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The Coupon-Response International, a.k.a. - The International Response Coupon or IRC. (click on the image for a larger image)

This article is basically for Radio Hams in the United States and dealing with U.S. Post Offices. I would like to hear from Amateur Radio Operators outside the U.S. on any advise they could share with the acquisition and use of the IRC. Contact me.

I will cut to the chase. You can BUY IRCs from the Online Post Office. When you get to the site, search for IRC.

It isn't very practical to send a S.A.E. (Self Addressed Envelope) with the return postage already fixed to your envelope to your Ham Radio DX contact in a foreign country. You just can't run out and buy stamps from the Latvia, Argentina or New Zealand Post Office. The next best thing is to send either US currency or a voucher good for one unit of postage for the amount needed to send your coveted Ham Radio QSL card back to you. The IRC is used to send to the DX Amateur Radio station so they can trade it for the proper postage to return your QSL card. However, not all non-U.S. Radio Hams prefer the IRC for return postage. Some rather have US currency. Even if their currency is of something else. You can find a table HERE for the preferences in that country regarding to either send a IRC or Green Stamps (US Dollars) to pay for the return postage.

If you're an Amateur Radio DX QSL Manager and have additional information on the preferred method please email me; jerry @ kd5om dot com . Many of the local neighborhood Post Offices in the US do not stock this item. However, they are suppose to be able to ordered them for their customers. Many Post Offices give their customers requesting the IRC many lame reasons why they can't, but bottom line is they can. If your post office is clueless of the IRC you can direct them to the International Mail Manual, Section 372 . The cost of the current IRC in the U.S. is $2.20 and make sure you're buying the IRC that appears like the one in the photo. Also very VERY important, the post office selling the IRC needs to stamp the box on the left. See the photo of the current IRC above. If the ones you have don't look like this then it is out of date and can not be used. The current IRC as in the photo expires on December 31, 2013. Just before that date there should be new ones available.

If somebody sent you an IRC and expecting to receive an Amateur Radio QSL Card in return you can do one of two things. First, you can reuse the IRC in your own mailings back to a different Ham Radio DX station to pay the postage for a QSL card to be mailed to you. Second, you can take the IRC to your post office for the postage required to send your QSL card to the requesting Ham for your QSL card. Since a 2 ounce letter to Europe, and most any other foreign country, cost $1.76 and the IRC cost $2.20, I prefer to place my own postage on my outgoing letter and save the IRC to send to a DX QSL Manager for a return QSL Card to me. (A 2 ounce letter to Canada is $1.00 and the same to Mexico is $1.34) Go to the Post Office Web Site to verify a letter you are mailing to a foreign country.

If all else fails, just buy them online at the Online Post Office.