription credits first. Once those are exhausted for the current billing period, it draws from your purchased credits. This ensures your purchased credits last as long as possible.
If you are on the Outreach plan and have leftover subscription credits near the end of your billing cycle, use them up — they will reset to 40 regardless of what you have left.
Using Credits
To spend a credit and unlock contact information:
Find a contact
Search for contacts using the Source page, or use the Chrome extension's hiring manager search from a job posting.
Click Unlock
Click the Unlock button next to the contact you want to reach. You will see your current credit balance before confirming.
View contact details
The person's email address and phone number (if available) are revealed. 1 credit is deducted from your balance.
Reach out
Use the unlocked email to send outreach through Stori's email composer, or note the phone number for a direct call.
Credits are non-refundable once used. Before unlocking, verify the contact's job title, company, and location match what you are looking for.
Checking Your Credit Balance
You can check your remaining credit balance in several places:
- Navigation bar — Your credit count is displayed in the header when using outreach features
- Settings > Billing — See a breakdown of subscription credits and purchased credits separately
- Before unlocking — The unlock confirmation shows your current balance so you can decide before spending
- Source page — Your available credits are shown alongside search results
Buying More Credits
Outreach plan users can purchase additional credit packs at any time. Three sizes are available:
| Pack | Price | Savings |
|---|---|---|
| 50 Credits | $29 | — |
| 100 Credits | $49 | Save 15% |
| 200 Credits | $79 | Save 32% |
To purchase credits:
Go to Settings > Billing
Navigate to your billing settings page.
Click Buy More Credits
Select the credit pack size you want.
Complete checkout
Payment is processed through Stripe. Credits are added to your purchased credit bucket immediately.
Purchased credits never expire and carry over forever, so buying a larger pack at a discount is a smart long-term investment if you plan to do significant outreach.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens to my credits if I downgrade my plan?
If you downgrade from Outreach, you lose your monthly subscription credits at the end of the billing cycle. However, any purchased credits you have remaining are preserved — they never expire regardless of your plan.
Can I get a refund for unused credits?
Subscription credits are included with your plan and cannot be refunded separately. Purchased credit packs are non-refundable once added to your account.
What if the unlocked contact information is wrong?
The database contains 300M+ verified professionals, but information can occasionally be outdated. If an email bounces, the credit is still consumed as the lookup was performed.
Do I need credits to send emails?
No. Credits are only for unlocking contact information. Once you have someone's email (whether unlocked via credits or obtained elsewhere), sending emails through Stori is included with your Outreach subscription.