How to check on your stimulus payment

Almost everyone who is eligible has received the first and second rounds of the U.S. government’s economic impact payments, or “stimulus funds.” But the third round—part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021—may provide additional relief to eligible individuals.

The IRS started processing payments in mid-March. Your payment might already be in your account or on its way. But if it’s not, don’t worry. The funds could take time to roll out. Here’s how you can check the status of your payment.

The IRS’s Get My Payment application is the only official way to find out when you’re scheduled to receive your stimulus payment. In fact, the IRS has asked people not to call about stimulus payments.

The app will ask you to enter your Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, your date of birth, your street address and your ZIP code.

If you’re eligible for a payment, it should show your payment has already been made or that it’s scheduled to be made. You also should see how and where it will be delivered.

If you have account information on file with the IRS, you should get your payment by direct deposit. If you don’t receive a direct deposit, you can watch your mail for either a paper check or a prepaid debit card. 

If your third stimulus payment arrives in the mail, it might come in a different form than your first two. Like the first and second payments, it should be followed by an IRS notice or letter that includes the amount of the payment. The IRS says you should keep this for your tax records.

Some Get My Payment users might see a “Payment Status Not Available” message. According to the IRS, this could be because

• The IRS hasn’t finished processing your payment. 
• The IRS doesn’t have enough information yet. 
• You’re not eligible for a stimulus payment. 

Some Get My Payment users might see a “Need More Information” message. According to the IRS, this could be because your payment could not be delivered. In this case, it will be returned to the IRS. To get your payment reissued, you can

• Set up direct deposit through Get My Payment.
• File your 2020 tax return with your correct address, if you haven’t already. The IRS says the fastest way to do this is to file electronically.

The IRS notes that some people checking their payment status could receive an error message when using Get My Payment. According to the IRS, this could be because of a simple glitch when you sign in. To avoid this, the IRS says you could try a few things:

• Double-check what the app requested.
• Make sure what you entered is accurate.
• Enter your street address in a different way (for example, 123 N Main St instead of 123 North Main St.).
• Use the U.S. Postal Service’s ZIP lookup tool to find the standard version of your address, and enter it in Get My Payment exactly as it appears on file with the Postal Service.

Keep in mind that if you enter information that doesn’t match IRS records three times within 24 hours, you’ll be locked out of Get My Payment. You’ll be able to access the application again after 24 hours. 

Capital One customers can get answers to more specific questions from this FAQ about the payments and eligibility.

While the IRS says not to call or contact it for help directly, you can refer to its extensive FAQ about the Get My Payment tool.

And according to the IRS, Get My Payment data is updated once a day. The IRS says it’s worth checking for updates on a regular basis.