A plain-language guide to every way families can send money to a Broward County jail inmate, from online deposits to money orders.
Ten Ways to Send Money to an Inmate in Broward County, Florida covers exactly the ground families need when a loved one is first booked into one of the county's jail facilities. The process is more specific than most people expect, and choosing the wrong method can mean days of delays or rejected funds that have to be returned.
Broward County's jail system is operated by the Broward Sheriff's Office and includes several facilities, among them the Main Jail, the North Broward Bureau, and the Joseph V. Conte Facility. Each location processes inmate accounts through the same centralized system, which means the funding methods described here apply across the network. Knowing that before you start saves you from guessing.
Why Inmate Account Money Matters
Money in a loved one's inmate trust account, sometimes called a commissary account, is not a luxury. It covers hygiene items, additional food, phone call credits, postage, and in many facilities, access to email or messaging services. Without funds, an incarcerated person relies entirely on whatever is provided by the facility.
The stakes are practical and immediate. A new arrival who cannot afford a phone call may struggle to reach family to arrange legal help or retrieve important belongings. Understanding how deposits work — and which methods are reliable — is one of the most concrete ways a family can help in the first hours and days.
Deposits are processed on the facility's schedule, not instantly in most cases. Cash deposits made through lobby kiosks tend to post fastest, sometimes within minutes. Mailed money orders and checks take the longest, often several business days after they are received and verified. Planning around those timelines prevents gaps in your loved one's access.
Method One: Lobby Kiosk Cash Deposits
The Broward Sheriff's Office jail facilities have self-service kiosks in their lobbies that accept cash and, at some locations, debit cards. These kiosks are operated by a contracted third-party vendor. Funds deposited this way typically post to the inmate's account within minutes to a few hours.
To use a lobby kiosk, you enter the inmate's booking number or name, select the deposit amount, and insert cash or swipe a card depending on the machine. The kiosk prints a receipt that you should keep until you confirm the funds appear in the account. The booking number is the safest identifier to use because name spelling variations can cause a mismatch.
Kiosk availability depends on lobby hours, which the Broward Sheriff's Office posts on its official website. Visiting outside those hours means you will need to use an online or phone-based method instead. Always check hours before making a trip, especially on weekends and holidays when schedules may be reduced.
Method Two: Online Deposits Through the Official Vendor Portal
Most families find online deposits the most convenient option, particularly those who live far from a facility or cannot take time off work to visit in person. The Broward Sheriff's Office contracts with a specific vendor for inmate account deposits, and that vendor operates the official web portal for this service.
To complete an online deposit, you navigate to the official vendor's website, enter the facility name and the inmate's booking or ID number, and pay by debit or credit card. A transaction fee applies and varies by deposit amount, so review the fee schedule on the vendor's site before confirming. Keeping a screenshot or email confirmation protects you if there is any dispute about the transaction.
Processing time for online deposits is generally faster than mailed payments, though it can still take several hours for funds to appear in the inmate's account. If a deposit does not appear after the stated processing window, contact the vendor's customer support with your confirmation number. Do not attempt a second deposit until you confirm the first one either failed or is still processing.
Method Three: Phone Deposits
The contracted vendor also operates a phone deposit line that families can use around the clock. This is useful when online access is limited or when you need to make a deposit quickly from a mobile phone without navigating a website.
Phone deposits typically require you to provide the facility name, the inmate's booking number, and your debit or credit card information. The automated system or a live agent walks you through the steps. Fees apply the same way they do for online deposits, and the processing timeline is similar.
One practical note: have the inmate's booking number written down before you call. Trying to look it up mid-call on a different device adds time and the risk of entering the wrong number. Getting a confirmation number at the end of the call is equally important — treat it the same way you would treat a receipt.
Method Four: Money Orders by Mail
Broward County jail facilities accept money orders sent by mail, addressed to the inmate's account. This method has no transaction fee from a vendor, which makes it appealing to families trying to minimize costs. However, it requires the most lead time of any method.
