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Stimulus: why your payment is still pending & why you are getting a check instead of a direct deposit

How long does it take to process a pending payment? And why are some folks who got direct deposit for the first stimulus now being mailed a check?

WHY IS THE PAYMENT STILL PENDING?

You see your stimulus money in your account and it's been saying
“pending” for days. Some BB&T customers have been looking at the “pending” status since January 1. The “pending status” had the date of January 4 listed. But as of January 5, folks were asking 2WTK why was their payment still pending?

The IRS put out this information:
The direct deposit payments may take several days to post to individual accounts. Some Americans may have seen the direct deposit payments as pending or as provisional payments in their accounts before the scheduled payment date of January 4, 2021, which is the official date funds are available.

So, even though you saw it pending, the IRS didn't make the funds available until January 4th. When 2WTK asked BB&T/Truist about this a spokesperson replied:

“We know how important these funds are and we are committed to reducing financial stress during this time. Once the IRS sends a payment to BB&T now Truist, clients will see a pending notice on their accounts. The payments are then processed overnight, at which point the transaction is posted and clients would have full access to those funds.

WHY IS MY PAYMENT COMING IN THE MAIL WHEN I GOT IT BY DIRECT DEPOSIT LAST TIME?

Common sense would lead you to believe if you got the first stimulus through direct deposit last time, you'll get it that way again. Sigh. Unfortunately, no.

You can look at the status of your stimulus payment on the part of the IRS site called Get My Payment. When a co-worker did this, they were able to see their first stimulus payment by direct deposit, but the second stimulus payment is coming by mail.

Credit: WFMY

What gives? The IRS obviously has her direct deposit information because they used it last time. 2WTK checked and this person didn't change accounts and filed taxes electronically too.

The IRS is not taking questions. In fact, it says on their website:
IRS phone assistors do not have additional information beyond what's available on irs.gov. Don't waste your time.

Here's a closer look at what IRS.gov says about who gets direct deposit: Direct deposit payments are being made first to those that have valid routing and account information on file for direct deposit purposes.

So, why the change for this person and several others who have contacted 2 wants to know? There is no real answer at this point. But the good news is--- you're still getting the payment.

IF YOU’RE GETTING A PAYMENT BY MAIL: CHECK OR CREDIT CARD

Be on the lookout for what looks like junk mail. It happened a lot during the first stimulus round. The debit card looks like a non-descript card. It doesn't have IRS on it, but the letter it comes with confirms what it is. It comes in a plain white envelope.

The check will come in a window envelope that shows the colored check and the Department of the Treasury return address.

Before You Leave, Check This Out