Millions of Americans still receiving paper checks for Social Security and other federal benefits have less than two months to switch to electronic payments,CNNMoney.com reported.

Federal officials began retiring paper checks in favor of direct deposits and prepaid “Direct Express” debit cards in May 2011, and since then the U.S. Department of the Treasury has required all new recipients of federal benefit programs to sign up for electronic payments.

It set a March 1, 2013 deadline for all other recipients to do the same. About 93 percent of payments are now being made electronically, but about 5 million checks are still mailed each month, Treasury officials said yesterday.