GettingOut Visits vs Pay Tel
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
GettingOut Visits
Connect with incarcerated loved ones through video calls from your mobile device. Enjoy flexible, on-demand visits without scheduling, and only pay for the time you use. Keep in touch easily and conveniently, anytime, anywhere.
- Remote video calls
- On-demand visits (Visit Now)
- Pay per minute
- No scheduling required
- Flexible visitation times
- No upfront costs
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*Currently available at select facilities.* What if you could visit your loved one from your mobile device anytime, anywhere? Now you can! With our FREE GettingOut Visits app, keeping in touch with loved ones is easier and more flexible than ever. Plus with our new Visit Now feature, there's no scheduling needed. You can video visit on the spot – and you will only be charged for the actual visit time you use. With the GettingOut Visits app, it’s easy to visit anytime, anywhere from your mobile device! WHY USE GETTING OUT VISIT APP? • IT’S A VIDEO CALL: Remote video visits are an easy, instant way to connect with your incarcerated friend or loved one. This service will allow you to make a video call to an inmate, just like Skype or FaceTime. You’ll use your home computer or an iOS device, the inmate will use a wireless tablet. • NO SCHEDULING NEEDED: See your loved one, quicker than ever and video visit when it’s convenient for you without scheduling. The Visit Now feature lets your visit begin in minutes. If the inmate’s not available, you’ll be notified and can schedule a visit later. • NO UPFRONT COSTS: There are no upfront costs, you will only be charged for the actual duration of the visit. • NO CONNECTION FEES: There are no connection fees, you will only be charged for the actual duration of the visit. • NO PENALTIES: There are no penalties, you will only be charged for the actual duration of the visit. • NO MINIMUM/MAXIMUM COSTS: There are no minimum/maximum costs, you will only be charged for the actual duration of the visit. • MORE FLEXIBILITY: You can visit remotely, when it’s convenient for you and your busy life. • LESS CALLS TO CUSTOMER SERVICE: With the Visit Now feature you don't need to schedule visits, so no penalties for missed visits. You'll spend less time with customer service and more time visiting.
Pay Tel
Stay connected with loved ones. Receive instant alerts for messages and notifications. Easily view your balance and add funds, or send photos to inmates in eligible correctional facilities.
- Instant message alerts
- Unread message count
- Current balance visibility
- Add funds link
- Send photos to inmates
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The Pay Tel app provides you with easy access to important functionality: Instant alerts for any notifications from Pay Tel™ or your inteleMESSAGE™ contacts. Current unread messages count indicator. Just press to open inteleMESSAGE™. Visibility to your current balance, and a link to the main PayTel.com site for Adding Funds. Send photos to inmates in eligible facilities.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: GettingOut Visits at 2.2 against Pay Tel's 1.7. GettingOut Visits also leads on chart position (#37 vs #205). Pay Tel's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and ratings volume (140 vs 13). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
GettingOut Visits holds the better App Store score, 2.2 against 1.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pay Tel has 140 ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 3% of GettingOut Visits's written reviews are positive against 6% of Pay Tel's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
GettingOut Visits ships an update every 4 months, Pay Tel every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | GettingOut Visits | Pay Tel |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.2 (13 ratings) — better | 1.7 (140 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 2.9% of reviews | 6.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 13 | 140 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #37 — better | #205 |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 8 MB | 34 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Telmate, LLC | Pay Tel Communications |
Customer experience
GettingOut Visits
Pay Tel
User reviews
GettingOut Visits
From 13 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Convenient to talk to loved ones
- 🚀 Better connection and quality on app vs. website
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent disconnections and freezing during calls
- 🔇 No sound notifications for incoming calls
- 💰 Expensive and charges for every little thing
- 🤖 Poor customer service and lack of support
Pay Tel
From 140 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 📱 Enables communication with incarcerated loved ones
- 📹 Video calling functionality available
- 💬 Messaging feature when working properly
- ✅ App works smoothly after recent updates (per some users)
- 🎯 Easy to add funds/make payments
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezes
- ❌ Messages fail to send or display
- 🔌 Constant login errors and authentication failures
- ⏱️ Extremely slow loading times
- 🔄 App randomly logs users out mid-session
Bugs and requests
GettingOut Visits
Reported bugs
4 issues- App crashes and logs users out frequently
- Issues with depositing money and accessing accounts
- Compatibility problems with certain devices and browsers
- Scheduled visits not working as expected
Requested features
4 requests- Add sound notifications for incoming calls
- Improve video/audio quality and reliability
- Allow scheduling of video visits directly in the app
- Combine messaging, video, and deposit features into one app
Pay Tel
Reported bugs
21 issues- App crashes on launch or during use
- Login authentication errors persist across sessions
- Messages fail to send despite payment being deducted
- Messages don't appear in inbox despite being sent
- App logs out randomly while actively in use
Show 16 moreShow fewer
- Typing causes screen to flicker and delete message content
- Blank white screens when trying to view messages
- App won't work when Wi-Fi is enabled (Error 403)
- Incorrect notification counts
- Balance doesn't update after adding funds
- Video call invitations don't pop up or display
- Call connections drop mid-conversation
- Echo/feedback during calls
- Calls ring once then hang up immediately
- Account lockout with 'phone number doesn't belong to account' error
- PIN number errors preventing login
- App won't open on certain devices (iPhone specific issues)
- Messages appear days late
- Duplicate messages being sent and charged
- App freezes when typing long messages
- Website login doesn't sync with app login
Requested features
12 requests- Improved app stability and performance optimization
- Better customer service responsiveness (live chat, phone support)
- Reduced pricing for calls and messages
- Same-day video visit scheduling
- Better message persistence (don't delete on app exit)
Show 7 moreShow fewer
- Improved call quality and connection stability
- Wi-Fi compatibility fix
- Better user interface design and navigation
- Automatic message saving/drafts
- Transaction history visibility
- Refund policy for failed transactions
- Faster fund processing and balance updates
In-app purchases
GettingOut Visits
No in-app purchases
Pay Tel
No in-app purchases
