Criminal Defense Lawyers

Commissary Account Setup: How to Send Money to a Federal Inmate

Commissary Account Setup: How to Send Money to a Federal Inmate

He called yesterday and said he needs money on his books. You wrote down the numbers he gave you, but your staring at them wondering what they even mean. Register number? Commissary account? You just want to help, but the federal prison system might as well be written in another language. You probly feel overwhelmed—maybe even a little guilty that you haven’t figured this out already.

This isn’t complicated once you understand the basics. Setting up a commissary account for a federal inmate means putting money into thier prison account so they can buy neccessary items like soap, food, stamps, and phone time. This guide explains exactly how to do it, what information you need, which deposit methods work best, and what to expect along the way.

What Is a Commissary Account and Why It Matters

A commissary account—officially called an inmate trust fund account by the Bureau of Prisons (BOP)—is basically a bank account that your loved one can use while their in federal custody. The goverment doesn’t provide personal items beyond the absolute basics. If he wants deodorant that doesn’t smell like industrial cleaner, extra food, better socks, envelopes to write home, or phone time to call you, he needs money in his commissary account.

Here’s the thing—this is seperate from the phone account. Alot of families get confused about this. Commissary funds are for purchasing items from the prison store. Phone account funds are specifically for making calls. There different systems with different deposit processes. If you put money in commissary irregardless of what you intended, it won’t automatically become phone time.

Without commissary funds, your facing a situation where he can’t afford basic hygiene products, can’t buy stamps to write letters, can’t get extra food beyond the three institutional meals. Inmates without money on there books become dependant on other inmates, and that ain’t a position you want him in. The prison enviroment is already stressful enough.

Most federal facilities allow inmates to shop at commissary once or twice a week based off there housing unit’s schedule. The current monthly spending limit is $380 for most inmates (this was increased from $360 in November 2024). Some inmates in special housing or disciplinary status might have lower limits or restricted access, but for the general population, $380 per month is the standard cap.

One thing nobody tells you: other inmates can sometimes see account balances when you’re loved one checks his balance on the kiosks.

This means if you put a large amount in all at once, it could make him a target for “protection” schemes or pressure to share. Consider smaller, more frequent deposits rather then one big lump sum. Your trying to help, not create safety issues.

The commissary itself varies by facility, but most federal prisons stock similer items: packaged food (chips, candy, canned goods, instant noodles), hygeine products (soap, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste), clothing (socks, underwear, shoes), electronics (small radios, MP3 players with approved music), stationary supplies (envelopes, stamps, paper, pens), and over-the-counter medications. Prices are marked up compared to outside stores—a candy bar that costs $1 at Walmart might be $2-3 in commissary. That $380 monthly limit doesn’t go as far as you’d think, especially if he’s buying both food and hygeine items.

Commissary day is usually once or twice a week depending on the facility and housing unit. Inmates fill out a order form (either paper or electronic) listing what they wanna buy, and then the items get delivered to there cell or they pick them up at a designated time. If there’s no money in the account, they can’t order anything. Its that simple.

Getting Started—What Information You Need

Before you can send money, you need two pieces of information: his full legal name (exactly as it appears in BOP records) and his 8-digit register number. The register number is his inmate ID in the federal system—it doesn’t change even if he transfers facilities.

He should of given you this information when he called, but if you don’t have it or need to verify it, you can search for him on the BOP inmate locator. You’ll need his first and last name and approximate age. Once you find him, the register number will be listed along with his current facility location.

Here’s a critical tip that could save you alot of frustration: when your using MoneyGram or other deposit services, enter ONLY his last name and first name—do NOT include his middle name or middle initial. The BOP database registers inmates as “LAST, FIRST” format without middle names. If you include the middle name, the system won’t find him and you’ll think he’s not in the system yet. I’ve seen families waste hours on this.

You’ll also need to know what facility he’s at. Transfers happen, and if he’s in transit between facilities (what BOP calls “R&D status” for Receiving and Discharge), his account might be temporarily locked for purchases even though deposits will still go through. More on that later.

Make sure you write down the information accurately. One wrong digit in the register number and your money could go to the wrong inmate’s account, which is a nightmare to fix. Double-check everything before you submit any payment.

Some families ask whether they need any kind of approval or authorization from the inmate to send money. The answer is no—anyone can deposit money to an inmate’s commissary account as long as they have the correct name and register number. You don’t need permission from him or from BOP. This is diferent from visitation, which does require approval and background checks. Commissary deposits are open to anyone.

