What You Can't Send With a Money Order to Fountain (and How to Avoid a $25 Return Fee)

When a money order or check gets returned, you don't just lose time - you'll also be hit with a $25 handling fee. Most returns happen for preventable reasons: something extra was included in the envelope, the deposit form wasn't filled out correctly, or the payment couldn't be matched to the right person. Taking a few careful minutes before you mail it can save you that fee and keep your loved one from waiting longer for funds to post.

For Fountain deposits sent by mail, everything hinges on the detached Money Order Deposit Form. Send that form along with your money order or check to Access Corrections – Alabama DOC, P.O. Box 12486, St. Louis, MO 63132. Without a correctly completed form, the deposit won't process properly.

Prohibited Items

• ✓ Cash
• ✓ Letters
• ✓ Stamps
• ✓ Photos
• ✓ Notes

1. Fill out the Money Order Deposit Form - complete the form so the deposit can be matched to the right recipient.
2. Detach the deposit form - the form is meant to be separated before mailing.
3. Include the detached form with your money order/check - the Money Order Deposit Form must be included with the money order/check to process the deposit.
4. Keep the payment loose (don’t attach it) - do not staple, paper clip, fold, or tape the money order/check to the form.
5. Mail it to the correct processing address - send the detached Money Order Deposit Form with the money order/check to Access Corrections – Alabama DOC, P.O. Box 12486, St. Louis, MO 63132.

Any returned money order or check costs you a $25 handling fee - so avoiding common mistakes is worth your time. The biggest culprits? Adding prohibited items (cash, letters, stamps, photos, or notes), forgetting the Money Order Deposit Form, or attaching the payment with a staple, clip, fold, or tape. Keep your mailing simple: just the detached deposit form and the loose money order or check, prepared exactly as the form requires.

Two numbers matter for mailed deposits. Mailed money orders and checks cannot exceed $900.00 per deposit (that's the daily limit). Federal law also requires your Social Security number for deposits - or combined deposits - of $3,000 or more. Even if you stay under the $900 per-deposit limit, larger combined activity can still trigger the SSN requirement.

Checklist Final

• ✓ Fill out the Money Order Deposit Form completely before you send anything.
• ✓ Detach the Money Order Deposit Form and include it with the money order/check.
• ✓ Do not staple, paper clip, fold, or tape the money order/check to the form.
• ✓ Do not include cash.
• ✓ Do not include letters, stamps, photos, or notes.
• ✓ Mail the detached form with the money order/check to Access Corrections – Alabama DOC, P.O. Box 12486, St. Louis, MO 63132.
• ✓ Keep the deposit amount at $900.00 or less per deposit (Daily Limit $900.00).
• ✓ If your deposits or combined deposits reach $3,000 or more, be ready to provide the sender’s Social Security number.