myPay: How to Reactivate Your Account or Get Started


myPay is an online tool for managing your annuitant pay account year-round.
myPay provides access to a range of information about your payments and lets you easily update your contact information, tax withholding, or download your tax documents.

Reactivating Your myPay Account

We know some of you only use myPay once a year to get your 1099-R during tax season. Then, when you do try to access your account, you discover your password is expired, lost or forgotten. If this sounds like something that has happened to you, please update your password now. Waiting to update your password will delay accessing your account and making any changes or downloading needed documents.
If your myPay account is in an inactive status because your password has expired, you can follow the simple steps below to reactivate your account.
1. Go to https://mypay.dfas.mil in your web browser on a computer or connected device.
2. Click on the “Forgot or Need a Password?” link
3. Enter two of the following: your Login ID, Social Security Number and/or registered email address (previously registered in myPay). Check the box affirming you are the account owner, and click "Continue.”
4. If you previously set up the security questions, you’ll be presented three security questions to answer. When finished answering the questions, click “Check my Answers.”
5. If you answer the security questions correctly, you will be able to reset your password online.
If you haven’t set up security questions or answer them incorrectly, you’ll get the option to have a temporary password sent to you. You can choose to send the temporary password to:
A) Your mobile phone via text if your mobile phone number is registered in myPay; OR,
B) The mailing address you have on file with DFAS in your annuity pay account.
When you receive the temporary password, go back to myPay and log in to reactivate your account.

Getting Started with myPay

If you’re not yet using myPay, it’s easy to get started.
You can request an initial password on the myPay homepage using the “Forgot or Need a New Password” link. The password will be mailed to the address you have on file with DFAS in your annuity pay account and you should receive it in about 10 business days (for domestic mailing addresses).
Once you receive your password in the mail, you can return to the myPay homepage and create your myPay profile using your Social Security Number and the password you received in the mail.
myPay Now Accepts Authenticator Apps For Two-Factor Authentication Login
Two-factor authentication (2FA) has become the standard for many commercial and government organizations in providing the best security for their customers. While login (user) IDs and passwords are still used, this additional layer of security requires customers to obtain a one-time PIN via email or text message in order to enter all or portions of a web-based system.
For those employing 2FA security, the one-time PINs remain valid for a specified period of time. If not used within that time, the PIN becomes invalid and another will need to be requested.
For most customers this is not a problem. The PIN is received and then entered into the system's logon screen. Others, however, have reported challenges in receiving their one-time PINs within the time limit, or not receiving them at all.
A review of the servers supporting the DFAS myPay system reveals one-time PINS are, with very few exceptions, generated and sent within seconds of a request. For the most part, those receiving late PINs or not getting them at all have listed a smartphone or other mobile device as their preferred 2FA method within their myPay profile. According to some experts, delayed text messages can result from a busy network or those who may not recognize the myPay text as a legitimate message.
Many have shifted their preference to an email address to alleviate difficulties in receiving their one-time PIN with enough time to complete their myPay logon.
For the past several months, myPay has been capable of accepting PINs generated by third-party authenticator apps. These apps do not rely on receiving a request from the myPay system, but instead generate their own which myPay confirms before allowing access to individual accounts.
Since its inception, DFAS has received confirmation of authenticator apps' usefulness, especially from retirees living overseas. One such confirmation came from Baguio City in the Philippines. The retiree related that using his preferred app allowed him to access his account quickly and easily from his location thousands of miles away from the U.S.
The choice of which authenticator app to use is up to each individual customer. There are reviews of many of the more popular ones available online. These reviews often include the capabilities of individual apps, allowing customers to choose the one best suited for them.
Once downloaded and installed in a customer's mobile device, instructions for using the app to access myPay are available on the DFAS website at: https://www.dfas.mil/mypayinfo/2FA/AuthApp/.

If You Need Assistance with myPay

If you need assistance accessing your myPay account, please contact the myPay Customer Care Center toll-free at 1-888-332-7411 or at 1-317-212-0550.




 

Page updated Apr 24 2024