How to Send Money to Someone at Nueces County Jail: Compare the 4 Official Methods

Nueces County Jail offers four ways to fund an inmate's account: an on-site commissary kiosk, a phone deposit service, online deposits through Access Corrections, and mailed funds. Kiosk deposits go straight into the inmate's account. If you'd rather mail funds, the jail only accepts cashier's checks and money orders. Personal checks are not accepted.

• ✓ Commissary kiosk (in person): takes cash (bills of $5 or higher) or Visa/MasterCard debit or credit, and the kiosk is available 24 hours a day.
• ✓ Commissary kiosk locations: one is at the Main Jail lobby (901 Leopard Street) and one is at the McKenzie Annex (745 North Padre Island Drive).
• ✓ Phone deposits: convenient if you cannot get to a kiosk, but there is a service fee charged to your credit or debit card.
• ✓ Online deposits: convenient if you want to deposit from home, you do it by creating an online account with Access Corrections.
• ✓ Mail (cashier’s check or money order): useful if you cannot use a card or do not want to use electronic options, but it has to be filled out correctly to be posted.

Nueces County publishes fee schedules for both the on-site kiosks and the phone deposit service, with a $300 maximum per transaction. At the kiosk, fees depend on how you pay. Cash deposits carry a flat $3.00 fee, deducted automatically from the cash you feed in. Card deposits cost more and scale by amount: $2.95 for $0.01 to $19.99, $5.95 for $20.00 to $99.99, $7.95 for $100.00 to $199.99, and $9.95 for $200.00 to $300.00. Phone deposits follow similar tiers but run a dollar higher at each level. The service fee is charged directly to your credit or debit card: $3.95 for $0.01 to $19.99, $6.95 for $20.00 to $99.99, $8.95 for $100.00 to $199.99, and $10.95 for $200.00 to $300.00.

Kiosk, phone, and online deposits (options 1 through 3) all post immediately. The inmate can use the funds right away. A receipt for the deposit typically arrives within 3 to 4 days after the transaction.

Mailing a cashier's check or money order makes sense if you don't have a card, don't want to pay by phone or online, or simply prefer a paper payment. Nueces County Jail only posts cashier's checks and money orders to inmate accounts. Personal checks are not accepted. Make the cashier's check or money order payable to the "Inmate Trust Fund," C/O the inmate receiving the money. Include the inmate's date of birth and their Nueces SID number (not the State SID number) so it gets credited to the right account.

1. If it needs to be available right now, use kiosk, phone, or online. The jail states that options 1 to 3 make funds immediately available to the inmate.
2. If you have cash and you are local, use the kiosk. The kiosk accepts cash in bills of $5 or higher, and it is available 24 hours a day. You can use the kiosk at the Main Jail lobby (901 Leopard Street) or at the McKenzie Annex (745 North Padre Island Drive).
3. If you are paying by card, compare kiosk card fees vs phone fees. Both methods have published fee tiers up to a $300 maximum deposit. Kiosk card fees vary by the deposit range, and phone service fees are charged directly to your credit or debit card.
4. If you cannot use electronic options, mail a cashier’s check or money order. Personal checks are not accepted. Fill it out to “Inmate Trust Fund,” C/O the inmate, and include the inmate’s date of birth plus the inmate’s Nueces SID number (not the State SID number).

Quick Checklist

• ✓ If you are mailing a cashier’s check or money order, include the inmate’s date of birth and the inmate’s Nueces SID number (not the State SID number).
• ✓ Make mailed payments payable to “Inmate Trust Fund,” C/O the inmate who is receiving the money.
• ✓ Do not try to drop off money, checks, or money orders at the Jail Information Booth, at the McKinzie Jail Annex, or during visitation hours.
• ✓ If you are using a kiosk, go to the Main Jail lobby (901 Leopard Street) or the McKenzie Annex (745 North Padre Island Drive).