Cheap Prison Calls:
Prison Calls Fair Usage Policy

Staying connected with family and friends during a prison sentence is crucial for maintaining relationships and emotional support. Prison Call offers services that allow affordable and convenient communication with inmates. However, like many services, we have a fair usage policy in place to ensure that everyone benefits from reliable and quality service. In this article, we will explain what our Fair Usage Policy is, why it exists, how it works, and what steps to take if you exceed your allocated minutes.

What is our fair usage policy?

Our Fair Usage Policy is designed to make sure that all users have a fair and consistent experience when using Prison Call services. In practice, this policy sets a limit on the number of minutes you can use for making calls during any given month. For our service, this limit is set at 3,300 minutes per month, which translates to approximately 50 hours of talk time.

These minutes are reset on the first day of each calendar month, regardless of your billing cycle, and are intended to prevent excessive usage that could compromise the overall quality of service for all users.

Why do we have a fair usage policy?

There are several important reasons why we’ve implemented a Fair Usage Policy:

Preventing Abuse and Misuse
Unfortunately, there are instances where services like Prison Call can be exploited for non-legitimate purposes. The Fair Usage Policy helps us monitor and prevent the misuse of our services. While we trust that the vast majority of our users are honest and respectful, these rules allow us to catch and address instances where our services may be used inappropriately or fraudulently.

Keeping Rates Affordable
Prison Call aims to provide high-quality services at affordable rates, and to maintain this, we need to ensure that we’re balancing costs across our user base. The Fair Usage Policy allows us to continue offering competitive pricing without sacrificing the quality or availability of our services.‍

How does the fair usage policy work?

Our Fair Usage Policy is designed to be simple and transparent. Below is a breakdown of how it operates:

Monthly Minute Limit
All customers are allowed up to 3,300 minutes of call time per month. This gives you plenty of time to stay in touch with your loved ones. 3,300 minutes equates to approximately 50 hours of conversation, which is sufficient for most users to maintain regular communication throughout the month.

Reset on the First of Every Month
Regardless of when your billing cycle starts or ends, the minute allowance resets on the first day of each calendar month. This means that even if your billing cycle falls in the middle of the month, your call minutes will refresh on the first. The monthly reset ensures that all users start each month with a fresh allowance of minutes, which helps keep things predictable.

No Rollover Minutes
One important detail to note is that unused minutes do not roll over to the next month. If you use less than 3,300 minutes in a given month, the remaining balance won’t carry over to the next period. Once the new month begins, you’ll have a fresh 3,300 minutes to use. This encourages users to make the most of their allocated time each month.

What happens if you go over your unlimited minutes?

While 3,300 minutes is a generous allowance for most users, there are cases where someone might exceed their monthly limit. If you reach or go over the allowed minutes, here’s what will happen:

Notification
When you’re approaching your 3,300-minute limit, we’ll send you a notification either by email or SMS (depending on your communication preferences) to inform you that you’re close to reaching the cap. This gives you time to manage your calls and avoid going over your limit unexpectedly.

Additional Charges
If you exceed the 3,300-minute limit, additional charges may apply. The cost of these extra minutes will be billed at our standard rate, which is available in the pricing section of our website. It’s important to keep an eye on your usage to avoid incurring unnecessary fees, especially toward the end of the month when your limit might be close.

Account Restrictions
In rare cases, if excessive usage continues after hitting the limit, we may temporarily restrict your account to ensure fairness for all customers. However, this is only done in extreme situations where the service is being used disproportionately.

How can you make the most of your minutes?

Now that you know how the Fair Usage Policy works, here are a few tips to ensure you get the most value out of your 3,300 minutes each month:

Plan Your Calls Wisely
If you know that you have a limited number of minutes, it’s a good idea to plan your calls in advance. Schedule times to speak with your loved one and stick to a regular calling routine. This ensures that you can spread your calls out evenly throughout the month without going over the limit.

Prioritize Important Conversations
Use your minutes for the conversations that matter most. While it’s tempting to call frequently, you might want to reserve longer conversations for important topics. Encouraging letter-writing or other forms of communication for less urgent matters can help you preserve your minutes.

Monitor Your Usage
Regularly logging into your account to check your call usage is a great way to stay on track. If you notice that you’re getting close to your 3,300-minute limit, you can adjust your call schedule accordingly.

Take Advantage of Promotions
Occasionally, Prison Call offers promotions or discounts that allow users to get more value from their service. Keep an eye out for special deals, which may offer you extra minutes or reduced rates on overage charges.

What should you do if you exceed your minutes?

If you happen to exceed your 3,300 minutes for the month, there are steps you can take to manage the situation:

Adjust Your Call Habits for the Remainder of the Month
Once you’ve gone over the limit, it’s important to adjust your calling habits for the rest of the month to avoid significant overage charges. Consider limiting your calls or finding other ways to stay in touch until the minutes reset at the start of the next month.

Contact Customer Support
If you believe that your usage was mistakenly recorded or you have any questions about your account balance, don’t hesitate to reach out to our customer support team. They can help clarify any issues with your billing and offer solutions for managing your account moving forward.

Explore Prepaid Options
If you frequently find yourself going over your minute limit, you may want to explore prepaid options or packages that allow you to add more minutes upfront. This can help you avoid overage charges and give you peace of mind knowing that you won’t run out of minutes.