Here’s the Easiest Way to Track a Paper Tax Refund Check

The quickest and easiest way to receive your 2025 tax return is by filing online and choosing direct deposit. By filing your tax return electronically with the IRS, you’ll get your refund within 21 days on average. If you prefer a more hands-on method, though, you can file via snail mail and easily track your paper check by getting notifications from the US Postal Service.

Typically, a paper check will take three to eight weeks to arrive in your mailbox, but you can track exactly where your tax refund is and when you can expect to receive it with the USPS’ tracking tool, Informed Delivery. The free service sends you alerts for all new mail and provides images of the front of envelopes.

It’s easy to set up and use USPS Informed Delivery — and we’ll break down exactly how to do it. For more, learn about the earliest and latest you can file your taxes in 2025, and which states have tax deadlines other than April 15. 

How Informed Delivery works 

USPS Informed Delivery is a free mail-tracking service that automatically scans your incoming mail, sending you an image of each letter envelope with your address on it, so you know what is about to be delivered and when. 

When the US Postal Service processes mail through its automated sorting system, it creates a digital image of the front of all letter-sized mail. (This excludes magazines, boxes and larger envelopes.) If you sign up for Informed Delivery, you can take advantage of this tool by receiving notifications when mail addressed to you is on the way. You’ll get an email every morning, Monday through Saturday — excluding federal holidays — with details about your upcoming mail delivery. The email includes a grayscale image of the front of each letter. 

Informed Delivery offers free apps for both Android and iOS users to receive updates on incoming mail. Keep in mind that activating your account may take up to three days.

If you’re tired of receiving notifications about every piece of mail that’s scanned by the post office, you can cancel the service at any time. 

Keep reading for more information on how to sign up for Informed Delivery.

Track packages with Informed Delivery 

You can also track the delivery status of boxes and packages with Informed Delivery. Informed Delivery cannot provide images of your incoming packages, but it will track them and let you add an electronic signature to receive packages when you’re not home.

How to set up notifications for USPS Informed Delivery 

You can set up Informed Delivery and notifications in a few short steps. First, head to the US Postal Service’s Informed Delivery page.

1. Click the Sign Up for Free button.

2. Next, enter your email address, then select your Account Type. You can set up a Personal account for residential mail or a Business account to manage mail at a business address.

3. Type in your mailing address and confirm that the service is available at your address. Then accept the terms and conditions.

4. Choose a username, password and security questions. Enter your contact information.

5. You’ll need to verify your identity. Tap Verify identity online if you want to receive a verification code on your phone or tap Request invitation code by mail if you want the post office to mail you a code. You may also have the option to visit a post office to verify your identity in person.

Limitations of Informed Delivery

Informed Delivery does have a few limitations. In addition to not being able to send images of your packages, Informed Delivery is not available for some multiunit residential buildings where the post office hasn’t yet identified each unit. You can check whether Informed Delivery is available in your area on the Informed Delivery website.

For more tax tips, see how much income brackets and the standard deduction are changing in 2025.