Setting Up AdvancePay for CFCF: How Prepaid Phone Accounts Work and What to Watch For

AdvancePay is a prepaid collect-calling service. You deposit money into the account, and the incarcerated person uses those funds to call your phone number. For Philadelphia Department of Prisons facilities (including CFCF), this is how you fund phone calls specifically. Here's something that catches people off guard: pricing varies by facility. Call rates and fees aren't standardized - each correctional facility sets its own. The good news? AdvancePay publishes rates and fees inside your ConnectNetwork account, so you can see exactly what applies before depositing anything.

1. Create your AdvancePay account - This is the prepaid collect-calling account that will be used to cover calls placed to you.
2. Link the phone number you want to receive calls on - AdvancePay is tied to a specific number, and only that linked phone number can be called using the funds in that account.
3. Set up additional accounts if you need calls to go to different numbers - If you’re managing calls for different situations (for example, different facilities or you want calls directed to different phone numbers), you can create multiple AdvancePay accounts.

Ready to add money? The fastest options are depositing online through your ConnectNetwork account or calling (800) 483-8314. Either route gets your balance available for calls quickly. Prefer to deposit in person? Philadelphia prison facilities have lobby kiosks. You can add up to $500 per day through them.

Nothing worse than a call dropping because your balance hit zero. Set up low-balance alerts and AutoReload to avoid this. AdvancePay sends alerts via text, email, or automated phone call. AutoReload automatically tops up your account when the balance gets low, using a stored credit card.

Don't confuse commissary money with phone money - they're separate. For Philadelphia Department of Prisons facilities, use Access Corrections for commissary deposits. Use AdvancePay for phone call deposits.

Practical Tips

• ✓ Turn on low-balance alerts (text, email, or automated call) and consider AutoReload so you don’t miss calls when the balance drops.
• ✓ Keep a small buffer in the account so you have enough for at least a one-minute call.
• ✓ Double-check that the phone number on your AdvancePay account is the exact number you want your loved one to call - only that linked number can receive calls funded by that account.