QSL-Bureau – W4ZD.ORG

The tradition of confirming radio transmissions and receptions in writing is as timeless as radio itself. Over the years, amateur radio operators have traded millions of postcards called QSL cards to verify their contacts. To overcome the expense and challenge of mailing individual cards across the globe, QSL Bureaus emerged, allowing ham radio operators to ship cards in batches, thereby saving money.

Although online logbooks and electronic postage payments have diminished this activity, hundreds of thousands of cards continue to flow through the worldwide QSL bureaus.

Receiving QSL cards “via the bureau” is easy and cost-effective. If you are active on HF and make DX contacts, chances are that a few cards have made their way to your incoming QSL Bureau, even if you did not request them.

Please check my QSL Bureau News page for recent information, as well as the Area-4 Bureau website.

Procedure for Receiving Bureau QSL Cards

Option #1:

Send SASEs or cash to the Bureau:

If you wish to work with the Area Four Bureau, refer to the Area Four QSL Bureau webpages.

When you send cash to the bureau, someone needs to prepare the envelopes and deliver them to the letter manager. Unless the letter manager lives near Sterling, VA, the envelopes need to be mailed. This means more work and expense for the club and the volunteers. If you send self-addressed stamped envelopes to the bureau, they too need to be forwarded to the letter manager, resulting in delay and added expense. Therefore, one of the following two options is suggested.

Note: The Area Four Bureau has a new mailing address as of August 2025:

Sterling Park QSL Bureau
P.O. Box 29
Sterling, VA 20167

Option #2:

Send SASE(s) to Letter Manager:

If you choose to send your own self-addressed stamped envelopes directly to me (for “4Z” calls only) then they should be 6×9 inches; in new condition; and have paper-covered self-sealing flaps (please avoid using envelopes with clasps).

Write or print your callsign in the upper left corner using block characters that are about ½ to ¾ inch in height. Do not write anything else in the upper left. Clearly write your mailing address on the front of the envelope.

Attach the appropriate first-class postage based on the number of cards you expect to receive. As of July 2025, the postage rates are as follows: 78 cents for the first ounce, $1.07 for two ounces, and $1.36 for up to three ounces. Please use “Forever Stamps” only for postage.

The total weight will vary depending on the type of cardstock and the use of labels, but generally, a 6×9 envelope can hold up to six cards for one ounce, up to 16 cards for two ounces, and up to 26 cards for three ounces of postage. Most users will only need one or two ounces of postage.

Mail your SASEs with the appropriate fee (see below) to Gordon Lyman, W4ZD, at the address listed on QRZ.com.

If you have multiple call signs, or you manage a club call, please use separate envelopes for each one. Include a slip of paper with your email address if you want to be notified that I have received your SASE mailing or if it is not listed or correct on QRZ.com.

Option #3:

Set up a Cash Account with “4Z” Letter Manager:

A cash account requires a bit more effort from me, but it saves you the cost of sending envelopes, and it allows me use the exact postage which is required. With a cash account, there are no SASEs with unneeded postage attached, and there are no loose stamps to keep track of. It also means that I don’t end up with envelopes (with postage) that have an outdated address or a long-retired callsign. Lastly, cash can (and will) be returned to you upon request. However, once any fee(s) have been transferred from me to the Bureau, they will not be returned by me.

To use a cash account, send funds via PayPal to the email address 4z.letter.manager@gmail.com, or use this link. A deposit of $3 to $5 is typical for most users and will cover at least two mailings. That suggested amount does not include the Bureau fee (see below).

If you wish you can send a few SASEs with one forever stamp (option 2), and also send some cash to cover additional postage when needed.

Important! Be sure to add your call sign in the notes so that you can be credited for the deposit. Include your mailing address if it differs from the one on your QRZ.com listing.

PayPal Fees

When using PayPal, please choose the “Friends and Family” option:

When using this option, there is no PayPal fee for domestic transactions if you use a linked bank account or PayPal balance. A small fee applies for credit card payments (fees as of June 2025). This option is suitable for this non-commercial, non-profit, and volunteer activity where you’re transferring money only for your benefit. Note that any fee imposed by PayPal is separate from, and in addition to, the QSL Bureau fees (see below).

