Americans who received a debit card with their first coronavirus pandemic stimulus payment in 2020 should not expect that the card will be "reloaded" with the second payment that is now going out. The IRS says they will get a new form of payment, which could be another card.
The agency says the second round of Economic Impact Payments, approved by Congress last month, will arrive either in the form of direct deposit, a paper check or another debit card -- depending on their preferences on record.
"People not receiving a direct deposit should carefully watch their mail – either for a paper check or an EIP Card," the IRS says on its FAQ page about stimulus payments.
Those who requested an EIP card will get it in a plain envelope from “Money Network Cardholder Services," the IRS said. It will have the Visa name on the front of the card and the issuing bank, "MetaBank, N.A." on the back.
Once received, this website has information on how to activate it.
EIP cards can be used to make purchases, get cash back at the register or get surcharge-free cash from any in-network ATM.
The new round of stimulus payments are $600 for individuals who earned up to $75,000 or $1,200 for couples who earned up to $150,000, plus an additional $600 for each qualifying dependent child.
The IRS re-launched the Get My Payment tool Monday for people to track the status of their payments. But there may be some delays initially due to high demand. The program was taken offline for several days before it could offer information about the second coronavirus stimulus check.
Some people who signed up for direct deposit have already received their money.