With the fee changes established on April 2, 2012 fees based on the calendar year are no longer needed. In the past DXCC assessed a higher surcharge for presenting more than one submission within the calendar year. With the new fee schedule all DXCC applicants pay the same fee for just one submittion or as many as they need. While fees are still based on current ARRL membership, you'll see that each submission fee throughout the year is the same from submission to submission. As noted in Section 1 DXCC rule 1 ARRL membership is still required for all amateurs in the USA and possessions.You will note on the current fee schedule that there are no longer any surcharges for more than one submission each calendar year. Each submission made throughout the year all now have the same fee applied to it. All ARRL members worldwide pay the same fee noted for ARRL members while all international non-ARRL members pay a higher fee.

DXCC application fees are based on the application method.  Logbook of the World is the least costly way to confirm contacts and apply these QSOs toward DXCC awards. The applicant may need to pay 12 cents per QSO, but this is far less expensive than paper cards when you consider the cost of acquiring and shipping cards to ARRL to be checked.  In addition to lower submission fees, LoTW also saves time.  QSLs sent via the QSL bureau may take several months or even years to get a response.  LoTW QSOs have been confirmed sometimes minutes after the QSO.

The Online DXCC application is an efficient method to apply your paper QSL cards toward your DXCC awards.  The applicant can enter QSL card data at anytime and save it until they are ready to make an application.  Cards do not have to be sorted in band/mode order. Some applicants have chosen to do a print screen of the pages of their application. This is discouraged as it bypassed the simple and convenient way Online DXCC was designed and complicates the processing. With applications like this DXCC is required to manually enter QSOs causing additional delays and the charging of the higher fee for handling traditional applications. Online DXCC, when used as designed, allows DXCC to just press a button to export the QSO information directly into one's DXCC account allowing DXCC to assess the fees noted for this application method. Applicants who insist upon printing the screen instead must sort their cards according to the old method of cards by band, then mode and multiples at the end. For these submissions DXCC also assesses the higher fee as noted for Traditional applications. The way to tell if an application has been generated by the screen print method is there is a watermark across the page noting that this is not an actual DXCC application. When used as designed the system will work efficiently saving time and costs to both applicants and DXCC staff.
 

Because the traditional paper application involves the most handling, this application method will incur the greater cost of the three application methods. Manual data entry has always been the most costly and time-consuming method of processing applications.
 

To participate in the DXCC program, hams in the US and its possessions MUST be ARRL members. Foreign non-ARRL members may participate in DXCC, but they must pay a surcharge.

Subsequent Submissions in a Calendar Year

Applicants are allowed to make more than one submission in a calendar year. There is no penalty for making more than one application in a calendar year.  In fact, DXCC participants are encouraged to make more applications to streamline the workload and maintain more accurate standings among DXers.

There is a 120 QSO limit at conventions (when DXCC staff is present) and when cards are presented at ARRL HQ. There are no limits when mailing cards to ARRL HQ. If an applicant plans to attend a convention when DXCC staff is NOT present, applicants with applications containing more than 120 QSOs should contact their local card checker, in advance. The card checker should be able to provide some guidance keeping in mind fairness to all applicants.  When DXCC staff attends conventions the number of applications usually increases due to limitations on checking that are waived when DXCC staff is present. This limit allows people checking cards to guarantee that no one will be turned away. There are also no limits on the number of cards that can be checked when bringing cards to an approved card checker away from conventions.

One recommendation for bringing cards to any convention is to write up an application with 120 QSOs. Then, prepare an additional application with the remaining QSOs. When you arrive at the convention touch base with the checkers there and if they have time for more than the larger application they should be able to let you know then. It is likely that they will be able to handle somewhat over 120 but applications with several hundred QSOs could be a problem.

If you know, in advance, that your local checker will be attending a convention applicants are recommended that they contact their checker, in advance, to see how things will go at the convention (only if you have more than 120 QSOs). Advance notice might work in an applicant's favor if the lines are not too long.

