How to Send Money to an Inmate at Carteret County Detention Center: Kiosk, JailATM, or Mail (which is cheapest and fastest)
You have three ways to add money to an inmate's account at Carteret County Detention Center: the lobby kiosk, online through JailATM, or mailing an approved payment. Which one makes sense depends on how fast you need the funds posted and what fees you're okay paying.
Want to deposit money in person? There's a kiosk in the main lobby of the Carteret County Sheriff's Office at 304 Craven Street, Beaufort, NC 28516. It's a good option if you're already in the area.
The kiosk is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., except holidays. If you need to get funds on an account around a holiday, plan ahead - you may be waiting until the next business day otherwise.
Fast + predictable fee: Kiosk deposits post to the inmate’s account immediately, and the kiosk provider charges a flat $3.00 transaction fee per deposit (no matter how much you add).
- Create a JailATM account - set up your login first so you can make deposits.
- Select the facility - choose the Carteret County facility in the system.
- Enter the inmate’s name - make sure you’re selecting the correct person before you pay.
- Pay by card - complete the deposit using a Visa, MasterCard, or Discover credit/debit card.
Fee watch: JailATM charges a transaction fee of 10% of the deposit amount.
Prefer to mail money? Carteret County Detention Center accepts money orders and certified checks sent directly to the jail. One rule: the envelope can only contain the money order or certified check. No letters, photos, or anything else - just the payment.
Make the money order or check payable to the inmate's full name. Payroll checks are accepted, but personal checks are not. Once the jail receives an approved payment, it posts the following business day - so this method works better for planned deposits than urgent ones.
If keeping fees low is your priority, compare the kiosk's flat $3 charge to JailATM's 10% fee. Here's an easy way to think about it: 10% of $30 is $3, so $30 is the break-even point. For smaller deposits, online can be cheaper. Send $20 through JailATM and the fee is about $2; at the kiosk it's $3. But the math flips as amounts go up. Deposit $50 online and you pay $5 in fees; at the kiosk, still $3. At $100, JailATM takes $10 while the kiosk stays at $3.
Rule of thumb: Around $30 is where the fees meet - below that, 10% may cost less than $3; above that, the kiosk’s flat $3 fee is usually cheaper than a 10% online fee.
- Go to the lobby kiosk - it’s in the main lobby of the Carteret County Sheriff’s Office at 304 Craven Street, Beaufort, NC 28516.
- Arrive during kiosk hours - Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (except holidays).
- Follow the kiosk prompts and complete the deposit - the kiosk charges a $3.00 transaction fee per deposit.
- Confirm funds are available - kiosk deposits post to the inmate’s account immediately.
- Create your JailATM account - you’ll need an account before you can deposit.
- Choose the correct facility - select the Carteret County facility.
- Type in the inmate’s name - double-check spelling so the funds go to the right person.
- Pay with an accepted card - use Visa, MasterCard, or Discover credit/debit and expect a 10% transaction fee.
- ✓ Send a money order or certified check directly to the jail (payroll checks are also allowed)
- ✓ Make it payable to the inmate’s full name
- ✓ Put only the money order/certified check in the envelope - nothing else
- ✓ Do not send personal checks (they aren’t accepted)
- ✓ Plan for timing: approved mailed payments are deposited the following business day
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