Reviews of Penmate - Send Mail to Jail

By: Penmate App

List of user reviews and ratings for Penmate - Send Mail to Jail

Total ratings

4.16 (Rating count: 1,110)

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Review summary

Penmate helps users stay in touch with incarcerated loved ones by sending letters and pictures. Some users find the app useful and appreciate occasional responsive support. However, many reviews criticize the app for slow delivery times, high costs, frequent technical glitches, poor customer service, and misleading claims about message delivery methods. Users urge caution due to frequent delays, lost messages, and refund difficulties, with some recommending alternative services for quicker and cheaper communication.

Pros

Helps maintain contact with incarcerated loved ones when other communication means are limited.
Some users found the app easy to navigate and use after initial setup.
Provides an option to send pictures along with letters, which some users appreciated.
Customer support responded promptly to issues in some cases.
Able to find and message inmates fairly easily according to some users.

Cons

Extremely slow delivery; letters sometimes take over a week or more to arrive.
High cost for sending messages compared to alternatives and regular mail.
Lack of effective customer support; many users had refund requests ignored and no responses to inquiries.
Glitches and crashes in the app, including problems with adding pictures, saving messages, and account registration.
Misleading information about email vs. physical mail delivery; many thought messages were sent electronically but were mailed instead.
Frequent forced logouts and issues with staying logged in.
Multiple users reported lost messages or messages not being delivered to inmates.

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User Reviews

Recent rating average: 2.80

All time rating average: 4.16

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40% (34)

Date	Author	Comment
2026-06-19	Ac*****	it much easier to write letters, post cards and e-messages to someone. You can do it wherever you are.
it much easier to write letters, post cards and e-messages to someone. You can do it wherever you are.
2026-06-17	Am*****	Highly disappointed. Have had to repeat my issue 4+ times and yet nothing is getting resolved. Customer service sounds great until you realize they aren't even looking into your issue and just asking the same question every e-mail. Issue started 6/6. now 6/17 and nothing has been resolved.
Highly disappointed. Have had to repeat my issue 4+ times and yet nothing is getting resolved. Customer service sounds great until you realize they aren't even looking into your issue and just asking the same question every e-mail. Issue started 6/6. now 6/17 and nothing has been resolved.
2026-06-13	Ke*****	How can I write messages to myself when I'm not there? Really feels like it's just an A.I. generated app.
How can I write messages to myself when I'm not there? Really feels like it's just an A.I. generated app.
2026-05-18	As*****	no one ever wrote me back. lol. screw y'all
no one ever wrote me back. lol. screw y'all
2026-04-08	Ta*****	couldn't get it to do nothing at all
couldn't get it to do nothing at all
2026-04-07	St*****	searching up names leads me to a purple screen. no matter what I try, the app won't move past that screen. very disappointing
searching up names leads me to a purple screen. no matter what I try, the app won't move past that screen. very disappointing
2026-02-02	Ch*****	When I first got the app, it said if there's any reason that it can't be emailed, it will be printed out and snail mailed. I thought that would be rare. Now every $10 message is being snail mailed 800 miles on what I have to assume to be the back of a poor battered pack mule. I contacted support and they told me most likely the inmate's email privileges are paused. But I get email from him via Penmate just fine. But my replies are sent to their HP printer and strapped to the back of the mule.
When I first got the app, it said if there's any reason that it can't be emailed, it will be printed out and snail mailed. I thought that would be rare. Now every $10 message is being snail mailed 800 miles on what I have to assume to be the back of a poor battered pack mule. I contacted support and they told me most likely the inmate's email privileges are paused. But I get email from him via Penmate just fine. But my replies are sent to their HP printer and strapped to the back of the mule.
2026-01-24	B.*****	I love it!!! it
I love it!!! it
2026-01-09	Ty*****	so easy to use
so easy to use
2025-12-11	pe*****	I liked it, very cool app!
I liked it, very cool app!