The IRS is sending the round of third stimulus checks and you can get an update on your payment. Here’s the first step if you want to track your status.
Sarah Tew/CNET
For a full week now, millions of eligible people have been receiving their third stimulus checks in their checking accounts, and for those waiting on their check to arrive in the mail, paper checks are on the way too. As of Wednesday, there were 90 million direct deposits, the IRS announced. Millions more will be on the way in the coming weeks. If you’re waiting to get your $1,400 check, you can check the status of your payment with the IRS Get My Payment tracker tool.
If you’re one of the millions who are qualified for a third stimulus check (calculate your total payment here), you can use the online app to see the status of your payment and find out if there are any issues holding up your money. Note that the app is a bit tricky to navigate, so we can help explain what your status means.
The IRS is sending out payments as quickly as humanly possible, but delivery could still take until Dec. 31, 2021, per the new stimulus bill. The agency is working on sending more payments by mail as paper checks and EIP debit cards. But we could still see issues come up with payments. If that happens, the tracker tool will be the IRS’ main way of communicating your payment schedule and status with you. The tool will no longer show you the status of your first two stimulus payments, however. Here’s everything you need to know. This story was recently updated.
IRS Get My Payment: The tracker app is available to use
In tandem with the first payments arriving in bank accounts and through the postal service, the IRS has turned on its tracking tool, called Get My Payment, so individuals and families can learn the status of their check. The IRS said it will update payment-status information once a day, usually overnight, and notes that IRS phone assisters won’t have information beyond what is available in the tracker.
To get the status of the third check, enter your Social Security number, date of birth, street address and ZIP code. Then the tool will display a message with information about your check — whether the payment was sent, the payment method (direct deposit or physical mail) and the date it was issued. The tool will not show the amount of your payment. However, it will let you know if the service can’t yet determine your status — more below on error messages.
Watch this:
Stimulus check 3: How much money you’ll get
2:32
Can I sign up for direct deposit using the Get My Payment tool?
Now that the IRS is sending the third stimulus check, you’ll likely get it fastest if you have a direct deposit account already set up with the federal government. Some are reporting the IRS used the banking information they supplied on their taxes this year for the new stimulus payment.
With the first check, the online tool allowed you to enter your banking information to receive your payment straight to your bank account, if the IRS didn’t have your banking information. The IRS didn’t let people register new direct deposit accounts or change their banking information for the second stimulus check. And the updated Get My Payment tool for the third stimulus payment doesn’t allow you to add your banking information as the method the IRS will initially use to make your payment.
However, the IRS FAQ for Get My Payment says you can provide banking information if the IRS is unable to deliver your payment. After your payment is returned to the IRS, you will be able to add your banking information in the tool, the IRS said.
With the third checks now going out, you might still have time to receive your payment through direct deposit if you add your banking information on your 2020 taxes. If you want to try, you’ll need to act fast. You can register for a new direct deposit account (in fact, up to three) as part of filing your 2020 tax return. If the IRS receives your banking information before it processes your third payment, it could use that information to send your money. However, The Washington Post reports delays with the IRS in processing returns. By the way, the IRS has officially extended the 2020 tax filing deadline to May 17.
What does it mean if my status says ‘Need More Information’?
According to the IRS FAQ for the 2021 payment, a “Need More Information” message in the Get My Payment tool means your payment was returned because the US Postal Service was unable to deliver it.
The FAQ says you will be able to have your payment reissued as a direct deposit, by providing a routing and account number for a bank account, a prepaid debit card (the card must be reloadable, the IRS said) or a financial service that has a routing and account number associated with it. The updated FAQ said you can also update your mailing address to receive your payment.
The IRS and US Treasury are sending the third round of stimulus payments.
Sarah Tew/CNET
What does it mean if my status says ‘Payment Status Not Available’?
Don’t be alarmed if the Get My Payment tool gives you a message that says “Payment Status Not Available.” You may see this message until your payment is processed, according to the IRS. So, you don’t have to do anything.
However, it could also mean you are not eligible for a payment, according to the IRS, so you may want to double-check your eligibility and plug in your numbers in our stimulus check calculator to see if you are due money.
Get My Payment says the IRS sent me a third stimulus payment, but I never received anything
If the IRS’ online tool said the agency has issued your stimulus money, but you have no record of it in the mail or in your bank account and it never arrived in your mailbox, you may need to file a stimulus check payment trace. It’s handy if you also have the letter the IRS may have sent you.
If your money is tied up in any way, the IRS Get My Payment tracking tool will indicate a problem.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Do I have to keep the IRS letter confirming my third stimulus payment? What if I can’t find it?
If the IRS issues you a stimulus check, it sends a notice by mail to your last known address within 15 days after making the payment, to confirm delivery. The letter contains information on when and how the payment was made and how to report it to the IRS if you didn’t receive your check. The letter is helpful if you don’t receive your full payment and need to claim your money later. Here’s how to recover the information if you lost or tossed the letter.
Is there a way to track the status of my stimulus check if it’s being sent through mail?
If your third stimulus check is going out in the mail, the US Postal Service has a free app that can notify you when it’s about to deliver your stimulus money from the IRS. Called Informed Delivery, the mail-tracking service automatically scans your letters and can alert you when they’ll be delivered. Here’s more on how to set up and use the letter-tracking service from the USPS to keep tabs on your payment.
What if I’m still missing money from the first or second stimulus checks?
The IRS is no longer automatically sending out the first and second payments. If you believe you are still owed money from either of those rounds, your best chance of claiming that missing first or second payment is to file for the Recovery Rebate Credit as part of tax season 2020. If you’re eligible, you’ll need to know the amount of money the IRS allotted you, which you can find out online or from the letter the agency mailed. The IRS said the updated Get My Payment tracker will not give you information on the first and second checks. Instead, you need to set up and check your IRS account for information on those two payments.
The editorial content on this page is based solely on objective, independent assessments by our writers and is not influenced by advertising or partnerships. It has not been provided or commissioned by any third party. However, we may receive compensation when you click on links to products or services offered by our partners.