Congress Passes $900 Billion Stimulus Bill: When Will You Get Your $600 Stimulus Check?

On Monday night, Congress voted to pass the $900 billion bipartisan stimulus package. The bill, coming after months of negotiations, along with numerous other things such as enhanced unemployment benefits, approves a second round of stimulus checks. With the bill now only needing President Donald Trump’s signature to authorize the direct payments, many Americans are wondering when they can expect to receive their $600 stimulus check.

Much like the first round of payments, approved under the CARES Act, the timeline for each individual will vary based on circumstances, though many won’t have to wait as long as the first time to receive their second payment. While it took 19 days for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to begin distributing the first $1,200 checks after the CARES Act was approved by the president, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told CNBC Monday the IRS is expected to begin delivering the first round of payments as soon as next week. “The good news is this is a very, very fast way of getting money into the economy. Let me emphasize. People are going to see this money at the beginning of next week,” Mnuchin said. “So, it’s very fast.”

These first payments will go to those receiving their stimulus check via direct deposit, with the money arriving in accounts as early as Dec. 31, potentially even before that. Direct deposit had been boasted as a faster and more efficient way to distribute payments throughout the distribution of the first checks, and the IRS had created an online portal allowing those who did not have their direct deposit information on file with the IRS to provide that information. It is unclear if the IRS intends to re-open this registration for the second checks.

Those Americans receiving their payment via another form, such as a physical check, should expect a longer wait. As CNET points out, physical checks were sent in waves during the first payments, with the IRS having processed millions of stimulus checks per week. During that first batch of payments, the IRS and the Treasury began sending checks to people whose adjusted gross income, or AGI, was less than $20,000, and then began moving up the income bracket week to week. This process took months, with those in the highest eligible income brackets being among the last to receive their payments.

Another scenario that could delay your stimulus check is if you are among those set to receive the payout via an economic impact payment (EIP) debit card. These payments arrive in unmarked envelopes. With the first batch of payments, they began being mailed in mid-May, meaning that if the IRS follows a similar timeline, recipients can expect to receive their EIP card approximately a month after the first payments are distributed, or near the end of January.

Of course, just as with the first payments, not everyone qualifies for a stimulus check. You can see if you qualify by checking out the eligibility standard by clicking here. You can also calculate how much you can expect to receive by clicking here.