To send money to an inmate’s commissary account, you need three things: the inmate’s ID number, the name of the facility where they’re currently housed, and the third-party vendor that facility uses to process deposits. Once you have those, you can transfer funds online, at a lobby kiosk, over the phone, or by mailing a money order. Each method carries its own fees and timing, and mandatory deductions can reduce the balance before the inmate spends a cent.
Get the Inmate’s ID Number and Current Facility
Every deposit requires the inmate’s assigned identification number and the correct facility name. Get either one wrong and the transaction usually fails, or the money lands in someone else’s account.
For federal inmates, the Bureau of Prisons runs a free online Inmate Locator. You can search by name (with filters for race, approximate age, and sex) or by register number, which follows a five-digit, hyphen, three-digit format. The locator returns the inmate’s current facility assignment.1Federal Bureau of Prisons. Inmate Locator State prison systems run their own locator tools on the state department of corrections website. County jails often require calling the facility directly or checking the sheriff’s website.
Copy the ID number exactly as it appears. A single transposed digit can reject the transaction, and vendor platforms rarely tell you which digit is wrong. If the inmate was recently transferred, confirm the current location before sending anything. Funds sent to the wrong facility can take weeks to sort out.
Find the Facility’s Deposit Vendor
Correctional facilities almost never accept money directly from the public. They contract with a third-party payment processor, and you must use that specific company. Federal prisons currently route deposits through Western Union and MoneyGram.2Federal Bureau of Prisons. Sending Funds Using Western Union State prisons and county jails negotiate their own vendor contracts, so the company handling deposits at one facility may be completely different from the one used down the road.
The fastest way to identify the correct vendor is to check the facility’s official website. Look for sections labeled “inmate funds,” “trust account,” or “family resources.” The page will name the vendor and link to their deposit portal. If you can’t find it online, call the facility’s main number and ask which company handles inmate deposits. Sending through the wrong vendor is like mailing a check to the wrong bank. It simply won’t process.
Ways to Send the Money
Once you know the vendor, you pick a transfer method. Each comes with different costs, speed, and convenience.
Online Transfers
Most vendors operate a website or mobile app. You create an account, enter the inmate’s ID number and facility, choose an amount, and pay with a debit or credit card. For federal inmates, Western Union’s Send2Corrections lets you pay online by card or start the transfer digitally and pay with cash at a Western Union agent later.2Federal Bureau of Prisons. Sending Funds Using Western Union Online transfers are the most popular method because they work from anywhere at any time.
Lobby Kiosks
Many jails and some prisons have self-service kiosks in their visitor lobbies. You feed in cash or swipe a debit card, enter the inmate’s information, and the machine prints an immediate receipt. Kiosks help if you prefer paying cash and want on-the-spot confirmation, but they require a trip to the facility. Most kiosks accept standard bill denominations and cannot make change, so bring the exact amount.
Phone Transfers
Vendors typically offer a toll-free line where you can deposit funds with a credit or debit card over the phone. This method usually carries the highest fees of the electronic options. For federal deposits through Western Union, the number is 1-800-634-3422, option 2.2Federal Bureau of Prisons. Sending Funds Using Western Union
Money Orders by Mail
Mailing a money order is still an option at many facilities and avoids the electronic service fee, but it is the slowest method by far. Buy a money order from a bank, post office, or retailer, then address it exactly as the facility instructs. Some systems require the money order to be made payable to the vendor (JPay, for example); others want it made payable to the correctional agency itself. The facility’s website will specify. Include the inmate’s full name and ID number on the money order or accompanying deposit slip. Personal checks, where accepted at all, face long hold times: federal facilities place a 15-day hold on domestic personal checks and 30 to 60 days on foreign instruments.3Federal Register. Inmate Commissary Account Deposit Procedures
What the Fees Look Like
Every electronic deposit method comes with a service fee, and the amount depends on both the vendor and how much you’re sending. Online transfers generally run between $3 and $7 for deposits under $100, climbing to $7 to $12 for larger amounts. Phone transfers usually cost a few dollars more than the equivalent online transaction. Fees for MoneyGram deposits to federal inmates apply to transfers of up to $300 per transaction.4Federal Bureau of Prisons. Sending Funds Using MoneyGram
Lobby kiosk fees typically fall in a similar range to online transfers. Mailed money orders avoid the vendor’s electronic fee, though the issuing bank or post office still charges for the money order itself (usually under $2 at the post office for amounts up to $500). Every vendor must display its fee schedule before you confirm a transaction, so check the total before you submit. On small deposits, the fee eats a surprisingly large share. A $5 fee on a $20 deposit means 25% of your money never reaches the inmate.
Deposit and Spending Caps
Facilities and vendors cap how much can flow into an account. MoneyGram caps federal transfers at $300 per transaction; other systems impose weekly or monthly maximums.4Federal Bureau of Prisons. Sending Funds Using MoneyGram Spending caps separately limit how fast the inmate can use the funds. Federal facilities set commissary spending limits on a biweekly basis, and state and county facilities set their own, some as low as $75 per week.5Federal Bureau of Prisons. MCC New York Commissary Price List
Large deposits can also trigger extra scrutiny. Some facilities place holds on deposits above certain thresholds before releasing the funds as a fraud-prevention measure. If you need to send a large amount, splitting it across smaller transactions over several days is one option, though deliberately structuring transactions to avoid reporting thresholds can itself raise red flags.
