Problems With Stimulus Debit Cards Continue For Americans

Americans continue to face problems with accessing stimulus debit cards, with some people receiving cards they can’t use due to the wrong names being printed on them.

Issues in the past few weeks have included some people receiving the blank, inconspicuous envelopes the cards come in and throwing them away, not recognizing what they contain. Yahoo! Money reported that one resident, identified only as Amber, didn’t recognize the card and shredded it, thinking it was one of many scam cards cluttering up her mailbox each week.

The issue got the attention of the IRS, which issued a press release last week stating clearly that Americans should be receiving envelopes marked by “Money Network Cardholder Services” and the cards will be issued by MetaBank, which is the Treasury Department’s financial agent. The information was intended to ensure that everyone received their $1,200 stimulus payments and didn’t destroy or discard them.

But other problems abound. Yahoo! Money reported that one resident, Chris Barton, opened his card to find that the wrong name had been printed. Barton said the card had a combination of his first name and his wife’s last name. Although the card contains both Barton and his wife’s stimulus payments, because the name is wrong, he is unable to access any of the money right now.

Most of the stimulus checks — including $1,200 for individuals, $2,400 for couples and $500 per child — have been mailed out by now. The payments came by way of direct deposits, paper checks and cards for various individuals, approved as part of the CARES Act in March, a multilateral tool to disburse financial aid to parts of the economy damaged by the pandemic.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the purpose of the cards was to provide residents a safe and easy way to access their money.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said a decision will soon be made on a fourth and final spending bill related to the pandemic. However, it’s uncertain whether it will contain more stimulus pay for individual Americans.