IRS Sending 8M Virus Payments On Prepaid Debit Cards

The Internal Revenue Service will send around 8 million second-round coronavirus relief payments using prepaid debit cards to some people who don't receive the funds in their bank accounts, the agency said Thursday.

The agency will begin sending out the debit cards this week to distribute roughly 8 million economic impact payments, the IRS said in a statement. The agency is also using paper checks to distribute the funds to those who haven't received them through direct deposit into their bank accounts, according to the statement.

The prepaid debit cards will be mailed in white envelopes with a U.S. Department of the Treasury label. Relief legislation passed at the end of 2020 provided for one-time $600 payments for individuals, plus $600 for qualifying children.

--Additional reporting by Christopher Cole. Editing by Neil Cohen.

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