Stimulus Check Tracker: What's With the "Payment Status Not Available" Message on the IRS's "Get My Payment" Tool?

With a fair amount of fanfare, the IRS recently released its "Get My Payment" tool. This online app—located on the IRS website at irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment (opens in new tab)—is supposed to let you:

• 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.

Unfortunately, however, many people (millions?) can't get any information out of this tool. They keep getting a message saying: "Payment Status Not Available. According to information that we have on file, we cannot determine your eligibility for a payment at this time." It can be very frustrating if you're one of the people getting this message every day—believe me, I know, because I'm one of them.

According to the IRS, there are several reasons why the "Get My Payment" tool will give you the "Payment Status Not Available" messages, including:

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 Kiplinger’s expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.

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

Sign up

• The IRS hasn't finished processing your 2019 return;
• The tool doesn't have your data yet;
• You used the "Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here (opens in new tab)" tool, but the IRS hasn’t processed your entry yet;
• You receive Social Security benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Railroad Retirement Board benefits, or Veterans Administration benefits, and the necessary information from the agency that administers those benefit programs hasn't been loaded onto the IRS system yet (for people who don't normally file a tax return; or
• You're not eligible for a payment.

For many of us, it looks like we'll just need to wait a little longer. The IRS updates the tool once per day (overnight), and they're working on adding more data to allow more people to use the tool. So, I guess working a little harder on being patient will do me some good.

(To find out how much money you'll get, use our Stimulus Check Calculator.)