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The Internal Revenue Service, as part of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021, has issued a second round of Economic Impact Payments (stimulus checks).  You may find the following information* helpful.

How Do I Know If I Will Receive a Payment?

To verify whether you are eligible to receive a payment and the method in which you will receive your payment, please FIRST visit https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment.

How Will I Receive My Payment?

If you are eligible, you may receive your payment via automatic/direct deposit or via paper check/debit card.

Direct Deposit (ACH/Electronic Deposit)

Please visit irs.gov to verify whether you should be receiving a payment and the account in which it should be deposited.  If you are eligible and should be receiving your payment via direct deposit, these deposits were immediately released on Monday morning, January 4th, 2021 into the account you used to file your 2019 tax return.  You can verify into which account the deposit was made by visiting irs.gov.  The last four digits shown on the screen may be the last four of your checking account number, not the last four of your member number.  You can verify this by comparing the numbers on the screen with the last four on the bottom of your personal checks.

If you are expecting a direct deposit, please first log into online banking to verify the deposit has been made (be sure to check holds/pledges/ACH information for pending deposits in the drop down menu) before calling to inquire about your deposit.  This information can also be verified via phone banking at 404-978-0089.

Checks by Mail/EIP Debit Card

For varying reasons, the IRS will be issuing some payments via mailed paper checks and, in some cases, an EIP debit card.  This could be due to how and when you filed your 2018 or 2019 tax returns.  You can verify the type of deposit you will be receiving by visiting https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment.  If you will be receiving a mailed paper check, these checks began mailing on 12/30/20 and are dated for 1/6/21.  Although you should begin receiving them now, please check irs.gov for the date your check was mailed.

Once your check is received, for fast, convenient service, please use Mobile Deposit through your mobile app to deposit your check.  You can find and download this free app from the Google PlayStore or Apple App Store by searching ‘membersfirstga’.  Instructions to deposit your check are included within the app.

Deposit Issues and Inquiries

We have been and are still working diligently to help correct the issues with the deposit information sent to us from the IRS.  If after checking the IRS website you confirm you should be receiving an electronic deposit and feel you may have entered your account information inaccurately on the IRS website, please give us a call at 404-978-0080 so we can look into this for you.  Although we will do all we can to help you, you may need to contact the IRS directly for some issues.  Due to extreme call volume, it may be several days before the IRS can take your call.

*Please note, even if you received a direct deposit into your account in early 2020 as part of the first round of stimulus payments, this does not guarantee an automatic deposit will be made to your account.  Some answers to questions regarding payments can be found on the Frequently Asked Questions page on irs.gov

Fraudulent Activity and Other Important Information

  • As treasury check fraud is continually on the rise, it’s especially important to keep a watchful eye on your account via online banking as well as your mailbox for mailed payments. 
  • Make sure you are only visiting legitimate sites to verify your payment information.  We recommend https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment.  Never click on a link in an email or text message to verify any type of account or credentials.  Instead you should go directly to the site and use your normal log in methods to determine if anything in the email or text is legitimate.” 

    Remember:  MembersFirst Credit Union will never call, text or email to ask you for your personal banking information, card number, account number or PIN number. 
  • If you are expecting a paper check, you may want to allow a few days for delivery due to delays with the mail system.  Additionally, these checks and debit cards may not be clearly labeled as from the IRS, so be sure to check unmarked envelopes to ensure you do not unknowingly discard your check or card.
  • Please note some deposits may continue for some members for a few weeks as the IRS releases these payments. 

As always, we are working hard to serve you and answer your questions.  We appreciate your patience when calling our Call Center as we are experiencing very heavy call volume.  Please be sure to use online, mobile and phone banking to verify holds and deposits when possible.

Thank you for your membership!*As of 01/05/2021 and subject to change by the Treasury department and IRS.