Stimulus checks: Prepaid debit cards could be mistaken for junk mail; don’t throw yours away

Many payments of the second wave of stimulus checks have already been directly deposited, now the physical payments are being sent in the mail, but government officials are warning: don’t throw yours away.

Like the original stimulus payment, about 8 million people who receive the payment in their mailbox instead of their account will be getting prepaid debit cards, Kiplinger reported.

The cards are being sent when the government doesn’t have bank information on file. The cards will be sent to the most recent address the IRS has for a taxpayer, according to Kiplinger.

Those eligible for the stimulus payment will get up to $600 per person, CNET reported.

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Those cards could look to some recipients like either junk mail or a scam, CBS News reported.

They’re not.

>> Read: Haven’t received your 2nd stimulus check? Here are 7 possible reasons why

The Department of the Treasury said the Visa debit cards will be in a white envelope with “Economic Impact Payment Card” and the Treasury seal printed on it.

The card inside the envelope will be a Visa card with the issuing bank listed as MetaBank, N.A. on the back, Tenga reported.

>> Read: Stimulus checks: What does ‘Payment Status #2 - Not Available’ mean?

The envelope also contains instructions on how to activate the card.

If you either threw away or destroyed the card, you can call the EIP Card customer service number at 1-800-240-8100 and select the lost or stolen option. The card will then be deactivated and reissued.

>> Read: Stimulus check update: If you have not gotten your check yet, here is how you can track it

For more information, including the cardholder agreement and fee schedules, click here.

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