How to send money to them in prison
To send money to someone in prison, use GOV.UK. You pay by debit card. It most often lands in three working days.[6]
That part is easy. But they can only spend a set amount each week. Sending more doesn't change that.
Checked against GOV.UK and the published limits.
The weekly limit
The weekly limit, not the balance
Everyone inside has an incentive level: Basic, Standard or Enhanced. The prison sets it, based on behaviour. The level sets how much they may spend each week.
| Level | A week | Mobile | Landline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | £6 | 557 | 1,103 |
| StandardMost common | £21.75 | 2,020 | 3,999 |
| Enhanced | £36.25 | 3,367 | 6,664 |
These are the national maximums.[7] A governor can set a lower local limit. So the real figure may be smaller. It's never larger.
The minutes use the HMPPS rates. We count 6 minutes in 10 at the weekday rate. That's our estimate. It makes about 4.66p a minute to a mobile, and 2.36p to a landline. The same money also has to cover the prison shop.
Sending more
Why sending more doesn't help
At Standard the limit is £21.75 a week. That's about £94.25 a month.
A family who sends twice that doesn't get twice the calls. They get the same calls and a bigger balance.
The limit is on spending, not receiving. Nothing is lost or refused. It stays in their account. They can spend it in a later week, up to the same limit.
For more time on the phone, the cost per minute has to drop. On weekdays, a call to a landline costs less than half a call to a mobile. What calls cost them.
Questions
Common questions
How do I send money to someone in prison?
Online, through GOV.UK, with a debit card. You need their prisoner number, date of birth and prison. It's free. It normally lands within three working days. Prisons no longer take cash or cheques by post.
How much can they actually spend a week?
It depends on their incentive level, not the balance. At Standard the national maximum is £21.75 a week. Basic is £6. Enhanced is £36.25. A governor may set a lower local limit. So the real figure can be smaller, never larger.
Does sending more money mean more phone calls?
Only up to the weekly limit. Above it, the money waits in their account. At Standard, £21.75 a week buys about 2,020 minutes a month to a mobile. That's at about 4.66p a minute. It's our estimate: we count 6 minutes in 10 at the weekday rate. Sending twice as much buys the same minutes and a bigger balance.
What else does the money get spent on?
The same weekly limit covers the prison shop, called canteen. That means things like toiletries, snacks, stamps and phone credit. Calls share that one budget. So the rate per minute matters more than the balance.
How long does it take to arrive?
GOV.UK says it's normally credited within three working days. Weekends and bank holidays can add time. Someone who has just arrived may not have an account on day one.
Can I get money back if they're released or transferred?
Not through the sending service. Once credited, it belongs to the person inside. On release it goes with them. If they move prison, the balance moves too. We found no published way for a sender to reclaim it. We won't guess at one.
Anything else? Email us. A person replies. We sell a landline number. It makes their calls cost less.
Check us
- Send money to someone in prison. GOV.UK, current guidance. Read 30 August 2026. Says how money reaches their account. It usually arrives within three working days. It does not say how much they can spend each week. The incentives policy sets that. Read it yourself
- Incentives policy framework. HM Prison and Probation Service / Ministry of Justice, current version. Read 30 August 2026. Sets the weekly spending limit for each incentive level. The figures on this site are the most allowed. A governor can set a lower limit, never a higher one. Read it yourself