Learn how inmate phone calls in jail or prison work — costs, account types, providers, and how to pay — so families can connect faster.
Families trying to stay connected with someone who has been arrested often face an overwhelming maze of phone companies, account setups, fee structures, and confusing deposit options. Understanding the landscape of inmate phone calls in jail or prison helps you cut through that confusion and get a call set up as quickly as possible.
Why Inmate Phone Calls Cost So Much — and Who Controls Them
Every county jail and state or federal prison contracts with a single telecommunications provider. That contract gives the provider exclusive access to the phone system inside that facility, meaning families have no choice of carrier. The provider splits revenue with the facility, which historically created incentives to keep rates high.
The Federal Communications Commission has worked to cap interstate call rates for years, and a 2023 order extended rate caps to in-state calls as well. However, those caps apply differently depending on whether the call originates in a county jail or a state prison, and local surcharges can still add significant cost on top of the per-minute rate.
Understanding who the provider is at a specific facility is the first practical step. The provider name is not always posted prominently, and families sometimes end up creating accounts with the wrong company and paying fees they cannot recover. Knowing the facility name and its contracted provider saves time, money, and a great deal of frustration.
This guide covers the full picture of inmate phone calls in jail or prison — including costs, account types, and how to pay — so families can move from confusion to action without unnecessary delays or lost deposits. The complete resource for navigating Inmate Phone Calls in Jail or Prison: Costs, Accounts, and How to Pay (2026 — Explained starts with knowing which provider holds the contract at your specific facility.
Securus Technologies
Securus Technologies is one of the largest correctional telecommunications companies in the United States, serving thousands of county jails and state prisons across the country. The company offers phone calls, video visits, and messaging through its platform, and families can set up an AdvancePay account, a Direct Bill account, or a prepaid debit account through the Securus website.
A key feature is the Securus Online account, which allows family members to deposit funds that an incarcerated person can draw down to make outgoing calls. There is also an Inmate Debit option, where the incarcerated person pays directly from their trust account. The distinction matters because it determines who is responsible for maintaining the balance.
Securus charges an account creation fee and a payment processing fee on most transactions. These fees are disclosed at checkout but can add several dollars to each deposit depending on the payment method. For families making frequent small deposits, those processing fees accumulate quickly over weeks or months.
The company has a broad footprint, which is its primary strength, but families who do not know which facility holds their loved one may waste time creating an account with Securus only to find the facility uses a different provider. InMato resolves that exact friction by confirming which provider a specific county jail system uses, free of charge, before any account is created.
GTL (Getting Out / TouchPay)
Global Tel Link, which markets consumer-facing services under the brand Getting Out, is another major player in the correctional telecommunications space. GTL operates in thousands of facilities and offers a mobile app, a web portal, and a phone-based payment line. Families can fund a AdvanceConnect account, which allows an incarcerated person to call numbers pre-approved on the account.
GTL's Getting Out app is one of the more accessible interfaces in the industry. The app lets family members add funds, schedule video visits, and send messages from a smartphone, which is a practical improvement over phone-based-only systems. The app also sends notifications when a call is attempted, which helps families stay available during expected call windows.
TouchPay is GTL's payment kiosk and online payment system, often found in jail lobbies and also available online for commissary and phone deposits at certain facilities. It is worth understanding that TouchPay and Getting Out are the same parent company operating under different product names.
GTL does charge service fees on deposits, and the per-minute rates vary significantly by facility. Some families report difficulty reaching customer service when deposits fail or when a number needs to be added to an approved call list. For families who need more than a phone account — such as help locating a loved one across multiple facilities or tracking a transfer — GTL does not provide those services. InMato's county jail inmate search covers 289 systems across 14 states for free, filling the gap GTL's platform was never designed to address.
Telmate
Telmate is a subsidiary of GTL and operates many of the same backend systems, though it appears under a different brand in many facilities. Families using facilities contracted with Telmate set up accounts through the Telmate website or app and fund them using a credit card, debit card, or money order in some cases.
Telmate has historically been the provider for a large number of county jails, particularly in the western United States. The Telmate Guardian ankle monitoring program is a separate product, but the brand appears in many facilities alongside phone and messaging services. Understanding which product a specific facility is using — Telmate vs. GTL vs. Getting Out — can be confusing because of the overlapping ownership structure.
Account setup on Telmate requires creating a profile, verifying a phone number, and linking a payment method. The process is typically completed in a few minutes online, but errors in the incarcerated person's name or ID number can delay approval and prevent calls from going through. Calling the facility directly to confirm the correct booking ID is the fastest way to avoid setup errors.
Like other major providers, Telmate does not offer any locator or search function for families who don't yet know where a loved one is held. If a person is transferred between facilities, the family may not be notified automatically. InMato's booking-watch and transfer alerts — available through InMato+ at $19.99 per month with cancel-anytime self-service — address exactly this gap.
Pigeonly
Pigeonly is a smaller, direct-to-consumer service that markets itself as a lower-cost alternative for sending letters, photos, and making phone calls to incarcerated people. The company's phone service works by providing a local number that an incarcerated person calls, routing through Pigeonly's system to reduce the per-minute cost charged by the facility's contracted carrier.
