What CMS Candidate Score Credits Are
RESOURCES · EXPERTINI ATS

What CMS Candidate Score Credits Are

One CMS credit = one candidate scored by the deterministic Candidate Match Score engine — the platform's flagship, evidence-based screening.

2 min read · Updated July 2026 · Expertini Editorial

CMS — Candidate Match Score — is Expertini's core screening engine: it reads a candidate's CV against a job's weighted criteria and produces a deterministic 0–10 score with dimension-level rationale, the same inputs always producing the same score. One credit is consumed each time one candidate is scored against one job.

Credits are a monthly allowance that scales by plan — 25 on Starter, 250 on Growth, 1,000 on Professional, 5,000 on Business, 15,000 on Enterprise (3 on Trial) — resetting at the start of each billing cycle.

Watch the 30-second overview — no sign-up needed

01Why scoring is metered when tracking isn't

Each score is real computation — AI reading the full CV against your criteria. Metering it keeps the flat plan prices honest while unlimited jobs and applications stay uncounted; you pay for the intelligence, not the filing cabinet.

02What consumes a credit — and what doesn't

Scoring a candidate consumes one credit. Viewing existing scores, re-reading rationale, ranking already-scored candidates, and everything else in the pipeline consume nothing. Re-scoring the same candidate after a criteria change is a new score, so a new credit.

03Running out

Scoring pauses until your cycle resets or you upgrade — nothing else on the account is affected, no overage is ever charged automatically, and unscored candidates simply wait in the pipeline.

Engineering notes

Platform architecture & operations

A1How this is enforced in the platform

This allowance is not marketing copy over a spreadsheet — it is metered server-side. Counters live on the organisation record, are checked at the same chokepoints that serve the feature, and reset on the billing cycle. The usage page and the in-app Usage & Credits view read the same counters the enforcement uses, so what you see is what the platform is actually counting.

When a limit is reached the behaviour is honest: the action stops with the count that triggered it and the exact plan that lifts it — never a degraded silent mode. Everything written is yours to take: CSV exports and the Data Export app cover the same stores the product itself reads. The exit is as open as the entrance — by design, not concession.

Frequently asked questions

Is CMS an AI black box?
No — the formula is deterministic (CMS = Σ(CSS×weight)/Σ(weight)) and every score traces to dimension-level evidence you can inspect. AI reads the CV; the scoring math is fixed and auditable.
Do unused credits roll over?
No — the allowance resets each billing cycle. A mid-cycle upgrade grants the new plan's full allowance immediately.
Is scoring automatic?
Live pipeline scoring happens as applications arrive (while credits remain); you can also score on demand from the CMS Score tool.

At a glance

  • 1 credit = 1 candidate scored against 1 job
  • 25 / 250 / 1,000 / 5,000 / 15,000 monthly by tier
  • Deterministic, auditable scoring — never a guess
  • Viewing and ranking scored candidates is free
  • No automatic overage charges

See what cms candidate score credits are on your own hiring.

Bring a real job description to a 30-minute demo — free trial included.

Book a demo
Expertini AI
Online now
Hi! I'm Expertini's AI Product Expert. Ask me anything about our solutions, get guidance on any of our Hiring Tools, or just tell me what you're trying to do — I'll point you in the right direction. For account-specific issues, email support@expertini.com.