How to send them money
You send it online through GOV.UK with a debit card. It normally lands within three working days. That part is easy. Few people explain the next part. A prisoner cannot spend more than a set amount each week. The balance does not change that.
If you are scared for someone inside, call Prisoners’ Families Helpline on 0808 808 2003.
Checked against the published rates.
The weekly limit, not the balance
Their incentive level sets how much they may spend each week. These are the national maximums. A governor can set a lower local limit. The real figure may be smaller. It is never larger.
| Level | A week | Minutes to a mobile | To a landline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | £6.00 | 527 | 1,085 |
| Standard · most common | £21.75 | 1,911 | 3,933 |
| Enhanced | £36.25 | 3,186 | 6,555 |
Minutes are a month of the weekly limit, all spent on calls. Rates are the published HMPPS ones, averaged over the week. That is 4.93p a minute to a mobile. It is 2.40p to a landline. The same money also has to cover canteen.
Why sending more often does not help
On the standard level the limit is £21.75 a week. That is about £94.25 a month. A family sending £188.50 a month does not 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 sits there until release. If the aim is more time on the phone, the rate per minute is what to change. It is the only part the household can change.
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 is free. It normally lands within three working days. Prisons no longer take cash or cheques by post.
How much can a prisoner actually spend a week?
It depends on their incentive level, not the balance. On the standard level the national maximum is £21.75 a week. Basic is £6.00. Enhanced is £36.25. A governor may set a lower local limit. 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 sits unspent. On the standard level, £21.75 a week buys about 1,911 minutes a month to a mobile. That is at 5.50p a minute. Sending twice as much buys the same minutes and a bigger balance.
What else does the money get spent on?
The same weekly allowance covers canteen. That means toiletries, snacks, tobacco, 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 is normally credited within three working days. Weekends and bank holidays can add time. A new arrival may not have an account on day one.
Can I get money back if they are 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 will not guess at one.
Where this comes from
- Send money to someone in prison — GOV.UK, current guidance. Read 2026-08-30. Read it yourselfExplains how money reaches a prisoner's account and that it is normally credited within three working days. It does NOT state the weekly amount a prisoner may spend — that is set by the incentives framework, and the two are separate limits people routinely confuse.
- Incentives policy framework — HM Prison and Probation Service / Ministry of Justice, current version. Read 2026-08-30. Read it yourselfSets the weekly private-cash spending limits by incentive level. The figures used on this site are the national maxima; a governor may set lower local limits, so a household's real limit can be smaller than the one published here and never larger.
- Staying in touch with someone in prison — GOV.UK, current guidance. Read 2026-08-23. Read it yourself
We sell a landline number. It makes their calls cost less. What prison calls cost explains the rates on this page. How phone credit works. Every way to cut the cost includes the two free ones.