How Long Deposits Take to Post
Electronic deposits are the fastest. Online, kiosk, and phone transfers typically post within 24 to 48 hours, and many facilities credit them within minutes. You’ll get an immediate email confirmation or on-screen receipt. Save it in case a discrepancy comes up later.
Mailed money orders take much longer. Between postal transit and manual processing, expect at least 7 to 14 business days before the money appears in the account. Some facilities hold money orders for a full 10 to 14 business days after receipt as a clearance period. Tracking a mailed deposit is harder because you won’t get real-time updates. If you’re sending a money order for a time-sensitive need like an upcoming commissary order day, build in at least three weeks of lead time.
Deductions That Shrink the Balance
Depositing $100 does not necessarily mean the inmate has $100 to spend. Facilities can and do deduct money from trust accounts before the inmate touches it, and several categories of debt take priority over commissary purchases.
Restitution, Fines, and Court Costs
Federal inmates with outstanding financial obligations participate in the Inmate Financial Responsibility Program. The facility develops a payment plan addressing debts in a specific priority order: special assessments first, then court-ordered restitution, then fines and court costs, state or local obligations, and other federal debts.6eCFR. 28 CFR 545.11 – Procedures Non-UNICOR inmates owe a minimum of $25 per quarter toward these obligations. Inmates earning wages through the federal prison industries program are expected to put at least 50% of their monthly pay toward the plan.7Federal Bureau of Prisons. Inmate Financial Responsibility Program The facility excludes $75 per month from the calculation so the inmate can still make phone calls, but deposits beyond that amount can be assessed for additional payments at the unit team’s discretion.
State prisons run their own versions of this process, and many are more aggressive. Some states automatically withhold a fixed percentage of every incoming deposit, commonly 20% to 50%, to apply toward restitution or other court-ordered debts. The inmate usually knows about these deductions. Ask them what percentage is being taken before you plan your deposit amount.
Medical Copays
Federal inmates are charged a $2 copay for each self-initiated, non-emergency health care visit. If the inmate doesn’t have enough money in the account at the time, the system automatically creates a debt, and incoming deposits are applied against that debt until it’s cleared, no consent required.8Federal Bureau of Prisons. Inmate Copayment Program State copays run higher, typically $2 to $5 per visit, and some states debit the fee before any commissary spending is allowed. No facility can deny emergency medical care because of an empty account, but the debt still accumulates.
Court Filing Fees
If the inmate has filed a lawsuit or appeal, the Prison Litigation Reform Act requires them to pay the full court filing fee even after being granted permission to proceed without prepayment. The court collects an initial partial fee of 20% of the greater of the inmate’s average monthly deposits or average monthly balance over the preceding six months. After that, the facility forwards 20% of the preceding month’s income each time the account balance exceeds $10, until the fee is paid.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 1915 – Proceedings In Forma Pauperis Multiple filing fees can stack, with payments running simultaneously rather than one at a time. This can drain an account quickly if the inmate has active litigation.
Approved Depositor Lists
Some facilities restrict who can send money to an inmate, accepting deposits only from people on an approved depositor or visitor list. The inmate typically submits names during intake, and prospective depositors may need to pass a background check first. Not every facility imposes this requirement, but it’s common enough that you should confirm before your first deposit. If the facility uses an approved list, sending money before you’re on it will result in a rejected or returned transaction.
Transfers and Release
When an inmate transfers to a different facility, the trust account balance generally follows, though it can take days or a couple of weeks for the funds to appear at the new location. Avoid sending deposits during a transfer, since the money can get stuck in limbo. Wait until the inmate confirms they’ve arrived and their account is active.
At release, the remaining balance is returned to the inmate. Increasingly, facilities issue the money on a prepaid debit card rather than cutting a check or handing over cash. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has taken enforcement action against at least one major prison payment vendor for imposing unfair fees on these release cards, including charges that weren’t disclosed in the cardholder agreement.10Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. JPay, LLC Release cards often carry weekly or monthly maintenance fees. If the inmate can opt out during a grace period (which ranges from a few days to 30 days depending on the facility), they can typically request the balance as a mailed check instead.
Mistakes That Bounce a Deposit
The most frequent problem is entering the wrong inmate ID number. Most vendor systems reject mismatches automatically, but not all do, and recovering money sent to the wrong account involves paperwork and delays. Double-check the number against the facility’s inmate locator every time, even if you’ve sent money before. Transfers can change ID formats between systems.
Sending through the wrong vendor is the second most common mistake. If the facility contracts with Access Corrections and you send through JPay, the money won’t arrive. This happens most often after a transfer, when the new facility uses a different processor.
Finally, don’t assume the full deposit will be available for commissary spending. Between restitution deductions, medical copay debts, and filing fee installments, the spendable balance can be substantially less than what you sent. Talk to the inmate beforehand so you both understand what to expect, and factor in the vendor’s service fee when deciding how much to send. If you’re depositing $50 and the vendor charges $6, you’re really spending $56 to put $50 on the books, and mandatory deductions may take another chunk before commissary day arrives.