That being said, if your relationship with the inmate is complicated—maybe your estranged, going through a divorce, or he’s asked you not to contact him—you should probly respect those boundries even though the system technically allows you to send money. The deposit records will show your name, and he’ll know it came from you, which could create issues if he didn’t want contact.

How to Send Money—Your Three Options

You have three main ways to put money on a federal inmate’s commissary: MoneyGram (the official BOP method), Western Union Quick Collect, or USPS money order. Each has pros and cons based off speed, cost, and convenience.

Option 1: MoneyGram (Fastest and Most Reliable)

MoneyGram is the official deposit service contracted with the BOP, so it works at all federal facilities. You can send money online at MoneyGram.com, through the MoneyGram app, or in person at a MoneyGram agent location (Walmart, CVS, etc.).

How it works: You’ll select “Receive Code” as the service type, then search for the inmate using his last name, first name, and register number (remember—no middle name). Enter the amount you wanna send, pay with debit card or cash, and your done. The money typically shows up in his account within 24-48 hours.

Fees: This is where you gotta be careful. MoneyGram offers two services: regular “Money Transfer to Inmate” and “Express Payment to Inmate.” Here’s what nobody tells you—they both arrive at the exact same time. Express Payment costs $11.95 for any amount, while the regular transfer costs $5.50 for up to $100, $9.95 for $101-$300, and $11.95 for $301-$500. The “Express” label is basically a scam to make you think its faster, but BOP processes all MoneyGram deposits through the same Trust Fund system in Des Moines, Iowa. They arrive within 24-48 hours irregardless of which service you choose.

Bottom line: use the regular Money Transfer, not Express Payment. Your throwing away money for no benefit otherwise.

Option 2: Western Union Quick Collect (Limited Availability)

Western Union offers a service called Quick Collect for sending money to inmates, but here’s the catch—it doesn’t work at all BOP facilities. Only about 60% of federal prisons participate in the Western Union program, while MoneyGram is accepted everywhere.

Do not use Western Union without first verifying that his specific facility accepts it. You can check on the Western Union website by searching for the facility. If it’s not listed, your money won’t go through and you’ll have wasted the transaction fee (which is usually higher then MoneyGram anyway—around $9.95 for a $100 deposit).

If his facility does accept Western Union, the process is similer to MoneyGram. You need his full name, register number, and facility information. Processing time is also 24-48 hours, so there’s no speed advantage over MoneyGram.

Option 3: USPS Money Order (Slowest but Cheapest)

The old-school method is mailing a money order directly to the facility. This is the cheapest option (money orders cost $1.50-$2.00), but it’s also the slowest—expect 10-15 days for the money to show up in his account.

Critical formatting: The money order must be made payable to “[Inmate Full Name] + [Register Number]”—for example, “John Michael Smith 12345-678”. Do NOT make it payable to “Federal Bureau of Prisons” or the facility name. About 15% of money orders get rejected and returned because families make them payable to BOP instead of the actual inmate. Then you’ve wasted 2-3 weeks waiting only to have it sent back, and you gotta start over.

Mail the money order to the inmate’s specific facility address (you can find this on the BOP facility locator). Include the inmate’s name and register number on the envelope and on a note inside.

Money orders are best if your not in a rush and want to save on fees, or if you don’t have a debit card or access to MoneyGram locations. But if he needs the money soon, MoneyGram is definately the better choice.

Comparison Table: Which Method Should You Use?

Here’s a quick breakdown to help you decide:

MoneyGram: Speed: 24-48 hours. Cost: $5.50-$11.95 depending on amount. Availability: All federal facilities. Best for: Urgent needs, first-time deposits, most families.

Western Union: Speed: 24-48 hours. Cost: $9.95-$12.95 typically. Availability: ~60% of federal facilities. Best for: When MoneyGram isn’t available or convenient for you.

Money Order: Speed: 10-15 days. Cost: $1.50-$2.00. Availability: All facilities. Best for: Non-urgent deposits, saving money on fees, those without debit cards or computer access.

Most families end up using MoneyGram because its the fastest and works everywhere. The fees are reasonable considering the convenience. If you’ve got the time and wanna save money, money orders are fine—just make sure you fill them out correctly.

Timeline—When Will the Money Actually Show Up?

So you sent the money three days ago and he just called saying he don’t see it yet. Now your panicking, thinking you did something wrong or the money’s lost.

Take a breath—this is probly normal, but let me explain what’s actually happening.

