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Sorting Cards

Presort your DX QSLs alphabetically by parent call sign prefix (AP, CE, DL, ES, EZ, F, G, JA, LY,

PY, UN, YL, 5N, 9Y, and so on). Canadian and Australian cards should be sorted by numerical call sign (VE1, VE2, VE3 and VK1, VK2, VK3, etc). Note: Some countries have a parent prefix and use additional prefixes, i.e. G (parent prefix) = M, 2E, 2I, 2M, 2W, etc. When sorting countries that have multiple prefixes, keep that country’s prefixes grouped with the parent prefix in your alphabetical stack.  Addresses are not required.

Do not separate the country prefixes by use of paper clips, rubber bands, slips of paper, or envelopes. This only slows down processing.

Please enclose proof of your current ARRL membership.  This can be in the form of a photocopy or cut-out of the address area from your current copy of QST.  You can also write the information from the label on a slip of paper and use that as proof of membership.  A copy of your current membership card is also acceptable.

Fees and Payment

ARRL members — including foreign members, QSL Managers, or managers for DXpeditions — should enclose payment as follows: 

Effective May 15, 2019:

   $2.00 for 10 or fewer cards in one envelope.
   $3.00 for 11-20 cards in one envelope, or 75 cents per ounce, for packages with 21 or more cards.

[For example, a package containing 1.5 pounds of cards -- 24 ounces, or about 225 cards -- will cost $18.]

Under the new fee structure, there are no transaction service fees.

DXCC credits cannot be used towards the QSL Service fee.

You should use an accurate scale to weigh your cards. Most post offices have scales that you may use.  

Please pay by check (or money order) and write your call sign on the check. Send cash at your own risk.  DO NOT send postage stamps or IRCs. Please make checks payable to: “The ARRL Outgoing QSL Service.”  

Packages received with insufficient payment will not be processed until the balance is paid in full. The outgoing QSL bureau does not keep money on account.

Packing and Mailing

Your package must include:

•       Slip with your name, call sign, weight of cards enclosed, and proof of ARRL membership.  

•       Proof of ARRL membership — Copy of QST mailing label or membership card.

•       Your payment in the form of check or money order. DO NOT send cash.

•       Your QSL cards, sorted as instructed.

Include only the cards, proof of membership, and the appropriate fee in the package. Box the cards securely and address the package to:

ARRL Outgoing QSL Service

225 Main Street

Newington, CT  06111-1494.  

It is strongly recommended that you use a traceable method to ship your cards.

Family members may also use the service by enclosing their QSLs with those of the primary member.  Include the appropriate fee with each individual's cards and indicate "family membership" on the primary member's proof of membership. 

Blind members who do not receive QST need only include the appropriate fee along with a note indicating the cards are from a blind member.

ARRL Affiliated Club stations may use the service to submit club QSLs for its members in bulk (“pooling” their members’ cards together in one package) by indicating the club’s name inside the package. Club secretaries should check their club’s affiliation on the ARRL website to ensure i t is current. In a “pooled” package, each club member using this service must also be an ARRL member. Cards should be sorted “en masse” by prefix, and proof of membership should be enclosed for each ARRL member. QSLs for unaffiliated club calls may also be sent via the outgoing bureau to foreign destinations if the trustee of the club call is a member in good standing. The trustee’s proof of membership must be included with the club call-QSLs.

The efficient operation of the worldwide system of QSL Bureaus requires that cards be easy to handle and sort.  Cards of unusual dimensions, either much larger or much smaller than normal or printed on thin paper (i.e. copier paper), slow the work of the Bureaus, most of which is done by unpaid volunteers. 

A review of the cards received by the ARRL Outgoing QSL Service indicates that most fall in the following range:

         Height = 2‑3/4 to 4‑1/4 in. (70 to 110 mm),

         Width = 4‑3/4 to 6‑1/4 in. (120 to 160 mm). 

IARU Region 2, that includes the United States, has suggested the following dimensions as optimum:

             Height 3-1/2 in. (90 mm), Width 5-1/2 in. (140 mm)

Cards in this range can be easily sorted, stacked and packaged.  Cards outside this range create problems.  In particular, the larger cards often cannot be handled without folding or otherwise damaging them.  In the interest of efficient operation of the worldwide QSL Bureau system, it is recommended that cards entering the system be limited to the range of dimensions given.  

Countries Not Served By the Outgoing QSL Service

Approximately 225 DXCC entities are served by the ARRL Outgoing QSL Service, as detailed in the ARRL DXCC List. This includes nearly every active country. As noted previously, cards are forwarded from the ARRL Outgoing Service to a counterpart bureau in each of these countries. In some cases, there is no Incoming Bureau in a particular country and cards, therefore, cannot be forwarded.  However, QSL cards can be forwarded to a QSL manager, e.g., ZB2FX via G3RFX. Most operations from places without a QSL bureau have a QSL manager.

