PAYING THE RETURN POSTAGE.

On 30th April 2012, UK postal rates were increased across the board by slightly less than 12%. This new increase will mean that US $2 minimum are required to pay for the minimum return postage to all countries. Surface mail is no longer an option to European countries.

Low value currency notes and coins (including €5 notes) are not accepted by UK banks and thus cannot be exchanged for postage. Please do not send currency other than US dollar bills.

My preferred method of paying the return postage is via the direct on-line QSL request (OQRS) facility on this site but I do appreciate that not everybody has a PayPal account and many will continue to use the traditional postal route. If you do use this method, please do not send currency other than US dollars in good condition, i.e. not ripped or damaged in any way, or properly stamped, 2013 expiry IRCs.

I will be phasing out acceptance of IRCs during the second half of 2013.

Postage stamps are not recommended and not welcome. Like most QSL managers, I use a contract mail service and dislike the use of UK postage stamps for several reasons:

Firstly, postal rates change frequently and in about 90% of cases, people use the wrong value of postage. This means that you either waste the excess value of the postage if you use too much, or get your card back eventually via surface mail, (where it is available), or via the bureau if it's too little.

Secondly, by using postage stamps, you make no contribution to the QSL manager's costs of providing you with his services, e.g. supplying the card, printing consumables etc.

Thirdly, in the case of a DX-pedition, you make no contribution towards the cost of mounting the expedition and giving you a "new one".

The few pennies surplus between sending US $2 (or more) with your card and the manager paying for the return postage satisfies all three of these scenarios.

Sending postage stamps to an individual, resident station is quite acceptable, but please NEVER send them to a QSL manager, who is providing you with a service. If you must use mint UK postage stamps, please supply them loose (i.e not stuck on to the envelope). Any surplus can then be used for bureau postage etc. Any shortfall gives the manager some flexibility in how he returns the card to you.

All QSL requests received without adequate return postage will be answered via the RSGB bureau.