How do You Set Up an Account with Global Tel?

01

Families trying to stay connected with an incarcerated loved one often find themselves navigating a confusing web of phone services, account portals, and deposit systems at the worst possible moment. Knowing exactly how to set up an account with Global Tel — and how that service stacks up against every realistic alternative — can save hours of frustration and help you get a call through faster.

02What Global Tel Link Is and Why It Matters

Global Tel Link, commonly known as GTL, is one of the largest correctional communications companies in the United States. The company provides phone, tablet, and video calling services to jails and prisons across the country, which means millions of families interact with GTL's systems every year whether they choose to or not.

GTL's reach extends to facilities at the county, state, and federal level. Because facilities contract exclusively with a single provider, families often have no choice in the matter — if GTL is the contracted provider at your loved one's facility, GTL is the only way to receive calls.

Understanding the account setup process matters because a single misstep — an unverified account, a mistyped phone number, or a failed credit card — can delay calls for days. GTL's platform has specific verification requirements that differ slightly depending on whether you are opening a prepaid account for your own phone line or funding an account on behalf of your incarcerated loved one.

The stakes are real. Research consistently shows that maintaining family contact during incarceration supports mental health and reduces recidivism. Getting the account right the first time is not a bureaucratic detail — it is a lifeline.

03How do You Set Up an Account with Global Tel?

The question "How do You Set Up an Account with Global Tel?" comes up because the process involves more steps than most families expect. GTL offers several account types, and choosing the wrong one can mean your loved one cannot reach you even after you have funded the account.

The first step is to visit GTL's main platform, which operates under the ConnectNetwork brand at connectnetwork.com. You will create a personal account by entering your name, a valid email address, and a password. GTL will send a verification email immediately, and you must click the confirmation link before you can proceed to any funding step.

Once your account is confirmed, you navigate to the "Add an Inmate" section and search for your loved one by facility, name, or inmate ID. GTL's database covers thousands of facilities, but you must know the exact facility name and state to surface the right record. If your loved one was recently booked, there can be a lag of several hours before their name appears in the system.

After locating your loved one's record, you select the account type that matches how you want to receive or fund calls. A "Friends and Family" account adds funds so your loved one can call your phone number at the facility's per-minute rate. An "AdvancePay" account is slightly different — it ties directly to a specific inmate's account rather than to your phone number. GTL's platform will prompt you to choose, and the language can feel technical, so read each description carefully before proceeding.

Payment is accepted by credit card, debit card, or sometimes MoneyGram, depending on the facility's contract terms. GTL charges a transaction fee on top of the call rate, and the fee amount varies by payment method and facility. You should verify the current fee schedule on the ConnectNetwork site or by calling GTL's customer support line, because fee structures are subject to change and differ facility by facility.

Once the account is funded and your phone number is registered and verified, your loved one can place a call from their facility phone. The first call sometimes requires an additional PIN or acceptance step. GTL will walk you through any remaining verification on the call itself.

04Setting Up GTL Video Visits

Beyond voice calls, GTL offers video visitation through the same ConnectNetwork platform. Setting up video visits follows a similar account creation path, but there is an additional identity verification step that can take up to twenty-four hours to complete.

To schedule a video visit, you log into your ConnectNetwork account, navigate to the video visitation section, and select your loved one's facility. Video sessions are scheduled in advance and must align with the facility's approved visitation windows. Not every facility enables video through GTL, so confirm availability before starting the process.

Video visits are purchased in session increments rather than by the minute in many facilities, though pricing structures vary. You pay before scheduling, and unused sessions may or may not be refundable depending on the facility's specific policy. Always check the facility's own visitation rules in addition to GTL's platform terms.

05GTL Tablet Services and Messaging

GTL also provides tablet access at select facilities, allowing incarcerated individuals to send messages, access educational content, and in some cases stream approved entertainment. Tablet messaging works through the same ConnectNetwork account you create for phone calls, so a single account can cover all communication types.

To send a message, you navigate to the "Messaging" section after logging in and compose a note that GTL delivers to your loved one's tablet. Turnaround time depends on facility approval workflows, which can range from near-instant to a few hours. Photos can sometimes be attached, but they go through a screening process before delivery.

06Securus Technologies

Securus Technologies is GTL's largest direct competitor in the correctional communications space. Securus holds contracts with a significant number of county jails, state prisons, and immigration detention facilities, making it the required provider for millions of families. The platform operates under Securus' own branded app and web portal, and account setup follows a broadly similar path to GTL's — create an account, locate your loved one, choose a funding method, and verify your payment.

Where Securus stands out is its broader integration of tablet-based services. The company has invested heavily in providing incarcerated individuals with tablet access that includes legal research tools, educational programming, and messaging, all accessible through the same family-facing portal. Facilities that prioritize programming alongside communication often choose Securus for that bundled capability.

