SPOAKNE, Wash. – Roughly eight-million Americans are set to receive their second stimulus payment via a prepaid debit card, but KHQ is hearing from many viewers that the process hasn’t been a smooth one. Some said because they weren’t anticipating payment that way, they feared the card was not legitimate.
Judy wrote, “My mother-in-law’s came to our house. We thought it was a scam and shredded it.”
Sara wrote, “We received the debit card. If I hadn’t looked close and opened it, I would (have) thrown it away.”
A similar story for Mimi’s household as she told us, “Almost threw it away because it did not look how I expected….assumed this was some junk mail.”
KHQ’s Help Me Hayley has also received requests to confirm the cards are valid. The IRS did address the issue here.
Experts also advise always checking with your bank if you are working to vet something you aren’t certain about. It’s something viewer Virginia did after receiving her card.
“I made some phone calls,” she said. “(At first) I was like, why am I getting this?”
It’s unclear why the method for your second payment may be different than your first. If you accidentally tossed the card, there are ways to obtain a new one.
We are also seeing questions about fees associated with the cards.
The IRS wrote on their website in part, “EIP Cards are safe, convenient and secure. EIP Card recipients can make purchases online or in stores anywhere Visa® Debit Cards are accepted. They can get cash from domestic in-network ATMs, transfer funds to a personal bank account and obtain a replacement EIP Card if needed without incurring any fees. They can also check their card balance online, through a mobile app or by phone without incurring fees. The EIP Card provides consumer protections including certain protections against fraud, loss and other errors.”
Many viewers said they are still struggling to find out information about their stimulus payment. If that’s you visit, https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment.
You may also qualify for a recovery rebate credit. The IRS writes, ‘Eligible individuals who did not receive the full amounts of both Economic Impact Payments may claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on their 2020 Form 1040 or 1040-SR. To determine whether you are an eligible individual or the amount of your Recovery Rebate Credit, complete the Recovery Rebate Credit Worksheet in the Instructions for Form 1040 and Form 1040-SR.’
For more on that, visit:
https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit
https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment-frequently-asked-questions
