The Social Security Administration will stop sending paper checks to beneficiaries at the end of September. If you still receive your Social Security payments by mail, it's time to make a switch — and soon.

The transition primarily affects a small group of beneficiaries who have not switched to electronic payment methods already, which is less than 1%, the administration wrote. Notices are being sent out to these individuals to explain the upcoming change and highlight the benefits of switching to electronic payments.

A transition away from paper checks has long been planned, but an alert this week may still have surprised many recipients who rely on them.