If you are one of the people still waiting for your stimulus check, you probably need to read this!!!
Some Americans may be unwittingly throwing their long-awaited stimulus payments in the trash. That's because, starting last week, the Treasury Department and the IRS started sending out economic impact payments in regular white envelopes that could be confused for junk mail.
While some people have already received their payments as direct deposits or paper checks in the mail, almost 4 million people — including those for whom the agency does not have bank accounts on file — will be getting their stimulus payments in the form of prepaid debit cards. The only problem is that the debit cards come in envelopes that say "Money Network Cardholder Services" and do not bear any federal markings.
That has prompted some recipients to complain that they look too similar to unwanted credit card offers, leading some to accidentally throw the cards — which could contain as much as $3,400 for a family of four — in the trash.
To help taxpayers identify the cards, the IRS said in an FAQ that they will bear the Visa logo and are issued by MetaBank. A letter included with the cards explains that they are the Economic Impact Payment Card. More information is available at eipcard.com.
To activate the cards, taxpayers need to call 1-800-240-8100 to verify their identities and set their PINs. They should also sign the backs of their cards.
The cards can then be used like regular debit cards for online transactions or swiped at stores, where users can also opt for cash back.
People are accidentally throwing out their stimulus payments — because they look like junk mail
The latest round of stimulus checks was issued in the form of prepaid debit cards — in plain white envelopes that don't bear any federal markings.
www.nbcnews.com
Some Americans may be unwittingly throwing their long-awaited stimulus payments in the trash. That's because, starting last week, the Treasury Department and the IRS started sending out economic impact payments in regular white envelopes that could be confused for junk mail.
While some people have already received their payments as direct deposits or paper checks in the mail, almost 4 million people — including those for whom the agency does not have bank accounts on file — will be getting their stimulus payments in the form of prepaid debit cards. The only problem is that the debit cards come in envelopes that say "Money Network Cardholder Services" and do not bear any federal markings.
That has prompted some recipients to complain that they look too similar to unwanted credit card offers, leading some to accidentally throw the cards — which could contain as much as $3,400 for a family of four — in the trash.
To help taxpayers identify the cards, the IRS said in an FAQ that they will bear the Visa logo and are issued by MetaBank. A letter included with the cards explains that they are the Economic Impact Payment Card. More information is available at eipcard.com.
To activate the cards, taxpayers need to call 1-800-240-8100 to verify their identities and set their PINs. They should also sign the backs of their cards.
The cards can then be used like regular debit cards for online transactions or swiped at stores, where users can also opt for cash back.