Collect Calling allows inmates to place calls to any facility-approved telephone number. If you accept a collect call from an inmate, the cost of that call will be billed as a line item on your next regular telephone bill, next to the words “billed on behalf of ICSolutions.”
I used to receive Collect Calls, but now I can’t. What changed?
There are many reasons why a telephone may be unable to receive collect calls. If you have received collect calls in the past and have not yet paid your bill, it is possible that collect calling has been temporarily disabled on your phone until the end of your billing cycle, when your balance can be lowered through payment. Many phone companies establish upper limits on the amount of collect calling that can be charged to a phone number in a given month. These limits are designed to protect consumers by preventing them from inadvertently running up very high phone bills that they may not be able to pay. If you have reached your limit and desire to receive more phone calls, we recommend setting up a Prepaid Account or a Debit Telephone Account which will allow you to continue receiving phone calls.
If you recently changed your telephone service, that change may have rendered your phone to no longer accept collect calls. Cell phone carriers, for example, do not typically allow their customers to receive collect calls on their cell phones. You might also have problems with collect calling if you use a VoIP/internet-based phone (service provided through your cable company or a VoIP provider like Vonage) or if your phone is a business phone.
Our prepaid phone services for a Prepaid Account or a Debit Telephone Account are designed to allow inmates to call facility-approved telephone numbers that are not eligible to receive collect calls. As the name implies, “pre-paid” calling services are purchased in advance, so they are not subject to the collect-calling issues described above. Even if you have a cell phone, VoIP phone, business phone or a high balance on your phone bill, you will still be able to receive phone calls from inmates, as long as there are preapid phone services in a Prepaid Account or Debit Telephone Account.
How do I set-up an account and purchase prepaid phone services?
ICSolutions offers two additional account types which help you stay connected with your loved one when collect calling is not available or the best option:
1. A Prepaid Account allows you to purchase prepaid phone services for receiving phone calls to a specifically designated telephone number (i.e. home, cellphone, etc.). The inmate can only make calls to that designated telephone number.
2. A Debit Telephone Account allows you to purchase prepaid phone services for the inmate. The inmate can then make calls to any telephone numbers which are not restricted by the facility, including your telephone number.
There is a difference between a Prepaid Account and a Debit Telephone Account. With a Prepaid Account, the inmate can only make calls to the specific number designated by the account holder. With a Debit Telephone Account, the inmate can make calls to any telephone numbers which are not restricted by the facility, including your telephone number.
CLICK HERE to set up a free account, Prepaid or Debit Telephone, and to purchase prepaid phone services for these accounts.
For information about how these services work, please visit our Prepaid Account page and our Debit Telephone Account page.
Does ICSolutions offer a Direct Billing option?
ICSolutions offers a direct billing option for law offices and bail bonds companies that receive high volumes of inmate collect calls from select facilities. Please contact ICSolutions at 1-800 464-8957 to inquire about setting up a Direct Billing account. Direct Billing representatives are available from 8:00AM to 5:00PM Central Standard Time, Monday through Friday.