MoneyGram/Western Union timeline: These deposits usually post within 24-48 hours, but “post” doesn’t always mean he can access it immediantly. The money has to clear through BOP’s National Inmate Accounts office in Des Moines. Most of the time it shows up in 1-2 business days, but weekends and federal holidays can slow things down. If you deposited on Friday evening, he might not see it untill Tuesday.

Money order timeline: Mail takes time, then the facility mailroom has to process it, then it goes to the trust fund office. Your looking at 10-15 days minimum, sometimes longer if there’s any issues with how the money order was filled out.

But here’s the big thing that nobody explains and causes the most confusion: if he just arrived at the facility within the last 2-4 weeks, he probly can’t access commissary yet even if the money is there.

When inmates first arrive at a new facility, they go through Receiving and Orientation (R&O). During R&O, which usually lasts 10-21 days, they have restricted privileges including limited or no commissary access. The money you sent is sitting in his account—he just can’t spend it yet. This drives families crazy because he tells you the money ain’t there, but really he just can’t see it or use it during orientation.

Real talk: if you know he just got to a new facility, you might wanna wait a couple weeks before sending money. Otherwise it just sits there and you both worry that something went wrong. Ask him when his R&O period ends, then send money so it arrives right when he can actually use it.

What if he’s transferring facilities? When inmates transfer between prisons, they go into Receiving and Discharge (R&D) status. During this time—which could be days or weeks depending on how far he’s traveling—his commissary account freezes for purchases but deposits still go through. So if you keep sending money thinking he needs it urgently, its accumulating in his account but he can’t touch it untill he’s fully processed at the new facility. He might call saying “the money’s not here,” but he means he can’t access it, not that you did anything wrong.

The $380 monthly spending limit is another thing that confuses people. Most families think it resets on the 1st of each month, but BOP actually tracks it on a rolling 30-day period. Some facilities reset the limit mid-month based off there commissary schedule. If he’s saying he can’t buy anything even though there’s money in the account, he might of already hit his spending limit for the current 30-day window. You can ask the facility directly when the limit resets, but expect them to not be very helpful on the phone.

Look, I know your anxious and you just want confirmation that the money got there. The best thing to do is give it the full 48 hours for electronic deposits (or 15 days for money orders), then have him check with the counselor or trust fund office if its still not showing up. Most of the time, its just a matter of waiting for the system to catch up.

Do Inmates Know Who Sent the Money? (Privacy and Security)

Short answer: yes. When you deposit money through MoneyGram, Western Union, or money order, the transaction record includes you’re name. The inmate can see who made the deposit when he reviews his account statement or reciept.

This matters for a few reasons. If your in a situation where you want to help but don’t want others to know—maybe a divorce situation, family estrangement, or your concerned about other people’s judgement—there’s no anonymous option through official BOP channels. He’ll know its from you, and potentially other inmates could see it to if their looking over his shoulder when he checks his balance on the kiosk.

Which brings up the security concern I mentioned earlier: account balances are sometimes visible to other inmates. In alot of facilities, inmates check there balances on shared computer kiosks or tablets. If someone’s standing nearby, they can see the screen. A high balance can make your loved one a target for pressure, theft, or “protection” rackets.

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t send money—he needs it. But it does mean you might wanna think about how much you send at once. Instead of depositing $300 all at once, consider $75 every week or $150 twice a month. Smaller, more frequent deposits are less likely to attract unwanted attention then a big lump sum sitting in his account.

One more thing thats not talked about much: if multiple family members are depositing to the same inmate’s account and the total exceeds $10,000 in a calendar year, BOP may file IRS Form 8300 (Report of Cash Payments Over $10,000). This is a Bank Secrecy Act requirement. Its not common for commissary accounts to hit this threshold, but if you have a high-income family making large deposits, just be aware that it could trigger IRS reporting and scrutiny of your finances.

As far as what information gets shared with the inmate, he can request a monthly account statement from the trust fund office that shows all transactions—deposits, withdrawals (purchases), and the current balance. This statement will list the date, amount, and source of each deposit. There’s no way to make a truly anonymous deposit to a federal inmate’s commissary account through official channels. Third-party services claiming to offer anonymous deposits are either scams or unneccessary middlemen charging extra fees.

