Don't Miss Today's Stimulus Check Direct Deposit Deadline (Hint: You Have Until Noon)

The IRS is urging people to use the "Get My Payment" portal now for a chance to get their stimulus payments sooner (go to irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment). Over the last month, approximately 130 million people have already received payments worth more than $200 billion. Most of these payments have been by direct deposit. Starting soon, though, the number of paper stimulus checks being delivered will increase sharply (paper checks take a lot longer to arrive than payments by direct deposit). But, for many people, the last chance to sign up for a direct deposit payment—rather than receiving a paper check—is coming soon.

According to the IRS, people need to visit the IRS portal by noon on May 13 to check on their payment status and, when available, provide their direct deposit information. Do this, and you'll have a chance to get your payment several weeks earlier. After the May 13 deadline, the IRS will begin preparing millions of paper checks that will begin arriving through late May and into June. People who use the "Get My Payment" portal before that cut-off will still be able to enter their direct deposit information.

What Does the "Get My Payment" Portal Do?

Go to the "Get My Payment" portal if you want to:

Subscribe to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

Be a smarter, better informed investor.

Save up to 74%

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters

Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.

Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.

Sign up

• Check the status of your stimulus payment;
• Confirm your payment type (paper check or direct deposit);
• Get a projected direct deposit or paper check delivery date (or find out if a payment hasn't been scheduled); and
• Enter your bank account information for direct deposit if the IRS doesn't have your direct deposit information and they haven't sent your payment yet.

Note, however, that the portal cannot update bank account information after your stimulus check has been scheduled for delivery. To help protect against potential fraud, the tool also doesn't allow people to change bank account information already on file with the IRS.

For more information about the "Get My Payment" portal, see Where's My Stimulus Check? Use the IRS's "Get My Payment" Portal to Find Out.

How Long Will It Take to Get a Paper Stimulus Check?

Here's the estimated timetable for mailing paper stimulus checks:

For more information about the schedule for paper stimulus checks, see Where's My Paper Stimulus Check? Some People Will Have to Wait for Months.