Nearly 4 million Americans awaiting a stimulus payment from the government will receive their payment via a debit card in the coming week, the Treasury Department announced this week.
The Treasury Department says that the debit card recipients can make purchases, get cash from in-network ATMs, and transfer funds to their personal bank account without incurring any fees.
The debit cards can also be used for purchases anywhere Visa is accepted.
As of Tuesday, the IRS has sent 140 million stimulus checks, as the IRS began pushing out stimulus checks nearly five weeks ago . The cards are being distributed to qualified individuals without bank information on file with the IRS, and whose tax return was processed by either the Andover or Austin IRS Service Center.
“Treasury and the IRS have been working with unprecedented speed to issue Economic Impact Payments to American families. Prepaid debit cards are secure, easy to use, and allow us to deliver Americans their money quickly,” said Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin. “Recipients can immediately activate and use the cards safely.”
Many Americans who receive government benefits are among those waiting for payment. For those Americans, the IRS said late last week that payments will be sent either via direct deposit, Direct Express, or by paper check in the mail.
For those awaiting a stimulus check, Americans can go to the “Get My Payment” page on the
IRS website.
Here, some Americans can check the status of their payment.
For more details on payments, click here.
As a reminder, here is who is eligible for a stimulus check:
- $2,400 – Couples earning less than $150,000 a year (couples earning $150,000 - $198,000 will receive a prorated check).
- $1,200 – Individuals earning less than $75,000 a year (individuals earning $75,000 - $99,000 will receive a prorated check).
- $1,200 – Heads of households earning less than $112,500 (heads of households earning $112,500 - $136,000 will receive a prorated check).
- $500 - Each dependent child age 16 or under as of Dec. 31, 2019 (for qualifying individuals and couples).
Justin Boggs is a writer for the E.W. Scripps National Desk.
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