QSL, QSO, eQSL, and LoTW: what the words mean
If you are new to confirming contacts, the names run together. Here is what each one is, what it costs, and whether it counts for ARRL awards.
QSO and QSL
A QSO is a contact between two stations. QSL means "I confirm", so a QSL card is a card that confirms a contact. You will sometimes hear them called QSO cards. It is the same thing, though QSL card is the usual name.
An electronic QSL, or digital QSL, is any confirmation that travels over the internet instead of through the mail. That covers several very different things, which is where the confusion starts.
The options side by side
| What it is | How it reaches the other station | Cost | ARRL DXCC and WAS credit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Printed QSL card | By mail, direct or through a bureau | Printing and postage | Yes |
| Logbook of The World (LoTW) | No card. Both stations upload, and the ARRL matches the contact | Free to use | Yes, when the contact matches |
| eQSL.cc | The card waits in the other member's eQSL inbox | Free to join, with paid levels | No. It has its own awards |
| QRZ Logbook | No card. A match marks the contact confirmed | Needs a QRZ subscription to log from QSL.now | No |
| Emailed QSL card from QSL.now | Straight to the other station's email | Free | No |
Rules change, and other award programs set their own, so check the rules of the award you are chasing.
Which should you use?
They are not rivals, and many operators use more than one. A common mix is LoTW for award credit and an emailed or printed card for the personal touch.
QSL.now makes that easy from one upload. It fills in a card for each contact automatically from your log, and you check every card before anything is sent. Then you can:
- Email the cards, free, with no account needed.
- Print them to mail yourself.
- With an account, log the same contacts to LoTW, eQSL, and QRZ Logbook.
What counts for awards has more on what the ARRL accepts.