AdvancePay vs. PIN Debit vs. Collect Calls: Which Phone Option Is Right for Your Family?

With collect calls, the charge goes to you - the person answering. The cost shows up on your monthly phone bill through your carrier. Simple enough if you're comfortable with that billing setup.

AdvancePay is "prepaid collect." You deposit money into an account tied to your phone number. When your loved one calls, charges come out of that balance instead of hitting your carrier bill. This works well if you need calls on a cell phone, want to control spending with a prepaid balance, need multiple prepaid accounts, or want to set up international calling.

PIN Debit (sometimes written as PIN Debt) flips the arrangement: your loved one pays for calls using funds from their commissary/trust account. Those funds cover calls to facility-approved numbers. You can help by purchasing phone minutes through ConnectNetwork to keep their PIN Debit account funded.

Collect calls are the most straightforward on paper. Your loved one places a collect call, you accept it, and the charges appear on your monthly phone bill through your carrier. This works well if your carrier allows collect billing and you don't mind costs landing on your regular bill.

• ✓ Collect calls can’t be made to cell phones, office phones, or hospital numbers.
• ✓ If you receive a lot of collect calls, you can hit your carrier’s billing limit. When that happens, your number may get blocked from receiving future collect calls.
• ✓ If you’ve reached a billing limit and need calls to start coming through again, you can sign up for a prepaid calling account through ViaPath by calling (800) 483-8314.

Calls not getting through because your number is blocked? ViaPath customer service can help. Call (877) 650-4249 and ask a representative to submit a block removal request - typically takes 1–2 business days. If the issue is that your carrier won't allow collect billing or you've hit a billing cap, setting up a prepaid account is usually the fastest workaround. ViaPath's prepaid setup line is (800) 483-8314.

AdvancePay works like a prepaid "bucket" for one phone number. Load funds into the account, and your loved one can call that specific number - each accepted call draws down the balance. The main advantage for many families is control. You decide how much to deposit, and you're not relying on collect billing through your carrier.

• ✓ You can set up AdvancePay for cell phones.
• ✓ You can set up multiple AdvancePay accounts.
• ✓ International calling options are available.
• ✓ To set up an AdvancePay account, you can use ConnectNetwork.com or call (800) 483-8314.

PIN Debit puts your loved one in control. Calls are paid from their funds - including money in their commissary/trust account. When the account has minutes available, they can call any facility-approved number. This works well when your loved one wants to manage their own calling time, or when you'd rather fund their account directly than accept collect billing.

1. Create an Offender Phone account on ConnectNetwork.com - this is the setup families use to manage phone funding.
2. Select the facility and your loved one - make sure you’re attaching purchases to the correct incarcerated individual.
3. Purchase phone minutes for the PIN Debit account - once the payment goes through, the credit is applied to your loved one’s phone account for calls to allowed numbers.

How to Choose

• ✓ If you need calls to reach a cell phone (or a work/office line), collect calls won’t work - AdvancePay or PIN Debit is usually the better path.
• ✓ If collect calls keep failing because your carrier doesn’t support collect billing or you’ve hit a billing limit, switching to prepaid through ViaPath (AdvancePay) can get calls moving again.
• ✓ Decide who should control the spending: collect calls bill the called party; AdvancePay lets you prepay for one number; PIN Debit uses the inmate’s funds (with an option for family to buy minutes).
• ✓ Think about how you want to fund calls: a predictable prepaid balance (AdvancePay) versus quick minute purchases for the inmate’s PIN Debit account through ConnectNetwork.

Have a home phone that accepts collect billing and don't mind charges on your monthly bill? Collect calls are the simplest option. Need calls to reach a cell phone - or collect billing keeps getting blocked? AdvancePay is often the cleanest fix since it's prepaid and tied to your number. Want your loved one to manage their own calling, or prefer to fund their account without charges hitting your phone bill? PIN Debit gives them the most control, and you can add minutes through ConnectNetwork.