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 Note:   The ARRL QSL Service cannot be used to exchange QSL cards within the 48 contiguous states.

One of the greatest bargains of League membership is being able to use the ARRL Outgoing QSL Service to conveniently send your DX QSL cards overseas to foreign QSL Bureaus.  Your ticket for using this service is proof of ARRL Membership and following the fee schedule below.  For those of you who are not quite so DX active you can send 10 cards or less for just $1.50.  You can't even get a deal like that at your local warehouse supermarket!  And the potential savings over the substantial cost of individual QSLing is equal to many times the price of your annual dues. Your cards are sorted by the Outgoing QSL Service staff, and are usually shipped within one month of receipt. The Service handles approximately one million cards each year!

QSL cards are shipped to QSL Bureaus throughout the world, which are typically maintained by the national Amateur Radio Society of each country.  While no cards are sent to individuals or individual QSL managers, keep in mind that what you might lose in speed is more than made up in the convenience and savings of not having to address and mail each QSL card separately.  (In the case of DXpeditions and/or active DX stations that use US QSL managers, a better approach is to QSL directly to the QSL manager.  The various DX newsletters, the GOLIST QSL manage­r directory, and other publications, are good sources of up‑to‑date QSL manager information.)

As postage costs become increasingly prohibitive, don't go broke before you're even halfway towards making DXCC.  There's a better and cheaper way ‑‑ "QSL VIA BURO" through the ARRL Outgoing QSL Service!

How To Use The ARRL Outgoing QSL Service  

1. Presort your DX QSL’s 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 callsign (VE1, VE2, VE3 & 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,....  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.  
2. Enclose proof of current ARRL Membership.  This can be in the form of a photocopy of the white address label from your current copy of QST.  You can also write on a slip of paper the information from the label, and use that as proof of Membership.  A copy of your current Membership card is also acceptable.
3. Members (including foreign, QSL Managers, or managers for DXpeditions) should enclose payment of $5.00 for the first half-pound of cards or portion thereof‑‑approximately 75 cards weigh half-pound. $10.00 for one pound, the fee rate then increases at the rate of $5.00 for each additional half-pound (i.e. a package containing one and one-half pounds of cards should include the fee of $15.00 and so on).  A package of only Ten (10) cards or fewer costs only $1.50. Eleven (11) to Twenty (20) cards are $2.50. Twenty-One (21) to Thirty (30) cards are $3.75. Please pay by check (or money order) and write your callsign on the check. Send "green stamps" (cash) at your own risk.  DO NOT send postage stamps or IRCs.  Please make checks payable to: “The ARRL Outgoing QSL Service”.
   
   DXCC credit CANNOT be used towards the QSL Service fee.  
4. Include only the cards, proof of Membership, and fee in the package.  Wrap the package securely and address it to the ARRL Outgoing QSL Service, 225 Main Street, Newington CT  06111-1494.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. ARRL affiliated‑club stations may use the service when submitting club QSLs by indicating the club name.  Club secretaries should check affiliation papers to ensure that affiliation is current.  In addition to sending club station QSLs through this service, affiliated clubs may also "pool" their members' individual QSL cards to effect an even greater savings.  Each club member using this service must also be a League member.  Cards should be sorted "en masse" by prefix, and proof of Membership enclosed for each ARRL member.  

Recommended QSL Card Dimensions

The efficient operation of the worldwide system of QSL Bureau requires that cards be easy to handle and sort.  Cards of unusual dimensions, either much larger or much smaller than normal, 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).  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.  [Note: IARU Region 2 has suggested the following dimensions as optimum: Height 3 1/2 in. (90 mm), Width 5 1/2 in. (140 mm).]

Countries Not Served By The Outgoing QSL Service

Approximately 225 DXCC countries 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).  The ARRL Outgoing Service cannot forward cards to the following countries:

Countries that currently restrict the forwarding of QSL cards to anyone other than members of that country’s national radio society include the following:

Denmark                   France               Germany              Hungary              Italy                      Japan               Monaco
Norway                     Poland               Portugal               Russia                 South Africa         Sweden            Zambia

Additional Information:

We no longer hold cards for countries with no Incoming Bureau.  Only cards indicating a QSL Manager for a station in these particular countries will be forwarded.

When sending cards to Foreign QSL Managers, make sure to sort these cards using the Manager's callsign, rather than the station's callsign. 

SWL cards can be forwarded through the QSL Service.

The Outgoing QSL Service CANNOT forward stamps, 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.  Inquires via email may be sent to buro@arrl.org      
                                                              
June 2009