A money order must be made payable in exactly the format the facility requires. The Broward Sheriff's Office specifies how the money order should be addressed — typically including the facility name and the inmate's full name and booking number on the face of the instrument. Using the wrong format can result in the money order being returned, which adds days or weeks to the process.
Keep your money order stub or purchase receipt until you confirm the funds appear. Money orders that are lost or delayed in transit can be traced only if you have the serial number from the original purchase receipt. USPS money orders are generally the easiest to trace if a problem arises.
Method Five: Personal Checks (Where Accepted)
Some jail systems still accept personal checks by mail, though this method has become less common as facilities have moved toward vendor-based systems. Families should verify directly with the Broward Sheriff's Office whether personal checks are currently accepted before sending one, since policies can change.
When personal checks are accepted, they are typically held for a clearing period before the funds are credited to the inmate's account. That clearing period can be a week or longer, making checks the slowest method available. For anyone trying to ensure their loved one has funds quickly, another method is almost always the better choice.
If you decide to send a check, address it according to the facility's exact instructions and include all required identifying information on the memo line. A check missing the inmate's booking number may be returned or held indefinitely while staff attempt to match it to the correct account.
Method Six: Tablet or App-Based Deposits
Many county jail systems now contract with vendors who provide in-cell or common-area tablets to incarcerated individuals. These tablets allow inmates to access messages, entertainment, legal resources, and, importantly, in-app deposit options that family members can fund from outside.
In Broward County facilities, incarcerated individuals may have access to messaging and communication platforms through vendor-provided devices. Families can often fund these accounts through a separate app or portal associated with the tablet vendor, which is distinct from the general inmate trust account. It is worth clarifying with your loved one which system they have access to and which account you should be funding.
Fees for tablet-based services vary by vendor and service type. Some communication features charge per message or per minute in addition to any deposit fees. Understanding the fee structure helps you budget more accurately and ensures the money you send goes where your loved one needs it most.
Method Seven: Video Visitation Credits
Video visitation is a separate line item from the general commissary account in most facilities. Providers like Securus Technologies and Global Tel Link (GTL), now operating under the Aventiv Technologies umbrella, contract with jails to provide both phone and video call services. Families fund these calling accounts separately from commissary deposits.
To set up video visitation, a family member creates an account with the contracted provider, loads funds into that account, and schedules visits through the provider's website or app. The inmate does not need to initiate this process — the family member drives it from the outside. Session lengths and per-minute rates vary by contract, so the provider's website for the specific facility is your most accurate source.
Note that video and phone accounts often share the same balance in newer platforms, while older systems keep them separate. Confirm which system Broward County is using with the specific provider before loading funds, so you do not accidentally purchase credits that cannot be applied to the service you need.
Method Eight: JPay or Similar Messaging Services
JPay, a Securus Technologies subsidiary, has historically offered combined money transfer, email, and video services for incarcerated individuals across many state and county systems. Whether JPay is the active vendor for Broward County's specific messaging services at any given time depends on the county's current contracts, which can change at renewal.
When JPay or a similar platform is in use, families can send funds through the JPay app or website, which then credits the inmate's account or a platform-specific wallet. The platform may also allow families to purchase digital stamps for electronic messages. Each message costs a small number of stamps, which are purchased in bundles.
Because vendor contracts in jail systems change with some regularity, always confirm the active provider through the Broward Sheriff's Office inmate services page before setting up a new account on any platform. Setting up an account with an inactive vendor wastes time and, if you have already loaded funds, requires a refund process.
Method Nine: Third-Party Service Intermediaries
A number of third-party websites position themselves as intermediaries for sending money to inmates across multiple facilities. They aggregate deposit options, sometimes allowing one account to serve deposits at many different jails. Families should approach these sites with caution and verify that any intermediary passes funds directly to the official facility vendor rather than holding them.
This is where families often encounter confusion or worse. Some sites that appear to be official deposit portals are lookalike pages that collect payment information without a clear connection to the real vendor. The safest rule is to start from the Broward Sheriff's Office official website, follow its link to the approved vendor, and never trust a search engine result that does not trace back to the official source.
