It seems like every day I get emails asking me about costs of QSL’ing, why US$3? Why can’t I send you stamps? Why do you want a SAE? Why does it cost more if I want 4 QSL cards?
These and many other questions are asked regularly, and I do not mind answering these questions as I do understand that many of you simply do not know and I have nothing to hide so it is best to be seen to keep you informed.
I am very passionate about QSL’ing, when I started QSL managing I wanted to do the job well and provide a really good service, and to do that, the job has to be done in a professional manner, it has to be run in a business like way. Like it or not that is how it is!
Why am I a QSL manager?
Many of the Radio Amateurs that I manage QSL cards for have different reasons for needing a manager, for some they would rather be on air working the DX, helping you get a new band, or a new DXCC or IOTA. For others the reliability of the postal service where they live means that they risk loosing more mail than they receive, and for some, a busy hectic life means that they just do not have time to deal with the QSL cards. For whatever reason I am proud to help these guys with the QSL duties. Around 250 different log books are under my care, over 4.4 million QSO’s are in my log search database.
What do I mean QSL expenses?
Your dollars do so much more than pay for postage. I could not do what I do without your donations and dollars that you send me. Here is a list of expenses that have to be paid.
QSL cards: Large volumes of QSL cards are printed each year.
Labels: Labels are used both for QSO report details and for postage paid labels.
Ink Cartridges: Used to print the labels for the QSL cards and envelopes.
Envelopes: OQRS envelopes are used daily. 10,000 per year.
Postage: The biggest cost in QSL’ing.
PayPal Charges & Fees: Of the $3 sent through PayPal, 23c goes to PayPal in charges.
Bureau: The posting of outgoing Bureau QSL cards is paid from the QSL expenses account. 30,000 cards per year = £1,600 is our annual printing and postage bureau costs.
Website & IT: www.m0urx.com is here to keep you informed of the latest news here at the U.R. QSL Bureau. I.T. is a very labour intensive cost. Keeping the Bespoke OQRS database live for the log search facility and improving other facilities on the site.
Website Management, maintenance & hosting costs are paid annually.
OQRS: Development is ongoing and requires funding year on year so that we can bring new tools and features to both DX’ers and to the DXpedition Team. All this is funded by you.
Accountants Fees: Accounts audited annually. Subject to HMRC tax disclosure.
Computing Hardware: To complete the daily tasks, computer and laptop is on almost 24/7 so hardware has to be serviced, maintained or replaced.
Software Packages: Office subscriptions need to be paid annually.
Bureau & Why are cards not sent through RSGB? Isn’t this free?
Using the Bureau is NOT free by any stretch of the imagination.
All World Bureaus are sent a package from me. These packages are sent DIRECT to the World Bureau Societies to give you guys the best service possible.
As a bulk user I am not eligible to send tens of thousands of cards Via RSGB Bureau. Some of the Radio Amateurs that I am manager for are not British and live in far away places and are not even RSGB members so I am not allowed to use the Bureau to send their cards.
Why don’t I accept stamps?
As you see above, postage stamps are not the only cost involved. US$2 is what I ask, and that money is used to pay for all the expenses I mention above. DXpeditions have their own QSL Policy so you must follow their policy for DXpedition QSL’s.
United Radio QSL Bureau has an international mailing account with Royal Mail in order to get the best prices possible to send out bulk QSL postings, the money saved again is put towards other expenses. Stamps are not used on these mailings, I use Postage Paid Imprint (PPI)
Unfortunately many still try to send me stamped self addressed envelopes and these have to be returned Via Bureau. WHY? Because most of the stamped envelopes received fail to put the right postage costs on the envelopes.
The QSL cost is determined by the DX’pedition QSL Policy.
