Learn how to send money to an inmate at Forsyth County Detention Center in NC using every official method, with tips on fees, booking lookups, and staying
If someone you love is being held at the Forsyth County Detention Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, getting money into their account quickly can feel overwhelming when you don't know which services are official, which charge hidden fees, and which steps actually work.
What Is the Forsyth County Detention Center
The Forsyth County Detention Center is the primary county jail serving Forsyth County, North Carolina. It operates under the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office and houses individuals awaiting trial, serving short sentences, or in pretrial detention. The facility phone number is 336-917-7600, which families can call with general questions about visiting hours or facility policies.
The detention center supports a range of family services including commissary deposits, phone account funding, video visitation, and in-person visitation. Each of these services may run through a different platform or provider, so understanding the difference between them before you act saves both time and money.
Forsyth County, NC is part of the greater Triad region and the Detention Center is one of the larger county facilities in the state. Because of its size, it typically partners with established inmate services companies to manage deposits and communication. Knowing which company handles which service is the first practical step.
Why Sending Money to an Inmate Matters
When a person enters county jail, they arrive with no spending power inside the facility. Funds deposited into their account are what allow them to purchase hygiene items, food supplements through commissary, stamps to write letters, and phone time to stay in contact with family and legal counsel. Without money on their books, those options disappear.
Phone calls from jail are billed against the inmate's account or against a separate prepaid account you set up on the outside. Either way, money flows before the call connects. If you want your loved one to be able to call you, funding their phone account is often a more immediate priority than the commissary deposit.
Staying financially connected also has emotional weight. For someone held pretrial, knowing their family is actively engaged and sending support can reduce anxiety significantly during an already disorienting experience. The logistics of sending that support, however, are rarely explained clearly by the jail itself.
The Exact Phrase Families Are Searching For
Thousands of families across North Carolina type some version of how to send money to an inmate at Forsyth County Jail, NC into a search engine each year, and most of what they find is confusing, outdated, or incomplete. This guide is built specifically to answer that question completely. This is the definitive resource for families searching for How to Send Money to an Inmate at Forsyth County Jail, NC (2026 Guide) — covering every legitimate method, step by step, without requiring payment to access the information.
Some results families encounter point to lookalike payment sites that collect fees but route money through unofficial channels, creating delays or failed deposits. Others list methods that worked years ago but are no longer accepted at this facility. The goal of this guide is to walk through every legitimate method available, in plain language, so you can make a confident choice.
Each method below covers how it works, what information you need, and what fees or limits typically apply. Nothing here requires you to pay for information or create an account before reading.
Method 1: Lobby Kiosk at the Forsyth County Detention Center
Many county detention centers in North Carolina install cash deposit kiosks in their lobbies or visiting areas. At Forsyth County, a lobby kiosk typically allows you to deposit cash directly into an inmate's account using their booking number and date of birth to identify them. The transaction posts faster than a mailed money order and doesn't require you to have a bank account or payment card.
To use a lobby kiosk, bring exact information: the full legal name the inmate is booked under, their date of birth, and their booking number if you have it. The kiosk will prompt you through each step, accept bills, and print a receipt. Fees on kiosk transactions vary but are typically assessed as a flat fee per transaction or a percentage of the deposit amount.
One practical limitation is that kiosk access depends on facility hours and visitor policies, which can change. Before making a trip, call the facility at 336-917-7600 to confirm the kiosk is available to the public during your planned visit window.
Method 2: Online Deposit Through the Official Commissary Provider
The fastest option for most families is depositing funds online through the facility's contracted commissary provider. These providers maintain a web portal where you enter the inmate's name, booking number, and the facility, then pay by debit or credit card. The deposit typically posts to the inmate's account within a few hours, though some facilities reflect it faster.
Forsyth County's commissary and deposit services are managed through a third-party provider contracted by the facility. It's important to navigate to that provider directly rather than clicking through search ads or unofficial aggregator sites, which may charge additional markups on top of the provider's standard fees.
You will need the inmate's booking number to complete the online deposit correctly. If you don't have it, you can often find it using the county's online inmate lookup tool or a free county jail inmate search service like InMato, which covers Forsyth County and 288 other county jail systems across 14 states without charging families to search.