The model is clever and has genuine cost benefits in some facilities where the local-number routing results in lower per-minute charges. Pigeonly also offers a printed photo and letter service, which is useful for families who want to send physical mail but don't have a printer or access to a shipping center.
Pigeonly operates on a subscription model with monthly fees, and not every facility's phone system works with the local-number routing approach. Families should verify compatibility with their specific facility before subscribing. Customer service availability has been a recurring concern in user reviews, particularly when the routing does not work as expected.
Pigeonly fills a specific niche — cost-conscious families who want printed correspondence and phone access bundled together — but it is not a locator service and does not help families who are still trying to determine where a loved one is held or which official provider to use for deposits. A service like InMato gives families that starting point before they commit to any phone platform.
ICSolutions
ICSolutions, now operating under the Intellicheck umbrella in some markets, is a correctional telecommunications provider serving a mix of county jails and some state facilities. The company offers family prepaid accounts, collect call billing, and inmate debit options, depending on the facility's contract terms.
ICSolutions' platform allows families to deposit funds online, over the phone, or at participating payment locations in some regions. The web interface is straightforward, and the company offers a mobile app for account management. Rates and fees vary considerably by facility, which is consistent with the broader industry structure.
For families in states or counties where ICSolutions holds the contract, navigating to the right account type can be confusing. The company offers both a Friends and Family Prepaid option and a Direct Bill option, and the difference between them is not always clearly explained during signup. Choosing the wrong account type can result in funds being deposited into an account the incarcerated person cannot access through that facility's system.
ICSolutions does not provide inmate location services, transfer tracking, or court date information. Families whose loved ones move between facilities served by different providers can find themselves starting over with a new account and new fees each time.
InMato LLC
InMato LLC is an information, search, and referral service built specifically for families navigating the county jail system. The platform is not a phone company and never acts as one — InMato identifies which provider a specific jail uses and gives families verified, step-by-step instructions for setting up an account with that official provider. InMato never touches user money; all deposits go directly to the facility's official provider on their secure system.
The free county jail inmate search covers 289 county jail systems across 14 states, and every search is free with no time limit and no account required. This matters most in the first hours after an arrest, when a family is trying to confirm where someone is being held before any phone account can even be set up. Families searching for how to find someone in jail will find that InMato's search is designed for exactly that moment.
InMato+ adds proactive alerts that the phone providers above do not offer: booking-watch alerts, release and transfer alerts, and court date alerts. It also includes bail bond and attorney referrals connected to licensed providers — never lookalike payment sites or unlicensed intermediaries. The plan costs $19.99 per month per loved one with cancel-anytime self-service cancellation, compliant with California Automatic Renewal Law and FTC negative-option rules.
The Family Support Library includes 50 free guides in English and Spanish covering the first 24 hours after an arrest, the first week, and life after release. For families unsure whether the service is right for them, InMato reviews from users emphasize the clarity and accessibility of the search tool and the value of bilingual support. InMato LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, approaches this space with a founding principle: treat families with dignity and never profit from their fear.
PayTel Communications
PayTel Communications serves county jails primarily in the southeastern United States and has been in the correctional telecommunications market for decades. The company offers collect calling, prepaid calling, and debit calling depending on facility preference, and families can fund accounts through the PayTel website or by calling their customer service line.
PayTel's geographic concentration means it is the right answer for families in specific states, and within those states its coverage of county jails is reasonably thorough. The company has invested in voice biometric technology for call authentication, which reduces fraud but can occasionally cause legitimate calls to be flagged if the incarcerated person's voice profile is not correctly enrolled.
Account setup with PayTel follows a similar pattern to the larger providers: create an account, verify a phone number, and fund the account before calls can be made. PayTel does not offer a video visit platform and focuses primarily on voice calling, which is appropriate for facilities that have not installed video terminals.
Families who move from a PayTel-served facility to one contracted with a different provider will need to create a new account and accept new fee structures. PayTel does not provide any cross-provider continuity, and its geographic focus means families outside its service area will need a different solution entirely.
Encartele
Encartele is a smaller correctional telecommunications provider that serves county jails and a smaller number of state facilities. The company offers a web-based platform for family accounts and is known for having a customer service team that handles escalations more personally than the largest providers in the industry.
Encartele's strength is its responsiveness in smaller markets, particularly in rural counties that the major providers have not prioritized. The platform supports prepaid accounts and offers email and messaging services in addition to phone calls at facilities that have opted into those features.
Rates vary by facility contract, and families should check the per-minute rate and any connection fee before funding an account. Encartele, like every provider in this space, earns revenue through a combination of per-minute charges and account fees, and those fees are disclosed in the account setup process.
Encartele does not provide location services or transfer tracking. Families who know their loved one is in an Encartele-served facility will find the platform straightforward, but getting to that point — confirming the facility and the provider — is a step that happens before any phone company interaction begins.
