WASHINGTON – This week, Treasury and the IRS started to send approximately 8 million Economic Impact Payments (EIPs) by prepaid debit card. The distribution of EIP Cards follows the millions of payments already made by direct deposit and the ongoing mailing of paper checks and are part of Treasury’s and is IRS’s plan to deliver Economic Impact Payments as rapidly as possible.
EIP Cards are safe, convenient, and secure. Cardholders can make purchases online or in-stores anywhere Visa® Debit Cards are accepted, get cash from domestic in-network ATMs, transfer funds to a personal bank account, and obtain a replacement EIP Card if needed without incurring any fees. They can also check their card balance online, through a mobile app, or by phone without incurring fees. The EIP Card provides consumer protections including certain protections against fraud, loss, and other errors.
EIP Cards will be sent in a white envelope that prominently displays the U.S. Department of the Treasury seal. The EIP Card has the Visa name on the front of the Card and the issuing bank name, MetaBank®, N.A. on the back of the card. Each mailing will include instructions on how to securely activate and use the EIP Card.
EIP Cards are being issued to eligible recipients across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. In order to quickly disburse EIPs, some people who received EIPs by paper check for the first round of EIPs might receive an EIP Card this time, and some people who received an EIP Card for the first round may receive a paper check.
EIP Cards are sponsored by the Treasury Department’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service. The EIP Card is part of Treasury’s U.S. Debit Card program, which provides prepaid debit card services to federal agencies for the electronic delivery of non-benefit payments. MetaBank N.A. was selected as Treasury’s financial agent for the U.S. Debit Card program in 2016, following a competitive selection process conducted by the Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service. For more information about EIP Cards, please visit EIPCard.com.
The swift issuance of this second round of payments follows the successful delivery of more than 159 million CARES Act Economic Impact Payments totaling more than $270 billion last year.
You may check the status of your payment at IRS.gov/GetMyPayment.
For more information about Economic Impact Payments, please visit https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/second-eip-faqs.
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