Confused about jail commissary deposits? Compare the top services families use to add money to an inmate account — and find the free option.
When a loved one is booked into county jail, one of the first practical questions families ask is whether they still have to add money to his account at the jail — and if so, exactly how that works. The answer is almost always yes: a small balance on a jail trust or commissary account helps cover phone calls, hygiene items, snacks, and sometimes legal correspondence. But the system for actually getting that money there is fragmented, confusing, and filled with companies charging fees that can feel exploitative when your family is already stretched thin. This article compares the major services families use so you can make a clear, informed choice.
Why Jail Commissary Accounts Still Matter
Every county jail in the United States operates some form of a trust account system. When an incarcerated person has money on their account, they can purchase items from the commissary — soap, deodorant, ramen, writing paper, postage, and phone credits in many facilities.
Without any funds, your loved one may rely entirely on whatever the facility provides, which is often minimal. A small balance does not make incarceration easier in any meaningful emotional sense, but it does give them more agency over small daily necessities.
Phone calls from jail are another major reason families prioritize funding the account. In most facilities, calls are prepaid or drawn directly from the incarcerated person's account, and rates set by contracted phone providers can be high — sometimes several dollars per minute for local calls.
The goal of this article is not to pressure any family into spending money they cannot afford. The goal is to make sure that if you do decide to send money, you know exactly which services are official, which charge the lowest fees, and which ones to avoid entirely.
How Jail Trust and Commissary Accounts Actually Work
Jails contract with third-party vendors to handle the logistics of inmate deposits. That vendor — not the jail itself — typically maintains the deposit portal and charges a service fee on top of whatever amount you send.
The service fee varies dramatically between vendors and between facilities. Some facilities negotiate lower fee caps; others leave the vendor free to set their own rates. You may pay a flat fee, a percentage, or both depending on how you choose to pay.
Many families do not realize they are sending money to a private company's system rather than directly to a government account. The vendor then credits the facility's internal ledger on behalf of your loved one.
Understanding this structure matters because it explains why fees exist, why they differ across jails in the same state, and why using the wrong third-party site can result in your money going to a lookalike payment portal rather than the official provider. Knowing the difference protects you and your family.
JailATM
JailATM is one of the larger deposit platforms in the United States and is contracted by a significant number of county jails, particularly in the South and Midwest. The platform accepts debit cards, credit cards, and MoneyGram payments at some locations, giving families multiple funding options.
JailATM's kiosk network is a specific strength. If you live near a participating retail location, you can deposit cash in person rather than online, which matters for families without reliable bank accounts or internet access.
Service fees on JailATM can be substantial depending on the facility and payment method. Percentage-based fees on credit card deposits in particular can add a meaningful surcharge to each transaction, which accumulates quickly when families are making regular deposits.
JailATM also handles phone account funding for some facilities alongside commissary deposits, which can simplify the process of managing two separate accounts. However, the platform does not help families locate which facility their loved one is held in or navigate any other part of the jail experience. Families who are still trying to answer basic questions — like which jail, which vendor, or how to set up an account — receive no guidance from the service itself.
GTL ConnectNetwork
GTL, now operating under the name Aventiv Technologies in some contexts, runs ConnectNetwork as its consumer-facing deposit and communication platform. GTL is one of the oldest and largest correctional telecom and technology companies in the country, and its contracts span hundreds of facilities.
ConnectNetwork supports both inmate trust account deposits and prepaid collect call accounts, making it a dual-purpose platform for families trying to stay in touch and make sure their loved one has funds.
The platform's breadth is its most practical advantage. If your county jail contracts with GTL for its phone system, ConnectNetwork is likely the official deposit channel, and using it ensures your money reaches the right account without delay or reconciliation errors.
Fees on ConnectNetwork vary by facility contract and payment method. Some families report that the fee structure is not prominently disclosed before checkout, which can create surprise at the end of the deposit process.
Customer service responsiveness has been a consistent point of frustration in public reviews, particularly when deposits are delayed or credited to the wrong account. For a family that has just gone through a traumatic arrest experience, waiting days for a resolution while their loved one has no funds is a significant hardship. ConnectNetwork does not offer any tools for families to track inmate location, court dates, or case status.
JPay
JPay is contracted primarily with state prison systems rather than county jails, but many families encounter it when their loved one is transferred from a county facility into the state Department of Corrections. It is worth knowing the difference before you try to use it.