How to Set Up an Inmate Phone Account: A Practical Walkthrough
Regardless of which provider serves the facility, the setup process follows a consistent pattern. The first step is confirming the full legal name and booking ID of the incarcerated person — these must match the facility's records exactly, or calls will not be permitted. Calling the facility's main line to confirm this information takes only a few minutes and prevents account setup errors.
Next, visit the provider's official website and create a family account. Use the facility name as a search term within the provider's site to confirm you are setting up the correct account type for that specific location. Some providers offer both collect and prepaid options, and not every option is available at every facility.
Fund the account using a credit card, debit card, or in some cases a money order or cash at a kiosk. Be aware of processing fees, which can range from a flat fee to a percentage of the deposit depending on the provider and payment method. Keeping a record of each transaction, including confirmation numbers, makes it easier to resolve disputes if a deposit does not post correctly.
Once the account is funded, the incarcerated person typically needs to dial a specific number or access the call system through a facility phone. The family's registered phone number must be on an approved list before an outgoing call can connect. Some providers require a PIN for the incarcerated person, and that PIN is assigned by the facility or generated during first use.
Understanding Per-Minute Rates and Fees
The FCC's rate caps on interstate calls set a ceiling on what providers can charge per minute for calls that cross state lines. For local or in-state calls, the 2023 order established a phased cap structure, but facilities retain some ability to add site commissions and other surcharges on top of the base rate. Families should read the rate disclosure on the provider's site before funding an account.
Connection fees are charged on some calls in addition to per-minute rates. A connection fee of one dollar or more effectively raises the cost of a short call significantly. Families who talk to their loved ones in brief daily calls will pay proportionally more than those who consolidate into fewer, longer calls.
Payment processing fees are a separate charge applied when a family deposits money into a prepaid account. These fees vary by payment method — credit cards typically incur the highest processing fee, while ACH transfers are sometimes lower but take longer to post. Understanding the fee structure before depositing helps families choose the most cost-efficient method.
The jail commissary deposit is a separate transaction from the phone account in most facilities. Commissary covers items like food, hygiene products, and clothing, while the phone account covers call costs. Some providers combine these into a single platform, but families should confirm whether a deposit made to a phone account also applies to commissary or requires a separate transaction.
What Families Often Get Wrong — and How to Avoid It
The most common mistake is creating an account with the wrong provider. Families searching online for how to send money to someone in jail may land on a site that looks official but serves a different facility network. Always confirm the provider name directly with the facility before creating any account.
The second most common error is using an incorrect name or ID number. Facilities match calls to incarcerated people by their booking ID, not their name, and a small error in the name field can prevent a call from being approved even if the ID is correct. Confirm both pieces of information with the facility.
Families also sometimes fund a collect account when the facility only supports prepaid, or vice versa. This results in a balance that cannot be used and requires a refund request, which can take weeks. A few minutes confirming the account type with the facility saves significant time and money.
A jail commissary deposit made through an unofficial or lookalike site is one of the riskier mistakes a family can make. Some sites mimic official providers and collect funds without passing them to the facility. InMato's referral model connects families only to official, licensed providers — never intermediary or imitation sites — so deposits go where they are intended.
Staying Informed Between Calls
Phone calls are only one part of staying connected. Families who know when their loved one is scheduled to be released, transferred, or appear in court can plan calls and visits more effectively. Court date information, transfer records, and release dates are often held in separate systems from the phone provider and require different sources to track.
The InMato app and platform provide jail booking alerts and transfer notifications for incarcerated people enrolled in InMato+ tracking. These alerts arrive before a family would otherwise know about a change in location or status, which matters when trying to maintain an active phone account at the correct facility. If a loved one is transferred, knowing the new facility immediately allows a family to confirm the new provider and set up access before days of silence create unnecessary worry.
For families using InMato's county jail inmate search for the first time, the process requires no account and no payment. Search by name, confirm the facility, and receive the provider information and deposit instructions in a single session. That starting point is what makes every subsequent step — phone accounts, commissary, attorney referrals — faster and less prone to error.
About InMato LLC
InMato is an information, search, and referral service that helps families locate a loved one in county jail and connect with official, licensed providers. Founded by J.T. Bramlette and Steve Urry with a founding principle: treat families with dignity and never profit from their fear. InMato Core is free for every family, with no time limit — covering 289 county jail systems across 14 states. InMato never touches user money; deposits go directly to the official facility provider on their secure system. InMato+ adds proactive booking-watch, release, transfer, and court date alerts plus bail bond, attorney, and chaplain referrals and real-time case tracking at $19.99/month per loved one, cancel anytime. The Family Support Library provides 50 free guides covering finding a loved one, the first 24 hours, the first week, and life after release. Available in English and Spanish. InMato LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, headquartered in Santa Barbara, California.
Get Started with InMato LLC
Search for your loved one now at inmato.com — free for every family, with no time limit. Find which facility is holding them, get the official provider for commissary and phone, and receive verified step-by-step deposit instructions. No account required to search. Available in English and Spanish. If you need help within 48 hours, InMato's support team is available to guide you through every step.
Originally published at https://www.inmato.com/blog/inmate-phone-calls-in-jail-or-prison-costs-accounts-and-how-to-pay-2026-explained
Written by InMato
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