What Get My Payment does and how to use it

Get My Payment is a tool on the IRS website that shows you the status of tax refunds, advance payments, and other money the IRS has sent or plans to send you. You enter your Social Security number, date of birth, and street address, and the tool tells you whether your payment has been processed, when it was sent, and where it went.

The tool works for refunds from your tax return, Economic Impact Payments (stimulus checks from 2020 and 2021), Child Tax Credit advance payments, and other direct payments from the IRS. It does not show payments you owe to the IRS — only money coming to you.

You can check Get My Payment as often as you want. The IRS updates the information once per day, usually overnight. If you check multiple times in the same day, you will see the same status.

Key Takeaways

  • Get My Payment is found at irs.gov/payments and requires your Social Security number, date of birth, and street address to check your status.
  • The tool shows refunds, stimulus payments, and other IRS payments to you, but not payments you owe to the IRS.
  • Payment status updates once per day, so checking multiple times in one day will show the same information.
  • If Get My Payment says your payment was sent but you have not received it, contact your bank or wait the number of days the IRS states for delivery.
  • If you cannot access Get My Payment or it shows an error, you may need to verify your identity through ID.me or wait for a paper notice from the IRS.

Finding Get My Payment on the IRS website

Go to irs.gov and look for the "Payments" section in the main menu. Under Payments, you will see a link for "Get My Payment." Click it to open the tool.

The page will ask you to enter three pieces of information: your Social Security number (or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number), your date of birth, and your street address as it appears on your most recent tax return. The tool uses this information to find your account and pull up your payment history.

Do not use Get My Payment on a public or shared computer. Use your own device or a device you trust, because you are entering personal tax information.

What the payment status messages mean

Get My Payment shows one of several statuses. "Payment Status Not Available" means the IRS has not yet processed your return or payment, or the information you entered does not match IRS records. Wait a few days and try again, or check that your Social Security number and address are correct.

"Refund Sent" or "Payment Sent" means the IRS has mailed or electronically transferred your money. The tool will show the date it was sent and the method — direct deposit to your bank account or a check by mail. If you chose direct deposit, the money usually arrives within one to two business days after the IRS sends it. If the IRS mailed a check, allow seven to ten business days from the send date.

"Refund Pending" or "Payment Pending" means the IRS is still processing your return or payment. This can take several weeks, especially early in tax season or if the IRS needs to review your return. Check back in a few days.

If Get My Payment shows an error message or says it cannot find your information, your identity may not have been verified in the IRS system, or there may be a delay in processing. The next section covers what to do in that case.

When Get My Payment does not work or shows an error

If Get My Payment returns an error or says it cannot find your information, the IRS may ask you to verify your identity through ID.me, a third-party identity verification service. You will see a prompt to do this on the Get My Payment page. You can verify using your driver's license, passport, or military ID, or by answering security questions about your financial history.

If you do not want to use ID.me, you can wait for the IRS to mail you a notice. The notice will include information about your payment and next steps. This takes longer than using Get My Payment, but it is an option if you prefer not to verify online.

If Get My Payment is down for maintenance, you will see a message saying the tool is temporarily unavailable. Try again in a few hours or the next day. The IRS performs maintenance on its systems regularly, especially during tax season.

What to do if your payment was sent but you have not received it

If Get My Payment says your refund or payment was sent by direct deposit but it has not arrived in your bank account after the stated number of days, contact your bank. Ask them to confirm they received the deposit from the IRS. Sometimes a deposit is delayed on the bank's end, or it may have been sent to an old account if you changed banks since filing your return.

If Get My Payment says a check was mailed but you have not received it after ten business days from the send date, wait a few more days — mail delivery times vary. If it does not arrive after two weeks, contact the IRS at 800-829-1040 to report the missing check. Have your Social Security number, tax return information, and the date Get My Payment showed the check was sent ready when you call.

If you moved since filing your return, the check may have been sent to your old address. Contact the IRS to update your address and ask if they can reissue the check to your new address.

Checking on specific types of payments

Get My Payment works the same way for all payment types, but the reasons for delays can differ. Refunds from your tax return may take longer if the IRS is reviewing your return for errors or if you claimed certain credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit. Economic Impact Payments (stimulus checks) were processed in waves in 2020 and 2021; if you did not receive one, Get My Payment can show whether it was sent and where.

Child Tax Credit advance payments were sent monthly from July through December 2021 to families who were registered. Get My Payment shows the status of each payment. If you did not receive a payment that was sent, the same steps apply — check with your bank or wait for a replacement check.

If you are checking on a payment from a prior year and Get My Payment does not show it, the IRS may have archived older payment records. Call 800-829-1040 and provide your Social Security number and the year of the payment you are asking about.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I check someone else's payment status with Get My Payment?

No. Get My Payment requires the person's own Social Security number and personal information. You cannot look up another person's payment status, even if you are their spouse or guardian. If you are managing finances for someone else, they will need to check their own status or give you written permission to contact the IRS on their behalf.

Why does Get My Payment say my payment was sent but my bank says they never received it?

The IRS and your bank process deposits on different timelines. The IRS may have sent the deposit, but it can take one to two business days to reach your bank's system. If more than two business days have passed since the send date, contact your bank and ask them to trace the deposit using the IRS's routing number and the amount. Your bank can tell you whether the deposit arrived and where it went.

What if I filed my return but Get My Payment says payment status is not available?

This usually means the IRS has not finished processing your return yet. Tax returns take time to process, especially early in the tax season or if the IRS needs to review your return for errors. Check back in three to five business days. If it still says payment status is not available after two weeks, verify that the Social Security number and address you entered match your tax return exactly.

Can I change my payment method with Get My Payment?

No. Get My Payment only shows the status of payments the IRS has already sent or is about to send. You cannot change how the IRS sends your money through this tool. If you want to change your payment method for a future refund, you can do that when you file your next tax return by choosing direct deposit or check on your return form.

Is Get My Payment safe to use?

Get My Payment is an official IRS tool and is safe to use on your own device. However, do not use it on a public computer or share your login information. The IRS will never ask you to provide your information through email or text message — only through the official irs.gov website.