The tool can alert you every time a letter with your name is about to be delivered. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) began mailing the second stimulus check. If you qualify for another direct payment there are three ways you could receive it. But if you haven’t received a direct deposit from the IRS yet, you will receive a paper check or an EIP card in your mailbox.
As a way to discourage fraud and theft of stimulus checks, the envelope with your money may not clearly show that it contains a check. That’s where a free application from the United States Postal Service (USPS) can help. Signing up for the service will allow you to track where your second stimulus check or EIP card is and when it might arrive by preventing you from accidentally throwing away the envelope containing your check or card thinking it’s junk.
There is one other thing you should know. Although the second stimulus check seems to be arriving faster this time, it has a deadline of January 15 to receive your check. If you don’t receive your payment in the mail by then, you will have to file a claim during tax season to get your money. That’s called the Recovery Refund Credit and can delay the deadline for receiving your next check. Now we’ll explain how you can use the USPS service to track your stimulus check.
Free USPS tracking tool
Informed Delivery is a free USPS mail tracking service that automatically scans your letters and can alert you with a picture every time a letter with your name on it is about to be delivered, including your second stimulus payment.
Please note that the tool will show you all documents scanned by the post office, not just your stimulus payment.
How can you track the letter containing your stimulus check?
This application can take three business days to activate your account after you have set it up. Once it is active, you will receive an email each morning, Monday through Saturday, if the mail is scheduled to arrive in your mail account a notification will be delivered to you along with a grayscale image of the front of the letter.
The free “Informed Delivery” service application is available on the Android and iOS platforms.
The service is available for a large number of P.O. Box addresses in the United States and although it is enabled for individuals it is not available for businesses. It may also not work for some buildings where the USPS has not identified some properties.
How to check if the service is available in your location?
Go to the Postal Service’s Informed Delivery page and click on the button and register for free.
Enter your mailing address and tap on “Continue”. If the service is available, you can create an account.
You will also need to set up your delivery address and configure your account:
- You must register on the Postal Service’s Informed Delivery page.
- After you enter your mailing address and confirm that the service will work, you must agree to the terms and conditions and tap Continue.
- On the next page, you must choose your username, password, and security questions. Then you should enter your contact information and click Continue.
- You will then need to verify your identity. You will receive a verification code on your phone or request a code. If neither method works, you may also have the option of visiting a post office to verify your personal identity.
At this time the IRS “Get My Payment” tool is not enabled on their website that allows you to track the status of your second stimulus check payment. The agency is expected to enable its service within the week that it starts.