Catawba County Detention Facility Phone Calls. How Pay Tel and inteleMESSAGE Work

How Calls Work at Catawba County

Pay Tel Communications handles all inmate phone calls at Catawba County Detention Facility. The person uses a jail phone to place calls to your number through the Pay Tel system. Calls only connect to numbers registered in your Pay Tel account.

You cannot dial the facility and be connected to someone inside. The only way to have a phone conversation is for the person to call you.

Step 1: Set Up a Pay Tel Account

Go to paytel.com and create a free account. Use your real name and the phone number you want to receive calls on. You can also call Pay Tel support at 1-800-729-8355 to set up your account by phone, or download the Pay Tel app on iOS or Android.

Step 2: Add Your Phone Number

Once your account is active, add the phone number you want to receive calls on. The number must be registered in the Pay Tel system before the person inside can reach you.

Step 3: Fund Your Account

Calls cost money per minute. You have two options:

Option A: Prepay through your Pay Tel account. Add a balance at paytel.com and calls draw from your account.

Option B: The person pays from their trust account. If they have money from a JailPackStore deposit, they may be able to pay for calls from inside. See the send money guide to add money to their account.

Step 4: Receive the Call

When the person calls your number, Pay Tel may play an automated message identifying the call as coming from Catawba County Detention Facility. Follow the prompts to accept. The call connects through the Pay Tel system and draws from whichever account is paying.

Call Rates

Pay Tel’s per-minute rates for Catawba County are not published publicly. Log in to your account at paytel.com or call 1-800-729-8355 to check current pricing before funding your account. Rates can vary by call type (local vs. long distance) and by how the call is funded.

inteleMESSAGE: Text-Based Messaging

In addition to phone calls, Pay Tel offers inteleMESSAGE at Catawba County Detention Facility. This is a paid text-based messaging service between the person inside and people on the outside.

Cost: $0.50 per message sent or received.

Important: the inmate must initiate contact first. They send the first message to activate your inteleMESSAGE account. You cannot start the exchange from your end. Once they have reached out to you through the system, you can send and receive messages going forward.

How to use inteleMESSAGE:

1. Wait for the person inside to send you a message through the Pay Tel system. This activates your account.
2. You will receive a notification through paytel.com or the Pay Tel app.
3. Reply through your Pay Tel account or the app.
4. Messages cost $0.50 per message on each side.

inteleMESSAGE is a good option for staying in touch between calls, especially when phone access is limited at the facility.

What Numbers Can Be Called

The person can only call numbers that are registered in the Pay Tel system. If a number is not in the system, the call will not connect. Make sure your number is correctly set up before expecting a call.

Pay Tel may block certain number types, including some VOIP numbers or numbers that have been flagged for security reasons. If calls are not connecting and your number is entered correctly, call Pay Tel support at 1-800-729-8355.

All Calls Are Monitored

Standard calls at Catawba County Detention Facility are monitored and recorded. This is standard policy for county jails. Do not share sensitive legal or financial information on a standard call.

Attorney calls may be handled differently if the attorney has set up confidential call status. Contact the facility at (828) 465-8999 or Pay Tel at 1-800-729-8355 for information on setting up attorney call privileges.

How to Stop Receiving Calls

To stop receiving calls from the facility, log in to your Pay Tel account at paytel.com and remove or block your phone number. You can also call Pay Tel support at 1-800-729-8355 to request a block.

Troubleshooting Calls That Are Not Connecting

If you set up your account but calls are not going through:

1. Confirm your number is correctly entered in Pay Tel.
2. Check that your account has a balance.
3. Ask the person to confirm they are dialing the right number.
4. Call Pay Tel support at 1-800-729-8355.
5. Some mobile carriers block calls from correctional facilities. Ask your carrier if this may apply.

If the issue continues, call the facility at (828) 465-8999 for help.

Staying in Touch Between Calls

Between phone access windows, inteleMESSAGE is a way to stay connected. If you want to send a letter or photos, see the mail and photos guide for the correct addresses and rules.