Common Problems and How to Fix Them

Even when you do everything right, problems happen. Here’s how to troubleshoot the most common issues:

Problem 1: “I can’t find him in the MoneyGram/Western Union system.”
First, make sure your using last name and first name only—no middle name, no “Jr.” or “Sr.” unless that’s literally part of his legal first name. Second, verify the register number is correct (check the BOP inmate locator). Third, if he just got sentenced or just entered BOP custody, it can take 24-48 hours for him to show up in the MoneyGram system after he gets his register number.

Problem 2: “The money still isn’t there after a week.”
If you used MoneyGram/Western Union and its been more then 72 hours (3 business days), call the deposit service’s customer support with your confirmation number. They can track the payment and tell you if it was successfully transmitted to BOP. If it was, and he still don’t see it, he needs to submit a cop-out (request form) to the trust fund office at his facility asking them to research the deposit. Don’t assume its lost—BOP is slow, but money rarely actually disappears.

Problem 3: “He’s in transit and can’t access his account.”
This is the R&D hold situation. There’s nothing to fix—you just gotta wait untill he’s fully processed at the new facility. The money is safe in his account; he just can’t spend it while he’s in transit. Typically this resolves within a few days to a week after he arrives at the new facility.

Problem 4: “My money order was returned.”
Check how you filled it out. It needs to be payable to “[Inmate Name] + [Register Number]”, not to BOP or the facility. Also make sure you included his name and register number on the envelope. If the money order was filled out correctly and still returned, call the facility’s trust fund office (good luck getting through) or try sending it again with a cover letter explaining its a commissary deposit for inmate [name, number].

Problem 5: “Someone contacted me saying I need to pay a fee to release the money.”
This is a scam. BOP does not email, call, or text asking for fees to release commissary deposits. If someone contacted you claiming to be from BOP or the facility asking for payment, its not legit. Hang up, delete the email, block the number. Real commissary deposits don’t require any additional fees beyond the MoneyGram/Western Union transaction fee you already paid.

The mute point here is that most problems are just delays, not actual losses. Patience is hard when your worried about him, but the system does eventually work—its just slow and frustrating.

Scam Warning—What’s Legitimate and What’s Not

Prison-related scams are everywhere, and they target families when there most vulnerabel. Here’s what to watch out for:

Impostor inmates: Someone calls, emails, or messages you claiming to be your loved one (or a fellow inmate helping him) and asks you to send money through unusual methods—like cash apps, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers to individuals. Real BOP commissary deposits only go through MoneyGram, Western Union, or money order directly to the inmate’s account. Nobody at the prison is gonna ask you to send iTunes gift cards.

“Faster deposit” services: Third-party websites or people claiming they can get money to him faster for an extra fee. The only legitimate deposit methods are the ones listed on the official BOP website. Anything else is either a scam or an unnecessary middleman charging you for something you can do yourself.

Phishing emails/texts: Messages claiming to be from BOP saying there’s a problem with his account or you need to verify information. BOP does not email or call families about commissary accounts. All legitimate communication happens through the inmate directly or through official mail. If you recieve an email or text about his commissary account, delete it. Don’t click any links.

Fee requests: Anyone asking you to pay a fee to “release” funds, “expedite” processing, or “verify” an account. Commissary deposits don’t work this way. Once you send money through MoneyGram, Western Union, or money order, it processes automatically. There’s no additional fees or verification steps.

How to protect yourself: Only use the official BOP website to find deposit information. If someone contacts you asking for money, verify independently by calling the facility directly (numbers are on the BOP website) or checking with his attorney if he has one. If it sounds to good to be true—like “guaranteed 1-hour deposit” or “bypass the system”—its a scam.

The FTC estimates thousands of families lose money every year to prison-related scams. Don’t become a statistic. When in doubt, go directly to the official BOP resources and ignore everything else.

Final Thoughts

Setting up commissary for a federal inmate isn’t as complicated as it seems once you understand the system. You need his name and register number, you choose MoneyGram (fastest), Western Union (if his facility accepts it), or money order (cheapest but slowest), and you wait 24-48 hours for electronic deposits or 10-15 days for mail.

The hardest part ain’t the mechanics—its the waiting and worrying. You send the money and then you don’t hear anything for days. He calls saying it’s not there yet and you think you messed up.

Most of the time, its just the system being slow, or he’s in R&O and can’t access it yet, or he’s in transit. Give it time. The money gets there.

If your loved one is facing federal charges or just entered the system and you need guidance beyond commissary—understanding the process, what to expect, how to support him through this—contact an experienced federal criminal defense attorney. We’ve helped hundreds of families navigate this system. Bottom line: you shouldn’t have to figure this out alone.

We’re here.