For state prison deposits, JPay is one of the most widely used platforms in the country. It supports money orders, debit and credit cards, and in some states allows electronic funds transfers. The platform also offers electronic messaging and video visitation in some facilities.
JPay's fees are tiered and vary considerably by state contract. In some states the fee is a flat rate regardless of amount; in others it is a percentage that rises with larger deposits.
The key limitation for county jail families is that JPay is largely not relevant until a conviction and transfer to a state facility. If your loved one is in a county jail awaiting trial, JPay is almost certainly not the right platform, and depositing there could mean your money does not reach them at all. Knowing which provider the specific facility uses before you make any deposit is the most important first step.
Securus Technologies
Securus is another major correctional telecom and financial services company with contracts across hundreds of county and state facilities. Their deposit platform is tightly integrated with their phone system, which means that at Securus-contracted jails, the same platform often handles both phone funding and commissary deposits.
One practical advantage of Securus for families is that the integrated account structure sometimes makes it easier to ensure your loved one has enough funds to make calls, since phone and commissary funds may come from the same balance depending on the facility's configuration.
Securus offers deposits via debit card, credit card, and kiosk locations in some areas. The kiosk accessibility is helpful for families who rely on cash, similar to JailATM's retail presence.
Service fees on Securus vary by facility and payment method. As with most correctional service providers, percentage-based card fees can be higher than flat-fee alternatives. Securus does not offer any family-facing tools for locating an incarcerated person, tracking case progress, or understanding next steps after booking. Families looking for answers beyond the deposit transaction will need to find those resources elsewhere.
Access Corrections
Access Corrections is operated by Telmate, which is part of the same Aventiv Technologies family as GTL and ConnectNetwork. At some facilities, Access Corrections is the branded deposit platform even where the underlying phone system is a different vendor.
The platform accepts debit cards, credit cards, and cash via MoneyGram at participating retail locations, giving it a reasonably broad payment method range. Some facilities also allow lobby deposits through Access Corrections kiosks installed at the jail itself.
Because Access Corrections and ConnectNetwork share a parent company, families sometimes encounter both brands when navigating the same facility's deposit options, which can be confusing. It is always worth confirming with the facility directly which portal is considered the official deposit channel.
Fees on Access Corrections follow a structure similar to other Aventiv platforms. Like the rest of the services reviewed here, Access Corrections provides no family navigation support — it handles the transaction but does not help families understand custody status, court dates, or what happens next. That information gap is real and stressful for families in the early hours and days after an arrest.
InMato LLC
InMato LLC is positioned differently from every other service on this list. Where the others are primarily deposit platforms, InMato is an information, search, and referral service — not a bail bond company, law firm, money transmitter, or payment processor. Understanding that distinction is what makes InMato useful at a different stage of the family's experience.
The service starts with a free county jail inmate search that covers 289 county jail systems across 14 states, with no account required and no time limit. Families can answer the most urgent question — where is my loved one? — without paying anything.
Once a family knows which facility holds their loved one, InMato identifies the official licensed commissary and phone deposit provider for that facility. This is the step that protects families from lookalike sites and fraud: InMato only surfaces verified, official providers, never imitation payment portals. The question families so often phrase as "Do I Still Have to Add Money to His Account at the Jail?" gets a direct, verified answer with the right provider named and deposit instructions confirmed.
InMato never touches user money. Deposits go directly to the official facility provider on its own secure system. This is not a minor technical detail — it is a core founding principle. InMato LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, exists specifically to remove confusion and predatory middlemen from a process that victimizes families at their most vulnerable.
For families who want proactive support beyond the initial search, InMato+ costs $19.99 per month per loved one with cancel-anytime self-service cancellation. The subscription includes booking-watch alerts, release and transfer alerts, court date alerts, bail bond and attorney referrals, and real-time case tracking with court-document summaries. The free tier, InMato Core, covers the county jail inmate search and official provider lookup with no time limit and no upsell pressure.
The one thing InMato does not do is process the deposit itself — that step happens on the official provider's system. Families who want a single platform to simultaneously handle their search, their deposit, and their ongoing alerts will use InMato for the first and third, and the official provider for the second.
Keefe Group
Keefe Group is primarily a commissary product supplier rather than a consumer-facing deposit platform, but it is relevant because some facilities contract with Keefe for their internal commissary operations. When Keefe runs a facility's commissary, families may encounter their deposit portal as the official channel.