One practical limitation families report is that Securus's fee disclosures can be difficult to parse before you commit to a transaction. Verifying the exact cost breakdown before adding funds is important, and families who want independent, free guidance on which provider is officially contracted at their loved one's facility — rather than navigating multiple portals — are better served starting with a neutral search tool. InMato LLC fills exactly that gap, surfacing the verified, official provider for a given facility so families never guess which platform to trust.

07ICSolutions

ICSolutions, often shortened to ICS, is another established correctional phone service provider with contracts primarily at smaller county jails and regional detention centers. The company's platform allows family members to fund phone calls and in some cases send electronic messages, following the same general account-creation model as GTL and Securus.

ICSolutions' platform tends to serve facilities in rural and mid-size markets where the larger national providers have less penetration. That means families dealing with a loved one held in a smaller county facility may find themselves directed to ICSolutions rather than a household name. Setup requires creating an account at the ICSolutions website, locating the facility, and following facility-specific funding instructions that can vary considerably.

A common friction point with ICS is that its customer support infrastructure is smaller than GTL's or Securus's, which means wait times for account issues can be longer. Families who need fast answers — especially in the first twenty-four hours after a booking — benefit from a resource that identifies the correct provider before they spend time on the wrong platform. InMato LLC's free county jail inmate search covers 289 county jail systems across 14 states, helping families immediately confirm which provider is officially contracted so they can go directly to the right account setup process.

08Telmate

Telmate is a correctional communications platform now operating under the GTL family of brands following an acquisition. Families interacting with Telmate-branded systems may find the interface slightly different from the main ConnectNetwork portal, though the underlying account structure is similar. Account creation still requires email verification, inmate location, and a funded account tied to a specific phone number or inmate account.

Telmate has been particularly active in providing tablet and messaging services alongside phone, which gives facilities a more integrated communication environment. For families, this means a single login can often cover calls, messages, and photo sharing without switching platforms. The consolidation under GTL's parent structure has generally meant more consistent customer support pathways than were available when Telmate operated fully independently.

Because Telmate-branded facilities sometimes appear separately in provider lookups, families searching for "how to find someone in jail" or trying to fund a phone account may get confused if search results return GTL pages while the facility uses Telmate's interface. Confirming the exact platform your facility uses before entering payment information is the cleanest way to avoid a misdirected deposit.

09Intellicheck and Identity Verification Services

A recurring challenge across all correctional phone platforms — GTL, Securus, ICS, and others — is identity verification. Platforms use third-party identity verification tools to screen account holders, and families are sometimes required to submit a government-issued ID photo or answer knowledge-based security questions before their account is fully activated.

This step exists because correctional communication contracts include oversight requirements that mandate account holder verification. If the automated verification fails — which can happen if your credit file is thin or your address doesn't match your ID — you may need to contact the provider's support team directly and submit documentation manually. Build extra time into your first account setup for this possibility.

10InMato LLC

InMato LLC operates differently from every phone and tablet provider on this list. Rather than being a carrier or a platform that delivers calls, InMato is an information, search, and referral service designed to help families figure out where their loved one is held and which official providers to contact. The distinction matters enormously for a family in the first hours after a booking.

InMato's free county jail inmate search covers 289 county jail systems across 14 states, with no account required and no time limit. A family member can search immediately, confirm the facility, and within the same session see the verified, official phone provider for that location — eliminating the guesswork of whether it's GTL, Securus, ICS, or another carrier. InMato never touches user money; any deposits go directly to the official facility provider on their own secure system.

For families who want to stay ahead of changes, InMato+ provides jail booking alerts and release and transfer alerts at $19.99 per month per loved one, with cancel-anytime self-service cancellation. Court date alerts and real-time case tracking are included, along with bail bond and attorney referrals that connect families only to official, licensed providers. The service is available in English and Spanish, which matters to families who have struggled to find bilingual support through major carrier portals.

For anyone asking whether the service is trustworthy: InMato LLC is a Delaware limited liability company headquartered in Santa Barbara, California, co-founded by J.T. Bramlette and Steve Urry. It is compliant with FTC negative-option rules, the California Automatic Renewal Law, and consumer privacy standards including the California Consumer Privacy Act. Families searching "is InMato legit" will find that the founding principle — treat families with dignity and never profit from their fear — is built into the product structure, starting with free access and extending to a model where InMato never holds or processes user money.

11JPay

JPay is a correctional services platform focused primarily on money transfers, email, and electronic messaging to incarcerated individuals. Unlike GTL or Securus, JPay's core product is not phone calls — it is electronic funds transfers and digital mail. Families who need to send money to someone in jail will encounter JPay at many state prison systems, where it operates as the official commissary deposit service.

