Why Your Deposit Costs More by Phone Than Online: ADOC Fee Breakdown

With Alabama DOC deposits through Access Corrections, the transaction fee is deducted from the total amount you put in. You're not paying it as a separate charge on top. Instead, the fee reduces what actually posts to your loved one's account.

• ✓ Online (Access Corrections)
• ✓ By phone at (866) 345-1884
• ✓ Walk-in cash deposits at CashPayToday locations
• ✓ Mailed money order

For deposits in the $300.01 to $900.00 range, Alabama DOC's posted fees show a clear split by method: Internet deposits cost $7.95, phone deposits cost $9.95, walk-in deposits cost $3.95, and mailed money orders have no charge. Because the fee is pulled from the amount you send, that higher phone fee means less money reaches the inmate account, even when you start with the exact same deposit.

1. If you deposit $500 online: $500.00 minus the $7.95 Internet fee equals $492.05 posted to the inmate account.
2. If you deposit $500 by phone: $500.00 minus the $9.95 phone fee equals $490.05 posted to the inmate account.
3. If you deposit $500 by walk-in: $500.00 minus the $3.95 walk-in fee equals $496.05 posted to the inmate account.
4. If you mail a $500 money order: there is no charge in this tier, so the full $500.00 can post to the inmate account.

In the $300.01 to $900.00 tier, "Money Order: No Charge" is the big reason mailed deposits can be the cheapest option on paper. Since Access Corrections deducts fees from the deposited amount, a no-fee money order is the one method in this tier where the full amount you send actually reaches the account untouched.

Practical Tips

• ✓ If the money is time-sensitive, choose an option that can deposit funds within 24 hours (online, phone, or walk-in), and plan for the fee to be deducted from what you send.
• ✓ If you are trying to keep the fee as low as possible for a $300.01 to $900.00 deposit, the posted schedule shows walk-in is $3.95 and money order is no charge in that tier.
• ✓ If you mail a money order to avoid the fee, build in extra time. Mailed deposits can take up to a week to process.

Walk-in cash deposits through CashPayToday offer a solid middle ground between speed and cost. They're accepted at more than 800 statewide locations, including stores like Dollar General and Family Dollar. For the $300.01 to $900.00 tier, the walk-in fee listed by Alabama DOC is lower than both the online and phone options.