MISSION, Kan. — During the last wave of stimulus checks, it was a race to the mailbox every day to see if an envelope from the federal government was in the box.
The United States Postal Service has a way that people can find out remotely when the check will be delivered.
“Informed Delivery and Tracking Confirmed are two of the best things we’ve come up with and we are really excited about showcasing it for you,” said USPS Strategic Communications Specialist Mark Inglett.
Anyone who has ordered something online knows what a tracking number is. It is a number used to track a package from point of origin to delivery.
“Packages have the access and the capability to put tracking numbers on there,” Inglett said. “Unfortunately, regular first class letters don’t have a tracking number on them, they have barcodes.”
The post office processes millions of pieces of regular mail and takes an image of the barcode on each, which generates a picture that is sent to the email or phone of people signed up for the Informed Delivery service. One or two days before your stimulus check arrives, you will know it’s coming.
“It’s great!” Inglett said. “I have it myself and I get an email every morning so that I know it’s coming in the mail. I don’t want the bills but I want the checks and things like that so I get real excited about those.”
When people open the stimulus envelopes this go around, it will not be a check inside but a pre-paid debit card. The EIP Card is like cards already used by the U.S. Treasury to provide Federal agencies with certain types of payments.
“I don’t have much of an opinion on that ,” said KCMO resident Carrie Olsen. “I think as long as it spendable then it’s fine.”
But other folks are more comfortable with the old way of business.
“A check is always better,” Cynthia McCoy said. “When you have a check it goes directly into your bank account, you know? When it’s on a card and you only spend so much on the card then you always have to go back to the card.”
Find more information on the EIP Cards here.
Sign up for USPS Informed Delivery here.
