For casting directors
How Contact Unlock Works (and What It Costs)
On a performer's profile, tap Unlock phone or Unlock email. Each costs the credits shown on the button, usually 1. You need a live, unexpired casting call and enough credits, and you never pay twice for the same detail.
6 min read · Updated 15 September 2026
On a performer's profile, tap Unlock phone or Unlock email. Each costs the number of credits shown on the button, usually 1. You need a live, unexpired casting call and enough credits, and once a detail is unlocked it stays visible to you without paying again.
Before you start
You need all three of these:
- A casting director account, signed in.
- A live casting call. It has to be published and its Listing expiry date still in the future. A draft, a call under review, or a call that has closed does not count.
- Enough credits for the detail you want.
The live casting call is the rule people miss
Credits alone are not enough. Contact details are tied to real casting, so if you have no live call the unlock buttons are disabled and the panel says You need one live casting call before you can unlock contact details, with a Post a casting call link. Buying credits does not change this.
Castkro may ask you to verify your identity first
For the safety of performers and casting directors, Castkro can ask casting directors who have not verified their identity to do so before unlocking more people. When that applies to you, the Contact panel shows Verify your identity to keep unlocking contacts in place of the unlock buttons. No credits are used, and details you already unlocked stay visible. Select Verify my identity to start. It is free, and Getting the Identity verified badge walks through it.
Step 1: Open the performer's profile
From Find Talent, tap View profile on a card, or Full profile in the preview. From the Application Manager, tap View full profile on an applicant.
Step 2: Find the Contact panel
Scroll to Contact followed by the performer's first name, for example Contact Priya. It shows your balance, such as You have 20 credits.
Step 3: Tap Unlock phone or Unlock email
The number in brackets is what that detail costs you. Unlock phone (1) costs 1 credit.
The detail appears straight away under Phone or Email, and the credits come off your balance. The next time you open the profile it says You have unlocked these details.
What it costs
| Detail | Cost | When you are not charged |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | Shown on the button, 1 credit unless your plan sets otherwise | The performer has chosen not to share a number. There is no Unlock phone button and the panel says so. |
| Shown on the button, 1 credit unless your plan sets otherwise | You unlocked it before. It stays visible. |
Performers never spend credits. Every credit spent on Castkro is a casting director unlocking a contact detail.
Where credits come from
Paid casting director plans include a monthly credit allowance. The free casting director plan does not include one. The Castkro Subscription Plans Explained article sets out what each casting director plan includes.
If you run short, the Contact panel offers the next step:
- Get more credits if you already have a plan.
- Upgrade your account if you do not.
After you unlock
- The performer is notified that a casting director unlocked their details.
- They are added to your Unlocked Contacts list, under Candidate Lists in the menu, so you can find everyone you have unlocked without searching again.
- You keep access. Details you paid for stay visible after your casting call closes.
- Unless there is a block. If you or the performer block the other, their details stop showing and cannot be unlocked, and the credits you spent are not returned. The Contact panel says You can't contact this person instead.
Performers under 18
A performer under 18 is managed by a parent or guardian. Unlocking their contact gives you the guardian's phone and email, never the child's. A performer marked Contact blocked in search has no confirmed guardian yet, so their details cannot be unlocked at all.
Messaging is separate from unlocking
Sending a message through Castkro does not use credits. It has its own rules for casting directors:
- Your phone number has to be verified. Indian (+91) numbers always need a one-time code.
- You need a published casting call. Unlike unlocking, a call that has passed its expiry date still counts here.
- A free account can start 3 conversations in total, for the lifetime of the account. A conversation is counted when you send its first message, and it is not given back. Paid plans have no limit.
FAQ
Why is the Unlock button greyed out?
Either you have no live casting call, or your balance is lower than the cost on the button. With no live call, the panel says so and links to Post a casting call. With too few credits, it offers Get more credits or Upgrade your account.
The unlock buttons are gone and the panel asks me to verify
Castkro is asking you to verify your identity before you unlock anyone new. Your credits have not been used and stay in your account. Select Verify my identity, complete the DigiLocker check, and the unlock buttons come back. Buying more credits does not remove this step.
My casting call has closed. Can I still see contacts I unlocked?
Yes. Anything you already unlocked stays visible. You need a live call only to unlock something new.
Why is there no Unlock phone button?
The performer has chosen not to share a phone number. You can still unlock their email, or send them a message through Castkro.
Will I be charged again if I open the same profile later?
No. Once a phone number or email is unlocked, it stays unlocked for your account.
Whose details do I get for a performer under 18?
Their parent's or guardian's phone and email, because the guardian manages the profile. You never receive the child's own details.
It says the rate limit is exceeded
There is an hourly cap on unlocks to prevent misuse. Wait a while and try again.