To send money to a federal inmate, you have two options: mail a U.S. Postal Service money order to the Bureau of Prisons lockbox in Des Moines, Iowa, or send an electronic transfer through Western Union’s Quick Collect or MoneyGram’s ExpressPayment. Both methods deposit funds into the inmate’s commissary account, which they use for phone minutes, hygiene items, snacks, stationery, and electronic messaging. The federal system is centralized, so every deposit goes through the same channels no matter which prison holds the person.
What You Need Before You Send Anything
Every person in federal custody has an eight-digit register number assigned by the U.S. Marshals Service, formatted as five digits, a hyphen, and three digits. That number is the key identifier for every deposit. Look it up using the Inmate Locator on the Bureau of Prisons website, which will also confirm the person’s committed name, current facility, and custody status.
You need the full legal name exactly as it appears in BOP records. Deposits are matched using the name and register number together, and a small mismatch can cause a rejection.
Timing matters too. Wait until the person has physically arrived at a BOP-managed facility before sending funds. If someone was just sentenced or is being transferred, money sent before they check in at their assigned institution won’t process. The Inmate Locator shows the current facility once they’ve arrived.
Mailing a USPS Money Order
The only mailed payment the BOP accepts from family and friends is a U.S. Postal Service money order. Personal checks, cashier’s checks, and cash are not processed. A personal check sent by mistake will be returned to you if your envelope has a return address.
Make the money order payable to the inmate’s full committed name and write their eight-digit register number on it. Then mail it to the centralized lockbox, not to the prison:
Federal Bureau of Prisons
[Inmate Name]
[Eight-Digit Register Number]
Post Office Box 474701
Des Moines, Iowa 50947-0001
Every federal facility in the country uses this one address. Check the ZIP code carefully. A wrong version (50347-4701) circulates online and can delay or lose your money order.
Do not enclose anything else. No letters, no photos, no notes. Federal regulations prohibit enclosures intended for delivery to the inmate, and the BOP will dispose of anything extra without forwarding it. Send personal correspondence separately through regular inmate mail.
If you want to confirm a mailed money order arrived, the BOP lockbox inquiry line is 202-307-2712. Give the mail time to arrive before calling. The easiest confirmation is often the inmate themselves, who can check the balance on a TRULINCS terminal at the facility.
Sending Money Through Western Union
Western Union routes payments to the federal system through its Quick Collect program. You can send online, through the app, or at a retail location. When filling out the transfer, use:
- Code City: FBOP, DC
- Account number: the inmate’s eight-digit register number
- Name: the inmate’s full legal name as it appears in BOP records
The “Code City” is what routes the payment into the BOP system rather than to a person at a physical Western Union location. It’s always FBOP, DC, no matter which prison holds the inmate.
Sending Money Through MoneyGram
MoneyGram uses its ExpressPayment program with a dedicated receive code:
- Receive Code: 7932
- Account number: the inmate’s eight-digit register number
- Name: the inmate’s full legal name
An older receive code (1737) still shows up in some online guides. The BOP’s current website lists 7932. Using the wrong code can misdirect your payment or cause the transfer to fail. MoneyGram’s online transfers to BOP accounts are capped at $300 per transaction.
Fees and How Fast the Money Posts
Western Union and MoneyGram both charge transaction fees that vary with the amount sent, the payment method (debit card, credit card, or cash), and whether you send online or at a counter. Neither publishes a flat rate for BOP transfers, so the fee is calculated at checkout. Paying online from a bank account is usually cheaper than paying cash at a retail location.
Electronic transfers post quickly. Western Union deposits sent between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. Eastern are posted within two to four hours. Transfers sent after 9:00 p.m. post at 7:00 a.m. the next morning. Mailed money orders depend on postal delivery to Des Moines and are credited the business day after they arrive at the lockbox.
Why Deposits Get Rejected
A few problems account for most failed deposits:
- Wrong payment form. Personal checks, cashier’s checks, and cash sent by mail are not processed.
- Enclosures in the envelope. Anything beyond the money order itself will be disposed of.
- Name or register number mismatch with BOP records.
- Inmate has not yet physically arrived at the assigned BOP facility.
You do not need to be on the inmate’s approved visitor list to send money. The regulation covering deposits allows “family, friends, or other sources” to deposit funds, with no restriction based on the sender’s relationship to the inmate.
Automatic Deductions for Restitution and Fines
If the inmate owes court-ordered restitution, fines, or child support, the BOP’s Inmate Financial Responsibility Program automatically deducts a portion of incoming deposits to pay those obligations. The money you send may not all end up available for commissary spending.
For prison wages, the standard IFRP deduction is 10 percent. For outside deposits from family and friends, the percentage scales up based on total money received over the prior six months. Under a proposed rule published in December 2024, the sliding scale is:
- Under $250 in deposits over six months: 0% if the account balance is below $250; 25% if the balance is $250 or more
- $250 to $999.99: 25%
- $1,000 to $2,499.99: 35%
- $2,500 to $4,999.99: 55%
- $5,000 or more: 100%
Deductions are applied in a priority order that puts restitution and court fines near the top. Because these percentages come from a proposed rule, the final figures may change once the regulation is finalized. The underlying concept has been in place for years: outside deposits are not shielded from court-ordered debts, and the more money flowing in, the larger the share the BOP diverts. If the person you’re supporting has significant restitution, factor that in before sending large amounts.
Transfers Between Facilities and Release
If the inmate moves to a different federal facility, their commissary balance follows them automatically through the BOP’s centralized system. You don’t need to do anything, and the inmate doesn’t need to withdraw or re-deposit funds.
At release, any remaining balance is returned to the individual on a U.S. Debit Card issued by the BOP. That card replaced the older practice of issuing Treasury checks.