Why Your Cell Phone Can't Receive Collect Calls from Pendleton (And What to Do Instead)

Pendleton doesn't allow collect calls to cell phones. Even if you've accepted collect calls from other places before, this catches a lot of families off guard. The other common culprit? Your phone company. Some local carriers don't support collect-call billing at all. If yours doesn't, the call simply won't go through - there's no way to bill it.

Collect calls from Pendleton show up on your monthly phone bill. Get enough of them, and you can hit your carrier's collect-call billing limit. Once you max out, you're blocked from receiving more until you switch to a different calling option.

When collect calls aren't an option, AdvancePay is usually the easiest fix. It's a prepaid account tied to your phone number, and it sidesteps the restrictions that come with standard carrier billing. Set up an AdvancePay account at ConnectNetwork.com or call 800.483.8314. Once you add funds, calls come through and charges are deducted from your balance. One thing that trips people up: the account is locked to the phone number you register. Funds can only cover calls to that specific number, which actually helps you control where calls go and how much you spend.

1. Choose how you want to enroll - Set up AdvancePay at ConnectNetwork.com, or call 800.483.8314.
2. Register the exact phone number you want to receive calls on - AdvancePay only allows calls to the phone number on the account.
3. Add funds to your balance - When you accept a call, the cost is deducted from your AdvancePay balance.
4. Use ViaPath if you’re stuck or blocked - If you’ve been blocked (including after reaching a carrier billing limit), call ViaPath at 800.483.8314 to sign up for a prepaid calling account and start receiving calls again.

PIN Debit (sometimes called inmate debit) flips the payment model. Your loved one uses their own funds to pay for calls and can dial any numbers the facility allows - including cell phones where permitted. The money comes from their commissary or trust account, so nothing gets billed to your carrier.

• ✓ PIN Debit calls are paid from the incarcerated person’s phone account.
• ✓ That phone account can be funded from their commissary/trust account.
• ✓ The incarcerated person initiates the call and uses those funds to cover the call charges.
• ✓ PIN Debit can be used to call allowed numbers, including cell phones where permitted.

If collect calls suddenly stopped after a string of conversations, you've probably hit your carrier's billing limit. Since those calls show up on your monthly bill, maxing out blocks future collect calls. Two practical workarounds: (1) Switch to prepaid collect with AdvancePay - set it up at ConnectNetwork.com or call 800.483.8314. (2) Ask your loved one about PIN Debit so calls are paid from their commissary or trust account instead. To get started with a prepaid calling account, call ViaPath at 800.483.8314.

Quick Steps

• ✓ If you’re trying to get collect calls on a cell phone, plan on switching methods - Pendleton does not allow collect calls to cell phones.
• ✓ Set up AdvancePay for your phone number at ConnectNetwork.com or by calling 800.483.8314.
• ✓ If you prefer the incarcerated person pay for calls, talk with them about using PIN Debit funded from their commissary/trust account (to call allowed numbers, including cell phones where permitted).