Some $1,400 stimulus checks will be mailed payments. It's not junk mail, so here's how to make sure you don't miss them
- A new batch of $1,400 stimulus checks will be sent this week, this time with more mailed payments in addition to direct deposits.
- People who do not have their bank account information on file with the government will be most likely to receive mailed payments.
- Here's what the IRS says to watch for with regard to paper checks or prepaid debit cards.
New $1,400 stimulus checks could be landing in your mailbox soon.
Government agencies including the Treasury Department, IRS and Bureau of the Fiscal Service on Monday announced a second batch of payments will be sent this week.
While that includes more direct deposit payments, it also includes a large number of mailed paper checks or prepaid debit cards.
"Since this new set of payments will include more mailed payments, we urge people to carefully watch their mail for a check or debit card in the coming weeks," IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said in a statement.
The third stimulus checks were authorized when the American Rescue Plan was passed earlier this month.
The payments will include up to $1,400 per person, plus $1,400 per adult or child dependent, provided individuals and families meet certain income and other requirements.
To get payments to people faster, the government will use direct deposit when possible. For that, the government must already have a person's bank account information on file. Alternatively, they can use records of payments to or from the federal government that includes that information.
If someone's bank account has been closed, their payment will be reissued through the mail.
The IRS has released new images of what people should be on the lookout for in the mail this time.
Notably, paper checks will not bear President Joe Biden's signature, though previous payments displayed former President Donald Trump's name.
Not displaying a president's name is more in line with tradition, according to Amy Hanauer, executive director at the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a non-partisan tax policy organization.
"It's really unusual to have an individual president's name on a check," Hanauer said. "Throughout U.S. history, it's not been the case and it's not been the way that it's done."
Meanwhile, some people will receive a prepaid debit card.
Be aware that debit cards used for previous payments will not be reloaded. New cards will be issued.
Last year, some people mistook the mailed payments for junk mail and discarded them.
The IRS released a sample image of the envelope to expect in the mail. It will prominently show the seal of the U.S. Treasury.
Debit cards will have the Visa name on the front and MetaBank N.A., which issues the cards, on the back.
More information on the debit cards can be found on this frequently asked questions page.