What the Get My Payment Tool Does

The Get My Payment tool is an IRS website where you can check the status of certain payments the IRS has sent to you — primarily Economic Impact Payments (stimulus checks) from 2020 and 2021, plus advance Child Tax Credit payments from 2021. You enter your Social Security number, date of birth, and street address, and the tool tells you whether the IRS has mailed a check, issued a direct deposit, or sent a debit card. It also shows the payment amount and the date it was sent.

The tool does not let you change your payment method, request a different address, or speed up a payment that has not yet been sent. It is read-only — it shows you what the IRS has already done, not what you can ask it to do. If you need to correct your address or banking information before a payment goes out, you have to file a tax return or contact the IRS directly by phone.

Key Takeaways

  • Get My Payment shows the status and delivery method of Economic Impact Payments and advance Child Tax Credit payments, but only if the IRS has already processed your payment.
  • The tool requires your Social Security number, date of birth, and current street address — it will not work if any of these details are wrong in IRS records.
  • If Get My Payment says the IRS mailed a check, you should wait up to two weeks from the date shown before contacting the IRS about a missing payment.
  • The tool cannot change your payment method or address; if you need to correct information before a payment is sent, you must file a return or call the IRS.
  • Get My Payment is free and does not require a login, PIN, or password — the IRS will never ask you to enter a PIN on this tool.

How to Access Get My Payment and What Information You Need

Go to irs.gov/getmypayment directly in your browser. Do not click a link in an email or text message, because scammers send fake versions of this tool to steal personal information. The real tool is only on irs.gov.

You will need three pieces of information: your Social Security number, your date of birth in MM/DD/YYYY format, and your current street address as it appears in IRS records. The street address is the one you used on your most recent tax return or the one the IRS has on file from a previous payment. If you have moved since your last return, the tool may not recognize your new address, and you will get an error message.

The tool does not require a login, password, or PIN. If a website claiming to be Get My Payment asks for a PIN or login credentials, it is a fake. The IRS will never ask for a PIN on this tool.

What the Tool Tells You About Your Payment Status

Get My Payment shows one of three delivery methods: direct deposit to a bank account, a mailed check, or a debit card. If it says direct deposit, the tool displays the last four digits of the account number where the money was sent. If it says check, the tool shows the date the check was mailed — this is not the date it will arrive, but the date the IRS sent it to the postal service. Checks typically take one to two weeks to arrive after that date.

The tool also displays the payment amount. If the amount seems wrong — for example, if you think you should have received more based on your income or dependents — the tool itself cannot explain why. You will need to contact the IRS by phone or file a tax return to dispute the amount. The IRS phone line for payment questions is 1-800-829-1040, and wait times are usually shorter early in the morning or later in the afternoon.

If Get My Payment says "Payment Status Not Available," it means the IRS has not yet processed a payment for you, or the information you entered does not match IRS records. This does not mean you will not receive a payment — it may mean the IRS is still processing your return or that your address or name in the system is slightly different from what you entered.

When to Wait and When to Contact the IRS

If Get My Payment shows a check was mailed, wait at least two weeks from the date shown before assuming it is lost. Postal delivery times vary by location, and checks sometimes take longer than expected. If two weeks have passed and you have not received it, contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 with the payment date from Get My Payment. The IRS can issue a replacement check or, in some cases, a direct deposit.

If Get My Payment says "Payment Status Not Available" and you believe you should have received a payment, check that your Social Security number, date of birth, and address are entered exactly as they appear in IRS records. A single typo — a missing hyphen in your address, for example — will cause the tool to return no results. If you are certain the information is correct, call 1-800-829-1040 to ask whether the IRS has processed a payment for you.

If you received a payment but the amount was less than you expected, Get My Payment will not explain the difference. You will need to file a tax return or call the IRS to find out why. Common reasons include income limits for stimulus payments, a reduction because of unpaid child support or federal student loans, or an error on the IRS's side that requires a return to correct.

Why Your Information Might Not Match IRS Records

Get My Payment requires an exact match between what you enter and what the IRS has in its system. If you have moved, changed your name, or corrected your address on a recent return, the tool may still be looking at older information. The IRS updates its records periodically, but there can be a lag of several weeks.

If you are married and filed jointly, use the Social Security number of the person whose name appears first on the return. If you filed separately, use your own number. If you are unsure which name or number the IRS has on file, file a tax return or call 1-800-829-1040 to confirm before trying Get My Payment again.

If you have a name that includes special characters, accents, or non-English letters, the tool may not recognize it correctly. In that case, contact the IRS directly rather than trying multiple times with different spellings.

What Get My Payment Cannot Do

Get My Payment is a status-checking tool only. It cannot change your payment method, request that a check be reissued to a new address, or speed up a payment that has not yet been sent. If the IRS has not yet processed your payment and you want to make sure it goes to the correct address or bank account, you must file a tax return or contact the IRS by phone before the payment is issued.

The tool also cannot help you if you received a payment but it was sent to the wrong account or address. If a check was mailed to an old address, you may be able to contact your local post office and ask them to forward it, but the IRS cannot redirect a check that has already been mailed. If a direct deposit went to the wrong account, you will need to contact the IRS and provide proof that the account is not yours; the IRS can then issue a replacement payment to the correct account, but this process takes several weeks.

Protecting Yourself From Scams Using Get My Payment

Scammers create fake versions of Get My Payment to steal Social Security numbers, dates of birth, and addresses. Never access Get My Payment through a link in an email, text message, or social media post. Always type irs.gov/getmypayment directly into your browser address bar, or go to irs.gov and search for "Get My Payment" from there.

The real Get My Payment tool will never ask for a PIN, password, or login. It will not ask for your bank account number, routing number, or credit card information. If a website asks for any of these, close it when ready and report it to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov.

If you have already entered your information on a fake version of Get My Payment, monitor your credit reports and consider placing a fraud alert with the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion). You can place a free fraud alert by calling any one of them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Get My Payment to check on a tax refund?

No. Get My Payment only shows Economic Impact Payments and advance Child Tax Credit payments. To check on a tax refund, use the IRS's "Where's My Refund?" tool at irs.gov/refunds, which requires your Social Security number, filing status, and refund amount.

What if Get My Payment says a check was mailed but I never received it?

Wait at least two weeks from the mailing date shown in the tool. If it does not arrive, call 1-800-829-1040 with the payment date. The IRS can issue a replacement check or send the money by direct deposit instead, but this takes several weeks.

Can I change my address in Get My Payment before a payment is sent?

No. Get My Payment is read-only and cannot change your address. If a payment has not yet been sent, file a tax return or call 1-800-829-1040 to update your address in IRS records before the payment is issued.

Why does Get My Payment say my information does not match?

Check that your Social Security number, date of birth, and street address are entered exactly as they appear in IRS records — including spelling, hyphens, and abbreviations. If you have moved recently, the IRS may still have your old address on file. Call 1-800-829-1040 to confirm what address the IRS has before trying again.

Is Get My Payment the same as the IRS website login?

No. Get My Payment does not require a login or password. If a website asks you to create an account or enter a PIN to use Get My Payment, it is a scam. The real tool at irs.gov/getmypayment requires only your Social Security number, date of birth, and address.