Alternatives to PayPal

If you are unable to use PayPal, I will accept personal checks from licensed radio amateurs. Sending currency in the mail is not advisable. If you decide to do so, I cannot be held responsible for any cash that gets lost during transit. I suggest that you send me an email first so that I can be on the lookout for the envelope. Send all mail to Gordon Lyman, W4ZD, at the address listed on QRZ.com.

Bureau Fees:

Because the ARRL ended financial support of the incoming QSL Bureaus at the end of 2024, the Area 4 Incoming Bureau collects a handling fee which is used to support its operations. The fees cover expenses such as postage to send boxes of QSL cards to Letter Mangers, PO Box rental fee, etc. All fees go to the Area-4 Incoming QSL Bureau / Sterling Park ARC.

If you send SASEs to me directly (option 2), then please enclose a check to cover the Bureau fee. Make it out to Sterling Park ARC in the amount of $1.00 for each SASE that you send. For example, if you send three SASEs then also send a check for $3.

If you have a cash account with me (option 3), the fee set by the Bureau managers is an amount equal to the deposit that is made. For example, if you deposit $3 with a Letter Manager, the fee is an additional $3.

Cash sent to me via USPS or via PayPal will be divided in half. One-half will be used for postal expenses to send your QSL cards to you. The other half will be sent to the Bureau to support their operation.

If you send a single check for your cash account then, again, one-half will be for the fee, and it will be sent to the bureau. If you prefer, you can send two checks of equal amount. One made out to me (Gordon Lyman) and one to the Bureau (Sterling Park ARC).

I will not use any funds sent to me to cover my incidental expenses unless you clearly specify that it is for that purpose. However, I do not anticipate requiring funds for the Letter Manager duties.

What is the Incoming QSL Bureau?

How can I get QSL Cards from the Bureau?

Why is there a handling fee?

Even though they are run by unpaid volunteers, the Area Incoming QSL Bureaus incur expenses related to their operations. These include a PO Box rental, postage to send cards to sorters, and more. For decades, the ARRL has helped cover these expenses for those incoming bureaus that requested it. However, this support ended on December 31, 2024.

It seems that the ARRL Board of Directors chose this budget-cutting move in light of the increasing use of electronic QSLs as opposed to paper ones, and because they believe that users will financially support the individual bureaus directly.

Part of the rationale for ending the financial support is that the Incoming Bureau is used by non-members of the ARRL, as well as its members, which means that non-members get a benefit paid for by the dues that ARRL members pay. You might be thinking that non-members can still use the ARRL Logbook of the World, so why is that different?

Many of us who have used the QSL Bureaus for years consider exchanging physical QSL cards from countries all over the world to be an important part of the hobby. But we also recognize that there are expenses that need to be paid in addition to the postage required to mail QSL cards to the recipients. Therefore, many of us think that this was a short-sighted decision that might even mean that some incoming bureaus fold up shop. This would eliminate the least expensive method of sending QSL cards to the USA from most DX stations.

If you are an ARRL member and think that the ARRL Board of Directors should reconsider this decision to end financial support for the Area Incoming QSL Bureaus that used to rely on it, you can make your wishes known to the Director and Vice-Director for your ARRL Section.

As the “4Z” Letter Manager, I have no involvement with determining the handling fee or how it is applied to operations. My only role (which I only accept reluctantly) is to transfer the fees when they are sent to me, along with funds to cover mailing costs. If you have further questions about the financials of the Area-Four Incoming Bureau / Sterling Park ARC, contact the bureau manager.

What if I had an account with the prior “4Z” Letter Manager / Sorter prior to August 1, 2025?

What is the “4th Area Card Status Check”? Can I check for cards without having an account with a letter manager?

How quickly will I get QSL Cards from the Bureau?

I have a four-area callsign, but with a suffix that doesn’t start with “Z.”

I have a callsign with a number other than four.

What if I just don’t want any QSL cards?

I have another question or comment about how the “4Z” Letter Manager works.

This segment from my club presentation about QSL Cards describes the Incoming Bureau.

Some of the QSL Cards in my collection.
Many have come via the Incoming QSL Bureau.

This page is primarily for amateur radio operators in the United States who have a “4Z Callsign” and who wish to receive QSL cards from the Incoming QSL Bureau.

Procedure for Receiving Bureau QSL Cards

Option #1:

Send SASEs or cash to the Bureau:

Option #2:

Send SASE(s) to Letter Manager: