Does InmateAid Replace IC Solutions Phone Service?
I just paid for inmate aid phone time. but when my son calls it says IC Solutions . Will my funds pay for this call?
Yes, and that is exactly how it is supposed to work.
InmateAid does not replace IC Solutions. It never does. Whatever carrier holds the contract at your son's facility, whether that is IC Solutions, Securus, GTL, or any of the others, that carrier stays in place. Every call your son makes still runs through IC Solutions because they are the exclusive provider at that facility. That monopoly does not change.
What InmateAid changes is the number your son dials to reach you. IC Solutions, like every prison phone carrier, charges different rates depending on the type of number being called. Local numbers cost less than long distance numbers. InmateAid researches the rate structure for each facility and provides you with the number that triggers the lowest available rate within the IC Solutions system.
So when your son calls, IC Solutions is still the carrier processing the call, which is why you see their name. But because he is dialing the InmateAid number instead of your personal number, the per-call rate is lower than it would have been otherwise. Your funds on the IC Solutions account are what pay for the call, and they go further than they would have without the InmateAid number in place.
Think of it this way. IC Solutions is the highway. InmateAid found you the cheapest on-ramp. The road is the same, the destination is the same, but the toll is lower.
If you have questions about whether the savings are showing up correctly on your account, reach out to aid@inmateaid.com and the team can walk you through it.
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