Is it cheaper to use inmate phone cards or prepaid
hi my inmate is in St.Cloud Prison Minnesota I'm am paying $7 dollars per 15 min phone call and i even had a 320 number for it to be the same area code and its now charging me 6.45 per 15 min phone call. Will it be cheaper for him to buy a phone card in there then me putting money on the cell phone need answers please help...!?
At Minnesota Correctional Facility – St. Cloud, what you are experiencing is very common. Even if the area code looks local, the call can still be billed as long distance based on the rate center, not just the area code.
That is why your cost only dropped slightly from $7 to $6.45.
About your options:
1. Putting money on your phone account:
- Convenient and controlled
- Often more expensive per call, especially if billed as long distance
2. Inmate buying phone cards or using their account:
- Can sometimes be cheaper per call
- BUT:
- You lose control of how the money is used
- Funds can be spent on commissary instead
3. Local number workaround:
- Only works if the number is truly local to the prison’s rate center
- When set up correctly, calls can drop to under $2 per call
What is likely happening:
- Your 320 number is not actually local in the system
- That is why you are still being charged high rates
Best next step:
- Verify whether your number is truly local to the facility
- Compare:
- Your current per-call cost
- Versus what a verified local number would cost
Bottom line:
- Yes, sometimes inmate-paid calling is cheaper
- But the biggest savings comes from a true local number, not just matching area code
If you get the number right, the difference is dramatic.
My situation is different — ask your own question.
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