Countries that currently deliver QSL cards only to members of that country’s national radio society include the following:

Belarus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Monaco, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, South Africa, Sweden, Zambia.

Additional Information

We do not hold cards for countries with no Incoming Bureau. Only cards indicating a QSL Manager for a station in these particular countries will be forwarded. Undeliverable cards will normally not be returned.

When sending cards to foreign QSL managers, you must sort these cards using the manager's call sign, rather than the station’s call sign. SWL cards can be forwarded through the QSL Service.

The Outgoing QSL Service CANNOT forward stamps, cards inside envelopes, IRCs or “green stamps” (cash) to the foreign QSL bureaus.

Please direct any questions or comments to the ARRL Outgoing QSL Service, 225 Main Street, Newington CT, 06111-1494. The Outgoing QSL Service can be reached at 860-594-0274. Inquires via e-mail may be sent to [email protected]

Information regarding the Incoming QSL bureaus can be located at: http://www.arrl.org/incomingqsl-service.

Question: How do I QSL a station that has a QSL Manager when I'm using the Bureau? How do I Indicate the Managers call on my card? How do I sort cards with Managers, by the Contacted station's call or the Manager's call?

Answer: A NOTE ON QSLING VIA A MANAGER

When QSLing via a Manager please write via and the Manager's call on the back upper left corner of your card. If the back of your card is not blank please write it on your card near the contacted stations call and if possible make it stand out in some way (highlight it, use different color pen, etc.)

When sorting these cards please sort them en-masse with your regular QSL's by the Manager's call (if the Manager's call is on the back of the card please sort with the Managers call facing up).

DO NOT use envelopes, slips of paper or post-it notes to separate the cards with QSL Managers. Because these cards go through so many hands before they reach their destination slips of paper and post-it's will most likely fall off and envelopes can become damaged, possibly damaging the enclosed card.

Please try and follow these guidelines to ensure your cards are routed properly and arrive in good condition.

Question: Can I send QSL cards to US QSL Managers through the Bureau?

Answer: Yes you can as long as you or the station you made contact with was outside the 48 contiguous states at the time.

Question: Can I QSL US Amateurs through the Bureau system?

Answer: No you cannot send cards to other US hams through the Bureau UNLESS you or the other station was DX at the time and your QSL card indicates this. (ex. you make a contact with XE/K1TLK or you are in Mexico and your QSL card indicates that is where you were at the time of the contact.)

Note: DX means anything outside the 48 contiguous states, which means you can send cards for Alaskan and Hawaiian calls as well as those for US territories or military bases through the outgoing bureau. (The prefixes for these areas are as follows: All AL, KL, NL, WL, AH, KH, NH, WH, KP, NP, WP calls as wells as KG4x2 calls (ex. KG2SV), KA6x2 calls and KA2x2 calls.) Please refer to the "Countries Not Served" list on the Outgoing QSL Service information sheet because there are a few US territories we can not forward to.

Question: I made a contact with RA/ZS3RAS, do I sort this card with the RA's or ZS's?

Answer: Whenever you are sorting this type of card always sort it by the FULL callsign, which in this case is ZS3RAS. If you encounter a call such as RA4WXS/HA3TL you would sort it by the FIRST full callsign unless the contacted station indicates otherwise. If the card needs to go to the second callsign you must indicate this on the card in some way. (please refer to the section on QSLing via a manager at the top of the first page.)

Question: How do I go about changing my address with my Incoming Bureau?

Answer: You need to contact the Incoming Bureau Manager for your call area, you can do this by mail or e-mail. You can find the mail and e-mail addresses for the various Bureaus or you can call the Outgoing Bureau at (860) 594-0274 and we will be happy to give you the information you'll need.

Question: I just changed my call sign, who within the QSL service must I contact?

Answer: You must let the Manager of your Incoming Bureau know and you must have envelopes or money credits on file for both calls for at least one to two years after the change. Also, if you had a 1-land call and your new call is a 2-land call then you must have envelopes or money credits on file with both Bureaus. The reason we ask that you do this is because the Bureau system is slow so even if you have not made any contacts in a few months you may still receive cards for contacts you made before then.

As for the Outgoing Bureau you don't need to do anything unless you happen to be sending cards for your old call as well as your new call in a shipment. If you do this just write on a slip of paper that you have included cards for your old call in the shipment and put it in the package with your cards.