Stimulus check or junk mail? Know what to look for so you don’t toss your new payment in the trash.
Angela Lang/CNET
The IRS has been busy: More than 90 million stimulus checks have already hit bank accounts via direct deposit and in the form of paper checks and EIP debit cards. The IRS on Monday began a second wave of payments. (All this in the middle of tax season, which was recently extended to May 17.) Qualified individuals could receive up to $1,400 this time around, plus more for eligible dependents — here’s how to calculate your third stimulus check total.
But if you haven’t gotten your third payment yet, when will it arrive? The IRS said Monday that any eligible recipient who hasn’t received a direct payment by March 24 will get a paper check in the mail. In the meantime, there are actually two ways to track your stimulus payment right to your mailbox, using services from both the IRS and the US Postal Service together.
The IRS stimulus check tracker tool contains information about your payment schedule, when your money will arrive and how, and if there’s been an error processing your payment. A downside is that it doesn’t give you an exact date, however, for when to expect your funds to arrive at your doorstep. That’s where a free USPS service comes in. We’ll walk you through how you can use the USPS service to monitor your payment’s arrival in the mail. (And here’s what we know so far about a fourth stimulus check.) This story was recently updated.
How the USPS Informed Delivery service can work for you
Informed Delivery is a free mail-tracking service from the USPS that automatically scans your letters and can alert you with an image each time a letter with your name on it is about to be delivered — this includes, of course, your third stimulus payment.
When the USPS runs mailed letters through its automated mail sorting equipment, it automatically creates a digital image of the front of all letter-size mail. Anyone who signs up for Informed Delivery can access the information by asking the USPS to notify you when each piece of mail with your name on it is on the way. Note that it can take three days to activate your account.
As part of the program, you’ll receive an email each morning, Monday through Saturday, to notify you of any mail being delivered to you. You’ll also see a grayscale image of the front of the letter. Informed Delivery has free apps for Android and iPhone you can also use.
Just be aware that signing up means you’ll see all your mail scanned by the post office, not just your stimulus check. You can cancel the service at any time.
Watch this:
Stimulus check 3: How much money you’ll get
2:32
4 easy steps to sign up for Informed Delivery and track your stimulus check all the way to your mailbox
Informed Delivery has some limitations. For example, it will work with many residential and personal post office box addresses but not businesses. It also won’t work for some residential buildings where the postal service hasn’t yet identified each unit.
To check whether Informed Delivery is available in your area, head to the Postal Service’s Informed Delivery page.
1. Tap Sign Up for Free.
2. Enter your mailing address and confirm it’ll work with the service; then accept the terms and conditions and tap Continue.
3. On the next page, choose your username, password and security questions. Then, enter your contact information and tap Continue.
4. On the next page, you’ll need to verify your identity. Tap Verify identity online if you want to receive a verification code on your phone or tap Request invitation code by mail if you want USPS to mail you a code. You may also have the option to visit a post office to verify your identity in person.
For more details, here’s how to calculate how much you’ll get, everything you need to know about the third stimulus check and when you can expect your payment to arrive in your bank account. Here are three ways the stimulus bill can bring you more money, and all the tax breaks you could receive.
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.