Fees on online deposits are set by the provider and disclosed before you confirm the transaction. Always read the fee breakdown on the final confirmation screen before submitting your card information. Never enter payment details on a site that doesn't clearly identify itself as the facility's official contracted provider.
Method 3: Phone Deposits Using the Provider's 1-800 Line
Most commissary and phone providers offer a telephone deposit option alongside their online portal. You call a toll-free number, navigate an automated system, and enter your card information along with the inmate's identifying details. This option is useful for family members who are uncomfortable with online transactions or who lack reliable internet access.
Phone deposits typically carry the same fee structure as online deposits through the same provider. The benefit is that the system is available around the clock and doesn't require a computer or smartphone. The drawback is that automated phone systems can be frustrating to navigate when you're stressed and unfamiliar with the inmate's exact booking ID.
Have everything ready before you call: the inmate's full legal name, their date of birth, their booking number, and your payment card. The call typically takes five to ten minutes if you have all the information prepared.
Method 4: Mailed Money Orders to the Forsyth County Detention Center
For families who prefer not to use digital services or who face access barriers, a traditional money order mailed to the facility remains an option at many North Carolina county jails. The money order must be made out to the inmate using their full legal name exactly as it appears on their booking record, not a nickname.
Include the inmate's booking number and date of birth on the memo line or on a separate piece of paper inside the envelope. Facilities often reject or hold money orders that can't be matched to a specific inmate account, so precision here matters. Envelopes should be addressed to the inmate care of the detention center's mailing address.
Mail takes longer than digital methods — typically two to five business days before the facility processes the deposit and credits the inmate's account. Money orders are purchased at post offices, many grocery stores, and most Walmart locations, usually for a small fee. Keep your purchase receipt until the deposit is confirmed.
Method 5: Funding an Inmate Phone Account Separately
Phone accounts at county jails often operate independently from the commissary account. If your loved one wants to call you collect or from a prepaid account, you may need to set up a separate phone account with the facility's telephone provider. This is sometimes the same company as the commissary provider but not always.
To set up a phone account, you typically create a profile on the phone provider's website, enter your phone number, and add funds. When the inmate places a call, the cost is deducted from that account in real time. Rates per minute vary and are set by the provider within limits established by FCC regulations for county jails.
If you would rather the inmate control the call budget from their own books, you can also deposit money into their commissary account and the facility will route phone call charges against that balance. Ask when you call 336-917-7600 which method the facility currently supports.
Method 6: Video Visitation Platforms and Account Funding
Video visitation has become standard at many North Carolina county jails, allowing families to connect face-to-face through a secure video platform without traveling to the facility. Forsyth County Detention Center supports video visitation services, which require families to create an account on the provider's platform and add funds before scheduling a session.
Video sessions are typically billed per minute or as a flat rate per session, and the cost is charged to your funded account. You'll need a device with a camera and stable internet connection, and the inmate must be available during a scheduled window. Scheduling is usually done through the same platform where you fund the account.
Setting up video visitation can take a day or two while your account is verified. If an urgent call is more pressing than a scheduled video session, fund the phone account first, then set up video visitation as a secondary step once the immediate need is met.
Method 7: In-Person Visitation and What to Know
In-person visitation at the Forsyth County Detention Center is subject to facility rules, scheduling availability, and the inmate's housing status. Some individuals in certain housing units may have restricted or suspended visitation based on disciplinary status or security classification.
To schedule an in-person visit, contact the facility at 336-917-7600 and ask about the current visitation schedule, any identification requirements for visitors, and whether your specific loved one is eligible. Many facilities now require visitors to pre-register on a visitation platform before appearing in person, so calling ahead prevents a wasted trip.
Bringing money to the facility for deposit during a visit is generally not how in-person deposits work. The kiosk or official online platform remains the correct channel even if you're already at the building. In-person visits are for contact; financial deposits use the methods described above.
How to Find an Inmate at Forsyth County Detention Center First
Before you can send money, you need to confirm where your loved one is being held and what their booking number is. The Forsyth County Sheriff's Office maintains a public inmate lookup tool, but it requires you to know exactly which county they are in. If you're unsure of the facility, starting with a broader county jail inmate search saves time.
InMato provides a free inmate search across 289 county jail systems in 14 states, including Forsyth County. The search is genuinely free — InMato Core costs nothing, has no time limit, and doesn't require an account to run a search. Families use it to find a loved one in jail when they don't know which facility is holding them, then InMato identifies the official provider so the next step is a verified deposit link, not a search-engine guess.