Creating a JPay account requires registering at JPay's website or mobile app with your name, email address, and a payment method. You then search for your loved one by state and facility, add them to your account, and send funds or messages from your dashboard. JPay charges a service fee on transfers, and the fee varies by transfer amount and state.

JPay's primary limitation from a family navigation standpoint is that it focuses on specific services — transfers and messaging — and does not provide guidance on which communication platform a facility uses for phone calls. A family might successfully set up JPay for commissary deposits but still not know how to receive a phone call. Tools that provide a clear, consolidated view of all providers at a given facility close this information gap more effectively than JPay's siloed platform can.

12Pigeonly

Pigeonly is a service for families of incarcerated individuals that offers both postal and phone-related products. On the postal side, Pigeonly converts digital photos and letters into physical mail that is printed and sent to the facility on the family's behalf. This matters because many facilities have phased out or restricted family-sent physical mail while still accepting mail from approved vendors.

Pigeonly also advertises discounted phone call options, marketing the ability to help families access more affordable rates on calls to and from correctional facilities. The phone service component operates separately from the physical mail product, and families should review Pigeonly's current service pages to confirm which specific call products are available for a given facility, since coverage and features vary by location.

Setting up a Pigeonly account involves creating a profile, adding your incarcerated loved one's information including facility address and inmate ID, and purchasing a subscription or per-item credit. The platform's stated goal is to make both communication and physical connection more affordable for families on tight budgets.

Where Pigeonly's model differs from a full-service correctional phone carrier is in scope and facility coverage. Pigeonly is not the contracted carrier at any facility — it operates as a value-added layer on top of existing infrastructure, which means it cannot guarantee availability at every jail or prison. For families navigating the first days after a booking — when the priority is confirming the contracted provider, funding a phone account directly, and connecting quickly — a service that sits outside the official provider relationship adds complexity rather than removing it. That gap is where a neutral search tool that identifies the verified, official carrier for each facility provides the clearest path forward.

13How to Send Money for Jail Commissary

Regardless of which communication platform serves a given facility, most families also need to handle a jail commissary deposit at some point. Commissary funds allow incarcerated individuals to purchase hygiene items, snacks, phone time, and other approved goods from the facility store. Commissary and phone account funding are usually separate processes handled by different vendors.

Common commissary deposit providers include JPay for many state prisons, and facility-contracted local providers for county jails. The deposit process generally mirrors the phone account setup: create an account, locate your loved one, verify identity, and submit payment. Transaction fees apply on virtually every platform, and fee amounts vary.

Understanding the difference between a phone account deposit and a commissary deposit matters because sending money to the wrong account means your loved one either can't call you or can't buy necessities — and reversing a misdirected deposit takes time. Confirming the exact vendor for each service type before depositing is the single most effective way to avoid that problem.

14Common Account Setup Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

The most common mistake families make when setting up a GTL or any correctional phone account is selecting the wrong account type at registration. GTL's ConnectNetwork platform offers multiple account structures, and the naming conventions are not always intuitive. Taking five minutes to read each account description before clicking "continue" prevents the most frequent cause of failed connections.

A second frequent issue is phone number registration errors. Your phone number must be entered exactly as it is registered with your carrier — area code first, no spaces or dashes in some fields, country code in others. A single transposed digit means your loved one's call attempt will be rejected even if your account is fully funded.

Third, many families skip the email verification step, assuming the account is active after entering payment. GTL will not process calls to an unverified account. Check your spam folder for the verification email if it does not appear in your inbox within a few minutes of registration.

Fourth, be aware that some facilities impose an approved caller list that the facility controls, separate from the phone provider's platform. Your GTL account may be funded and verified while your name is still pending on the facility's internal list. Calling the facility directly to confirm your phone number has been added to the approved list avoids a frustrating wait.

15Staying Informed After Setup

Setting up an account is the beginning, not the end. Calls get interrupted, accounts run low without warning, and transfers between facilities can sever a phone connection entirely. Families who have set up phone accounts and commissary deposits but have no alert system in place often find out about a transfer after the fact, when calls suddenly stop connecting.

Active monitoring tools fill this gap. Jail booking alerts and release and transfer alerts notify families the moment a status change occurs in official records, which means you can update provider accounts and verify the new facility before your loved one attempts to call. The difference between learning about a transfer hours later versus within minutes can determine whether a critical call happens or is missed.

A free county jail inmate search remains the starting point for every step in this process — finding the facility, confirming the contracted phone provider, identifying the commissary deposit service, and locating any public case records associated with an arrest. Starting with accurate, verified information makes every subsequent step more reliable.

16About 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.

17Get 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. Results in 48 hours.

Originally published at https://www.inmato.com/blog/how-do-you-set-up-an-account-with-global-tel

Written by InMato