As with conventions applicants bringing cards to ARRL HQ are subject to the 120 QSO maximum limit requirement. The DXCC workload for staff is designated at the start of each work day and while some time is always available for applicants who bring cards to HQ, an application with more that 120 QSOs can have an affect on the staff workday. Also as with conventions applicants can contact the DXCC Awards Manager, in advance, to see if an arrangement can be made to handle applications in excess of 120 QSOs. In most cases DXCC staff should be able to handle a reasonable amount over the 120 limit depending on staffing limitations on that day.

No, DXCC application fees do not cover certificates and postage. Each certificate is $12.00 USD plus postage. Currently, for US certificate postage for up to 4 certificates in one package is $8.00. For non-US, the postage for up to 4 certificates is $18.00.

Note: A certificate is not included as part of an initial application. For each submission whether initial or subsequent, each certificate is subject to the fee and postage noted above.

Additionally, lapel pins are not included in certificate fees. Lapel pins are an additional $7.50 each; this includes postage.

As of January 2023, the $7.00 convention and in person ARRL walk-in processing fee is eliminated. 

ARRL accepts most major credit cards for payment. Cash, check, money order, and bank checks are also acceptable. Cash payment is strongly discouraged. ARRL is NOT responsible for the loss of cash. 

Checks and money orders can only be accepted from a USA bank. An international money order is also acceptable.

DXCC does not accept PayPal, Western Union and bank account transfers.

Note: DXCC cannot accept IRCs for payment.

See this site for the list of approved payment methods and others not accepted by DXCC.

No, as noted on the application form DXCC cannot bill you. If you are not sure of the exact fee please see the DXCC website under Fees for the current fee schedule. Take your time and review each fee under the application method you will be using for your submission. If you are not sure DXCC also accepts most major credit cards. This method has been used for years and it has been proven to be, by far, the best method for making payment. This method allows DXCC to charge all of the proper fees leaving nothing over or a shortage.

Important note: If you choose to use a credit card it is extremely important that the card used is valid and has sufficient funds to cover the DXCC fees. Invalid cards or cards otherwise declined by the bank will result in delays. Also, please keep in mind that, at times, DXCC may be several weeks behind during especially heavy periods. It is recommended that a credit card with an expiration date of anything less than 2-3 months not be used.

When providing a credit card for LoTW and Online DXCC be careful to check your entry before submitting the application. Once submitted this cannot be changed.

When providing a credit card on traditional paper card applications be sure to include the complete set of numbers and the valid expiration date.  For USA banks the CVV code is generally not needed but for international accounts please check with your bank and if they require the CVV code please be sure to note it. Also, when using paper applications be sure to print this information legibly.

DXCC occasionally experiences situations where a credit card account has been compromised. If you have a pending application with a card that is no longer valid, we realize this can be a stressful time, but please be sure to contact DXCC as soon as possible so that we can work with you to resolve your account.

If you have an amount due to DXCC, it is best to settle this right away. When sending in an additional payment, be sure to add a note in the envelope explaining the reason for your payment. If there is no note with your payment, you may not receive proper credit because we cannot identify you.  A balance due may cause delays with your current and future submissions along with item orders. We will hold an application for payment. If this happens, we will send an email to explain the situation.

View the latest DXCC fee schedule

If you have any questions about your credit slip or award matrix, contact the DXCC desk at dxccadmin@arrl.org 

When you are ready to send your application, check your application to be sure that you copied the card number and the expiration date correctly. Make sure that your name is on the application form at the top exactly as it shows on your credit card. 

No.  All accounts should have a zero balance.

No. The cost is often prohibitive as there are additional fees to pay for these services.

Actually, the fees are lower than you think. Most companies adjust their fees in order to make profits. DXCC fees are not like that. The current fees were not designed to make money or break even. It might be more realistic to say that DXCC fees help to minimize losses. Processing DXCC applications actually costs considerably more than the revenue that is generated.

Effective with the 2014 fee changes, the applicant is now responsible for all postage fees in addition to the fees as shown in Rule 17. Applications that do not contain sufficient funds will be billed to the applicant.

Fees are subject to change. You should check our fee schedule page at:  http://www.arrl.org/dxcc-awards-fees before submitting to be sure that your remittance is based on the latest fees.