Glossary
What is Money Order?
A prepaid paper payment that many prisons and jails accept by mail for account deposits instead of cash or personal checks.
A money order is a prepaid paper payment you buy and then mail. Many facilities accept money orders for deposits because they will not take cash or personal checks by mail.
The federal Bureau of Prisons accepts money orders mailed to a central lockbox in Des Moines, Iowa. Your loved one's full committed name and eight-digit register number must appear on both the money order and the envelope. Put your name and return address in the upper left corner. Money orders that are not U.S. Postal money orders may be held 15 days before posting.
State and county rules differ. Washington, for example, asks that money meant for commissary be marked "commissary account." Check with the facility before you mail.
Read more
- How to Put Money on Someone's Commissary Account
- How to Send Money to Someone in Jail
- Federal Prison Commissary: A Family Guide