How to Send Money to FCI Allenwood Low

Step 1. Choose a Deposit Method

The BOP accepts deposits through 3 channels: MoneyGram (send to receive code 7932), Western Union (send to FBOP DC), or a USPS money order mailed to the Bureau’s centralized processing address in Des Moines, Iowa. None of these methods send money directly to FCI Allenwood Low.

A Recurring Deposit Can Simplify Things

Rather than sending money whenever it crosses your mind, some families set up a rough monthly rhythm, around payday, say, so the commissary balance stays predictable instead of running dry between deposits. Nothing about BOP policy requires this, but it can make budgeting against the $360 cap easier for both of you.

Step 2. Have the Right Information Ready

You’ll need the inmate’s full legal name and their BOP Register Number, confirmed through the BOP’s Inmate Locator if you don’t already have it. This number is what gets the deposit credited to the right account.

Step 3. Know the Monthly Limit

Commissary spending is capped at $360 per month, a standard limit across BOP facilities. Deposits beyond what’s needed to reach that cap build up in the inmate’s trust fund account instead of being immediately spendable.

Why Money Doesn’t Go Directly to the Facility

The BOP runs the same centralized financial system across all of its 100-plus facilities nationwide, FCI Allenwood Low included, rather than letting each institution handle its own deposits locally. That’s actually convenient if you’ve got someone at more than one of the 3 Allenwood facilities, or anywhere else in the federal system: the deposit process itself doesn’t change, only the register number and facility name attached to it.

Timing Your Deposit

MoneyGram and Western Union tend to post fastest, sometimes within a day or two of the transaction completing. A USPS money order routed to the Des Moines processing address takes noticeably longer since it’s traveling by mail before anyone processes it, budget at least a week if you’re using that method and timing matters.

Setting Up the Transfer Itself

MoneyGram and Western Union aren’t BOP services, they’re outside companies, so you’re creating an account or completing a transaction through their own website, app, or a retail location, not through anything run by the Bureau. Bring a valid ID, since these providers generally require identity verification once a transfer crosses a certain amount.

Sending From Outside the Country

A family member overseas isn’t locked out of this. MoneyGram and Western Union both handle international transfers, though the fees and the time it takes to land tend to run higher than a domestic send. A USPS money order from abroad is the trickier option, since it depends on the sending country’s own postal system and can take considerably longer, check current fees and delivery estimates directly with whichever service you’re using before committing to it.

If a Deposit Fails

Confirm the inmate’s name and BOP Register Number are correct, since mismatches are the most common reason a deposit doesn’t process. Contact MoneyGram, Western Union, or USPS customer service directly depending on which method you used, since the BOP itself doesn’t process the transaction.

What Happens If He’s Transferred

If the person you’re sending money to is transferred to a different federal facility, his trust fund account and balance transfer with him. Confirm his new location through the BOP’s Inmate Locator before sending anything further, since the receiving details stay the same but his register number and facility assignment may need re-confirming.

Splitting a Deposit Across Methods

There’s no rule against using two different methods for two different deposits, sending part through MoneyGram because it’s fast and part through a money order because the fee is lower, for example. If you go that route, just keep each confirmation number filed separately, so you’re not hunting for the right one if you ever need to follow up.

Someone Incarcerated Elsewhere Wants to Send Him Money

This isn’t the same process as a deposit from a family member on the outside. If another incarcerated person wants to transfer funds to him, that route is more restricted under BOP policy, and it’s worth a call to the trust fund office at (570) 547-1990 to find out exactly how it’s handled before assuming the standard MoneyGram or Western Union process applies.

Court-Ordered Restitution and Holds

Some inmate trust fund accounts carry court-ordered restitution obligations that reduce how much of a deposit reaches the spendable commissary balance. If a deposit doesn’t seem to be reaching the balance the way you expect, ask the facility’s trust fund office at (570) 547-1990 whether a restitution order applies to the account.

The $360 Cap Doesn’t Move With Bigger Deposits

Whatever’s sitting in his trust fund account, he still can’t spend past $360 in commissary purchases in a single month, that ceiling is fixed BOP-wide. A larger deposit doesn’t unlock a higher spending limit that month, it just sits in the account as available balance for the following month.

Tracing a Deposit That Didn’t Post

Start by re-checking the sender details and reference number tied to whichever method you used, MoneyGram, Western Union, or the money order, since a small mismatch there is the single most common reason a transfer stalls out. Give it a few business days before assuming something’s genuinely wrong, and if it still hasn’t posted, the facility’s trust fund office at (570) 547-1990 can look into it from their end.

What the Money Is Actually For

It’s easy to picture commissary spending as just snacks, but the account funds a lot more than that: hygiene items, over-the-counter medication, clothing basics, stamps, and the phone and CorrLinks access covered elsewhere on this site all draw from the same balance. Some inmates put trust fund money toward approved electronics like an MP3 player through the commissary catalog too, if that’s something he’s interested in.

Checking Whether It Actually Landed

There’s no public portal where you, as the sender, can log in and check his trust fund balance directly. The most reliable way to confirm a deposit posted is to ask him, during your next call, CorrLinks message, or visit, to check it himself from inside the facility.

Hold Onto Your Confirmation Number

Whatever receipt or confirmation number MoneyGram, Western Union, or the USPS gives you after the transaction, keep it somewhere you can find it. If a deposit goes missing and you need to follow up with that company’s customer service, that number is the first thing they’ll ask for.