InMato LLC is built specifically to avoid this trap. As an information, search, and referral service, InMato connects families with only official, licensed providers — never imitation payment sites. InMato never touches your money; any deposit you make goes directly to the official facility provider on their secure system. The core search, including a full county jail inmate search to locate your loved one, is always free with no time limit.
Choosing the Right Method for Your Situation
The right deposit method depends on three variables: how quickly the funds are needed, how close you are to a facility lobby, and what fees you are able to absorb. For same-day needs, a lobby kiosk or online deposit is almost always the fastest route. For recurring support where speed matters less than cost, mailed money orders avoid vendor transaction fees.
Families managing deposits over a long period benefit from creating an account with the official vendor so past transactions are tracked in one place. That history makes it easier to spot if a deposit did not post correctly and to provide documentation if you need to dispute a charge or trace a missing payment.
Revisit the Broward Sheriff's Office official website periodically, because vendor contracts and accepted payment methods change. A method that works today may be unavailable after a contract renewal. The facility's inmate services page is the authoritative source, not third-party aggregators or outdated forum posts.
How to Find Inmate Information Before You Send Anything
Before you can send money, you need the correct facility and the correct booking number. Getting either of these wrong can result in your funds being returned or credited to the wrong account. Many families waste time because they are working from incomplete information gathered informally.
This is exactly what the InMato app and web search are designed to address. Families can use InMato's county jail inmate search to find loved ones across 289 county jail systems in 14 states, including Broward County facilities. The search is always free, no account required. Once you know where your loved one is held, InMato provides the verified official provider for commissary deposits and phone, along with step-by-step deposit instructions. This answers the most common family question — how to find someone in jail — and moves them immediately to the next step.
For families who want to stay ahead of changes in custody status, InMato's jail booking alerts notify you the moment a new booking is recorded, so you are never waiting days to find out where your loved one is. The service is available in both English and Spanish, which matters when family members are communicating across language preferences.
Common Mistakes That Delay Deposits
The most frequent deposit error is using a name spelling that does not exactly match what the facility recorded at booking. Even a middle name or suffix that appears on your loved one's ID but was entered differently at intake can cause a mismatch. Always use the booking number as the primary identifier.
Another common problem is sending a deposit to the wrong facility. Broward County has multiple jail locations, and a transfer between facilities resets which provider or account is active. If your loved one was recently moved, confirm the current location before sending funds. A deposit sent to the old facility after a transfer may take days to be redirected or may need to be refunded and resent.
Finally, families sometimes confuse the commissary account with the phone or video account. These are often managed by different vendors with separate balances. A phone credit loaded with the communications vendor does not appear in the commissary balance and cannot be used to purchase hygiene items. Clarifying which account needs funds before you deposit prevents frustration on both ends.
Understanding "Ten Ways to Send Money to an Inmate in Broward County, Florida" as a Framework
The phrase Ten Ways to Send Money to an Inmate in Broward County, Florida reflects the reality that families have more options than they realize, and that each option fits a different circumstance. No single method is universally best. The lobby kiosk suits someone who is already at the facility for a visit. The phone line suits someone with only a mobile phone available. The mail route suits someone prioritizing cost over speed.
Treating this as a commissary guide rather than a one-size-fits-all instruction gives families agency. You understand the tradeoffs, you verify the current official vendor, and you use the method that fits your specific situation that day. When circumstances change — a transfer, a contract change, a new facility — you return to the official source and recalibrate.
InMato's free Family Support Library includes guides covering the first 24 hours, the first week, and life after release — 50 free resources written for families navigating exactly these decisions. Is InMato legit? It is a Delaware limited liability company co-founded by J.T. Bramlette and Steve Urry, headquartered in Santa Barbara, California, and compliant with FTC negative-option rules and California's consumer protection statutes. It is an information and referral service — never a bail bond company, law firm, or payment processor — and it never holds or processes user money. Families searching "InMato vs JailATM" will find the distinction matters: InMato is a navigation and referral tool, not a payment intermediary.
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.
Originally published at https://www.inmato.com/blog/ten-ways-to-send-money-to-an-inmate-in-broward-county-florida
Written by InMato
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