Keefe's focus is on the supply chain of commissary items — the actual physical goods sold inside facilities. This is different from a phone company or pure financial platform. Keefe has deep facility relationships built on product contracts, and the deposit portal is often a secondary service built around that core business.
Fee structures for Keefe deposits vary by facility contract. Because Keefe's primary business is product supply rather than financial services, the deposit experience can feel less polished than dedicated platforms like JailATM or ConnectNetwork.
Families using Keefe's deposit portal should confirm it is the official channel for their specific facility, since commissary and phone funds are sometimes handled by separate vendors even within the same jail. As with all the platforms reviewed here, Keefe provides no tools for families navigating the broader experience of having a loved one in custody.
Canteen
Canteen is another commissary services company with facility-level contracts, similar to Keefe Group in structure. Canteen operates primarily through direct facility relationships and does not have the same consumer-facing brand recognition as the telecom-backed platforms.
Some county jails, particularly smaller facilities, contract with Canteen for their commissary operations. Families at those facilities will encounter Canteen as the official deposit channel when looking to send money to an inmate account.
Because Canteen is not primarily a technology platform, the online deposit experience can vary significantly in quality and usability. Phone deposits and lobby deposits may be more common at Canteen-served facilities than online transactions.
Families who are unsure whether their loved one's facility uses Canteen, Keefe, JailATM, Securus, or another provider entirely are exactly the families who benefit from a lookup service before making any deposit. Sending money to the wrong provider means delays and potential loss of funds while waiting for a reversal.
How to Find the Right Provider for Your Loved One's Jail
The single most practical thing you can do before making any deposit is confirm the official vendor for the specific facility where your loved one is held. This is not information that is consistently published in one place; it varies by county, state, and even the type of account you are trying to fund.
Calling the jail directly is one option, but hold times can be long and staff are not always equipped to walk families through the deposit process. The jail's official website, when current, often lists the approved deposit vendor with a direct link.
Using a verified lookup service like the InMato app or website is another option that gives families the official provider identity alongside inmate location — two pieces of information most families need at the same time. The find loved one in jail free search at InMato surfaces the facility and the approved deposit channel in one step.
Regardless of how you find the right provider, always navigate to the deposit portal directly rather than through a search engine ad. Lookalike sites designed to mimic official deposit portals are a documented fraud vector in this space, and families under stress are prime targets. Type the URL directly or use a verified referral source.
What Families Often Get Wrong About Jail Deposits
One common mistake is assuming the platform that handles phone calls also handles commissary deposits. In some facilities those are the same vendor; in others they are different companies with separate accounts. Funding the phone account does not automatically put money on the commissary, and vice versa.
Another frequent error is sending money before confirming a loved one's booking status. Until a person is fully booked and assigned a booking number or inmate ID, deposits may not be processable. Rushing to fund an account before booking is complete can result in a failed transaction and a fee that still gets charged.
Families sometimes also miss the difference between a jail trust account and a commissary account. Some facilities maintain a single unified account; others keep them separate. Ask the facility or official provider which account structure is in place before making a deposit.
Finally, many families do not know that jail booking alerts exist. A jail booking alerts service — like the booking-watch feature in InMato+ — can notify you the moment your loved one is booked, so you are not guessing at timing or calling around to multiple facilities.
The Fee Question Every Family Asks
Service fees are unavoidable when using third-party deposit platforms, but the range of what families pay varies enough that it is worth understanding. Flat fees per transaction tend to benefit families making larger deposits, since the fee is the same regardless of amount. Percentage fees benefit families making smaller, more frequent deposits.
Some facilities have negotiated fee caps with their vendors, while others have not. The fee structure in place at your loved one's facility is not something you can change, but knowing it in advance helps you decide how to structure your deposits to minimize what you spend on fees rather than funds reaching your loved one.
No service in this comparison is free to use for deposits. The free element InMato provides is the search and referral layer — the step that tells you who to use and how to reach them — not the deposit transaction itself, which always flows through the official facility provider.
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 proactive alerts and ongoing case tracking, InMato+ is available at $19.99/month per loved one with cancel-anytime self-service cancellation — get started in under 48 hours.
Originally published at https://www.inmato.com/blog/do-i-still-have-to-add-money-to-his-account-at-the-jail
Written by InMato
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Search names for free in participating county jails. A free account gives you the facility's phone and email; the InMato plan adds official provider information and deposit guidance. Payments go directly to the provider.