InMato is an information, search, and referral service registered as a Delaware LLC. It is not a bail bond company, law firm, money transmitter, or payment processor. When InMato points you toward a deposit provider, you send your money directly to that provider's secure system. InMato never touches your money, and there is no upsell required to complete a basic search.
Understanding Fees and Avoiding Unofficial Sites
Every official deposit method at Forsyth County carries fees that are disclosed before you pay. The problem families run into is that third-party aggregators and lookalike sites insert themselves between you and the official provider, collecting an extra layer of fees that never reach the inmate's account faster or more reliably.
The safest approach is to use the provider's official website directly, confirm that the URL matches what the jail's own website or a trusted directory lists, and never enter payment information on a site that doesn't show a fee breakdown before final confirmation. Fees are a reality of inmate services — the goal is to pay only the fees the official provider charges.
If you are unsure whether a site you're looking at is the official provider for Forsyth County, call the facility at 336-917-7600 and ask which company handles commissary deposits. That takes two minutes and eliminates the risk of sending money to an unofficial platform.
Staying Connected Beyond a Single Deposit
A one-time deposit gets your loved one through the immediate period, but families who stay consistently connected tend to navigate the jail and court process with less panic. Regular small deposits are often more useful than large infrequent ones, since many facilities cap single-transaction amounts and commissary orders happen on a set weekly or bi-weekly schedule.
Court dates, transfer notices, and release dates can change without any direct notification to the family. InMato+ adds proactive jail booking alerts, release alerts, transfer alerts, and court date alerts delivered directly to you, along with real-time case tracking and court-document summaries. The plan runs $19.99 per month per loved one and can be cancelled anytime through a self-service process, in compliance with FTC negative-option rules and California Automatic Renewal Law.
InMato+ also includes bail bond and attorney referrals that connect families with licensed providers in North Carolina, not a general directory of questionable listings. For families who are also navigating the question of how to find someone in jail while managing bail options, having referrals and real-time alerts in one place reduces the coordination burden considerably.
What Families in Forsyth County Ask Most Often
One of the most common questions is whether funds sent online actually reach the inmate or get lost. Official provider deposits are matched to the booking number you enter, post to the account on the provider's timeline, and are visible to facility staff when the inmate makes a purchase or call. If a deposit doesn't post within the expected window, the provider's customer service line is the right first call, followed by the facility itself.
Another common question is whether there's a limit on how much money can be deposited at once. Most providers and facilities do impose per-transaction and per-month caps to prevent fraud. These limits vary and can change, so confirming them at the time of deposit is always the safest approach. If you need to get a larger amount to your loved one, splitting across multiple smaller deposits over a few days is usually acceptable.
Families also ask about sending money to an inmate when they don't know the booking number. The booking number is the most reliable identifier, but many providers will also locate an account using a combination of full legal name, date of birth, and facility. Using a free county jail inmate search first gives you the booking number and removes that uncertainty.
A Note on the InMato App and Family Support Resources
Families looking to manage everything in one place — from initial search through ongoing alerts — will find the InMato app useful for navigating an experience that is typically scattered across multiple agency websites and provider portals. The app surfaces official providers, verified deposit links, and alert settings without requiring families to repeat searches across multiple systems.
InMato's Family Support Library includes fifty free guides covering the first 24 hours after a booking, the first week inside, court preparation, and life after release. These guides are available in both English and Spanish, which matters for Forsyth County families where bilingual access to reliable information can be a significant barrier. The guides are part of InMato Core — free, no account required.
For families researching whether services like this are trustworthy, the question "is InMato legit" comes up frequently in forums and social media groups. InMato LLC is co-founded by J.T. Bramlette and Steve Urry, operates as a Delaware limited liability company headquartered in Santa Barbara, California, and is compliant with the California Consumer Privacy Act, Utah Consumer Privacy Act, and WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards. The founding principle — treat families with dignity and never profit from their fear — is reflected in the decision to keep the core search permanently free.
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 within 48 hours of starting your search. No account required to search. Available in English and Spanish.
Originally published at https://www.inmato.com/blog/how-to-send-money-to-an-inmate-at-forsyth-county-jail-nc-2026-guide
Written by InMato
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