How to Put Money on Your Phone for Jail Calls

To put money on a phone for jail calls, find out which company runs phone service at the facility, then either fund a prepaid account tied to your own phone number or deposit money into a debit account the inmate controls. You can pay online, by phone, at a lobby kiosk in the facility, or by mail. Which provider you use depends entirely on the facility’s contract, so that’s the first thing to confirm.

Pick the Right Type of Account First

Before you deposit anything, decide which account structure fits your situation. The choice controls who owns the money and who can be called.

A prepaid collect account, often branded “AdvancePay,” is tied to your phone number. When the inmate calls you, the balance draws down. The money stays under your control, but the account only funds calls to you.
A PIN debit account puts money in the inmate’s hands. They can call any approved number on their list, not just yours. If several family members want to receive calls, this is usually the better choice.

Some facilities also let inmates spend commissary funds on phone time, so if you already deposit to commissary, ask whether a separate phone deposit is even necessary.

What to Gather Before You Pay

You’ll need a short list of details to complete any deposit:

The inmate’s full legal name as it appears in facility records.
The inmate’s ID number, assigned by the facility or state department of corrections.
The facility’s exact name and location.
The name of the phone provider. The two biggest are ViaPath Technologies (formerly Global Tel Link) and Securus Technologies, but smaller companies operate at some jails. Call the facility’s main line or check its website if you’re not sure.

One more thing matters before you fund anything: your phone number almost always has to be on the inmate’s approved calling list before calls will connect. The inmate usually submits the number for approval, and some systems require you to register and verify ownership of the line as well. Facilities using automated verification may run a billing-name-and-address check on the number. If your number isn’t approved, depositing money won’t help, because the call gets blocked before it goes through. Confirm the registration process with the facility or provider first.

Depositing Online

The fastest route is the provider’s website. ViaPath deposits go through a platform called ConnectNetwork; Securus runs its own site. The steps look about the same on either:

Create an account on the provider’s site, or log in if you already have one.
Search for the inmate using their ID number and the correct facility.
Choose whether you’re funding a prepaid collect account or a PIN debit account.
Enter the deposit amount and pay with a credit card, debit card, or prepaid card.

Online deposits usually post within minutes. Both major providers have mobile apps that do the same job, which makes reloading and checking balances easier once you’re set up.

Other Ways to Deposit

If a website isn’t an option, you have a few alternatives:

By phone: Call the provider’s toll-free number, follow the automated prompts, and pay with a credit or debit card. It takes longer than the website but works the same way.
At a lobby kiosk: Many facilities have a self-service kiosk that accepts cash, credit, and debit cards. Funds post immediately, and the kiosk is one of the few ways to deposit actual cash.
By mail: Some providers accept money orders or cashier’s checks at a designated address. Expect processing to take a week or more. Use this only when nothing else is available.

What Calls Actually Cost in 2026

Knowing the per-minute rate helps you deposit a sensible amount instead of guessing. The FCC caps what providers can charge for incarcerated people’s communication services, covering both audio and video. As of April 6, 2026, the interim caps for audio calls are:

Prisons of any size: $0.11 per minute.
Large jails (1,000 or more inmates): $0.10 per minute.
Medium jails (350–999): $0.12 per minute.
Small jails (100–349): $0.13 per minute.
Very small jails (50–99): $0.15 per minute.
Extremely small jails (under 50): $0.19 per minute.

Video calls run higher, from $0.19 per minute at larger jails up to $0.44 per minute at the smallest facilities, with prisons capped at $0.25 per minute.

Each figure includes a $0.02-per-minute facility cost additive that providers can add to cover the facility’s expenses of making phone service available. Most providers charge the full amount, so the numbers above are what you’ll typically see. These are interim caps and could change in future FCC rulemaking, but for now no provider can legally charge more.

Fees That Are No Longer Allowed

For years the per-minute rate was only part of what you paid. Deposit fees, single-call surcharges, and payment processing fees often doubled the real cost. Starting April 6, 2026, providers cannot separately charge ancillary service fees on top of the per-minute rate. Automated payment fees and third-party financial transaction fees are folded into the rate cap instead of billed as line items.

The same rules also ban site commissions, the payments providers used to make to facilities in exchange for exclusive contracts. If you’re still seeing separate deposit fees or surcharges after April 2026, that’s worth reporting to the FCC at fcc.gov/consumers/complaints.

Balances, Auto-Reload, and Refunds

Once you’ve deposited funds, the provider’s website or app will show your balance. Most offer auto-reload, which adds a set amount whenever the balance drops below a threshold you choose. That prevents calls from cutting off mid-conversation, but watch it — if call volume runs higher than you expected, auto-reload can drain your payment method quietly.

If you end up with unused funds because the inmate was released or transferred, contact the provider to request a refund. Have your account number, the inmate’s details, and your transaction records ready. Processing generally takes between seven and thirty business days. Providers aren’t always forthcoming about refunds, so you may need to press. If a reasonable request is refused, an FCC complaint can sometimes move things along.

Check Whether Calls Are Already Free

A growing number of states now cover the cost of incarcerated people’s calls entirely, meaning phone service is free for both the inmate and the family. If the facility is in one of those states, you don’t need to deposit anything. It’s worth a quick call to the facility to confirm before setting up a funded account.

1
Federal Communications Commission. Incarcerated People’s Communications Services
2
Federal Register. Incarcerated Peoples Communication Services Implementation of the Martha Wright-Reed Act Rates for Interstate Inmate Calling Services