Some Will Receive Second Stimulus Check by Mail — Despite Direct Deposit for First Round
On Dec. 27, 2020, President Trump signed $900 billion COVID-19 relief bill. Here’s why your second stimulus check is mailed instead of direct deposit.
Jan. 6 2021, Published 12:40 p.m. ET
On Dec. 27, 2020, President Trump signed a $900 billion COVID-19 relief bill. The relief package includes a second round of stimulus checks of up to $600 for each eligible individual and up to $1,200 for qualifying couples as well as an additional $600 for each qualified dependent.
The second stimulus checks are being delivered through paper check, direct deposit, or prepaid debit card. But some who received their first stimulus via direct deposit have been puzzled to learn from the IRS' payment tracker that they'll receive their second stimulus check in the mail.
Where is my stimulus check?
On Dec. 29, 2020, the IRS announced that they have started sending second stimulus payments to tens of millions of bank account and mailboxes. The deadline imposed in the stimulus bill for sending out payments is Jan. 15.
You can track the stimulus payment through the IRS online “Get My Payment” tool. The tool will inform you the second stimulus check amount and the payment method. The “Get My Payment” tool will also let you know whether the payment has been scheduled. The data is updated once per day, according to the IRS. As a result, you don’t need to check more than once each day.
Why did my stimulus check payment get mailed?
Your stimulus payment will be directly credited to your bank account if the information is on file. If your direct deposit information isn’t on file, you will receive the stimulus payment as a debit card or check in the mail. Unfortunately, the “Get My Payment” tool won’t accept new direct deposit registrations now.
If you received the first stimulus payment by direct deposit, you’ll most likely get the second payment the same way. However, a few folks report the "Get My Payment" tool indicating they will receive the second payment by mail despite no change in bank accounts. Many filed their taxes electronically, too. There is no clear answer at this point why that is the case. The IRS advises folks not to call as their representatives don’t have additional information beyond what’s available on the “Get My Payment” tool.
How will you get the stimulus payment if you changed banks?
If the second stimulus payment goes to a closed or an inactive account, the bank will reject the direct deposit request. The IRS will then try to deliver the stimulus payment by mail.
How will you get the stimulus payment if you moved to a new address?
If you got a check by mail the first time, but have moved to a new address since then, the check will either be returned to the IRS or forwarded to your new address if you have enabled USPS mail forwarding. If your check was returned, the IRS will hold your stimulus payment until you provide a new address. Mailed stimulus payment will require additional processing and mailing time.
Eligible individuals will get stimulus payments of up to $600 for individuals and $1,200 for married couples. The amount of stimulus payments would begin to phase out for those who earn over $75,000 for individuals and $150,000 for couples. Taxpayers will also get an additional $600 for each dependent child.
Currently, the U.S. has more than 21 million COVID-19 cases based on data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. At least 357,620 deaths in the U.S. have been linked to the coronavirus pandemic.
