***Amy***
12-13-2007, 11:05 AM
I have been using the Walmart Business Center each month to send Wes his canteen money, stamps, etc, and I use them for my prepaid collect calls as well. This is is how it works:
At the front of Walmart, there is a Personal Business Center near the customer service desk. They offer Moneygram, which is similar to Western Union. YES the prisons accept Moneygram!!! If your facility does NOT accept the moneygram, they will find out when they try to key it in, and will be able to tell you right away, and you can just go to the Western Union at any grocery store or pawn shop in your area.
MONEYGRAMS FOR SENDING MONEY / MONEY ORDERS:
You can purchase a standard money order at Walmart in the business center. You already know how to do that. BUt you can ALSO send it via Wire Transfer direct to the prison bookeeper's office and IT WILL POST IMMEDIATELY to their books! Fill out the form that says SEND MONEY NOW and use the INMATE'S AIS PLUS LAST NAME: 123456SMITH as the account number. There will be a code required which the cashier pulls up on a computer. For destination, give the facility, and for "MEMO" give the Prisoner's name and AIS Number again. It costs $9.50 or it might be a little less...I can't remember. I'm going again tomorrow to send Christmas money from his family and my family to him for his surprise and I'll update this to give step by step instructions and the form numbers, etc.
GLOBAL TEL LINK PAYMENTS - $9.50 no matter what amount you send. IF you pay $50 toward your prison calls, the total will be $59.50. So don't use this method unless you're sending over $50 or else it's cheaper to do it by telephone through Global Tel. However, in the long run the fees are cheaper if you pay at least $75 through this method at MoneyGram in the Walmart Business Center: GLOBAL TEL LINK INSTRUCTIONS ON MONEY GRAM - Make an account payment, or if you do the AdvancePay (Prepaid collect calls) like I do, you can make those payments as well. USE MONEYGRAM SLIP TITLED "SEND A PAYMENT". Fill out your personal info. THE ACCOUNT NUMBER IS YOUR PHONE NUMBER, AREA CODE FIRST. Don't put anything about the inmate on there...it's not necessary. Where is says "Destination" I put the name of the prison (i.e., Limestone Corr. Facility, Harvest AL) but that is just for my own records. They will key it in. There is a code necessary but they look it up for you so let them do it. Your phone payment will post immediately.
ALSO: *******You can buy stamps there and mail them. I run to the greeting card section and pick a cute card out, and use that as my "envelope" to mail the stamps in. *****
Let me know if anybody has any problems or questions. I've used these methods since August and each month it works out great. If you need help with any of this, let me know and I'll PM some more detailed instructions.
At the front of Walmart, there is a Personal Business Center near the customer service desk. They offer Moneygram, which is similar to Western Union. YES the prisons accept Moneygram!!! If your facility does NOT accept the moneygram, they will find out when they try to key it in, and will be able to tell you right away, and you can just go to the Western Union at any grocery store or pawn shop in your area.
MONEYGRAMS FOR SENDING MONEY / MONEY ORDERS:
You can purchase a standard money order at Walmart in the business center. You already know how to do that. BUt you can ALSO send it via Wire Transfer direct to the prison bookeeper's office and IT WILL POST IMMEDIATELY to their books! Fill out the form that says SEND MONEY NOW and use the INMATE'S AIS PLUS LAST NAME: 123456SMITH as the account number. There will be a code required which the cashier pulls up on a computer. For destination, give the facility, and for "MEMO" give the Prisoner's name and AIS Number again. It costs $9.50 or it might be a little less...I can't remember. I'm going again tomorrow to send Christmas money from his family and my family to him for his surprise and I'll update this to give step by step instructions and the form numbers, etc.
GLOBAL TEL LINK PAYMENTS - $9.50 no matter what amount you send. IF you pay $50 toward your prison calls, the total will be $59.50. So don't use this method unless you're sending over $50 or else it's cheaper to do it by telephone through Global Tel. However, in the long run the fees are cheaper if you pay at least $75 through this method at MoneyGram in the Walmart Business Center: GLOBAL TEL LINK INSTRUCTIONS ON MONEY GRAM - Make an account payment, or if you do the AdvancePay (Prepaid collect calls) like I do, you can make those payments as well. USE MONEYGRAM SLIP TITLED "SEND A PAYMENT". Fill out your personal info. THE ACCOUNT NUMBER IS YOUR PHONE NUMBER, AREA CODE FIRST. Don't put anything about the inmate on there...it's not necessary. Where is says "Destination" I put the name of the prison (i.e., Limestone Corr. Facility, Harvest AL) but that is just for my own records. They will key it in. There is a code necessary but they look it up for you so let them do it. Your phone payment will post immediately.
ALSO: *******You can buy stamps there and mail them. I run to the greeting card section and pick a cute card out, and use that as my "envelope" to mail the stamps in. *****
Let me know if anybody has any problems or questions. I've used these methods since August and each month it works out great. If you need help with any of this, let me know and I'll PM some more detailed instructions.