so I just got my general ticket a few months ago and ive been making contacts pretty regularly now, mostly on 40m SSB and some FT8. people keep mentioning QSL cards and LoTW and eQSL and honestly I'm not totally sure what the difference is or which ones I actually need to bother with.

from what I understand LoTW is run by the ARRL and its the one that counts for DXCC and stuff like that? and eQSL is a separate thing that not everyone accepts for awards? and then physical cards are just... a tradition thing or do they actually matter for certain awards too?

I set up a LoTW account last week and uploaded my logs but I have zero confirmations so far. do most people just not bother confirming on there or does it take a while? I'm also seeing people ask for my QSL info when we're in QSO and I dont really have cards yet, is that a big deal if I just say I'm on LoTW?

sorry if this is a dumb question, just trying to figure out the whole confirmation ecosystem I guess

not a dumb question at all, this stuff confused me for a while too when I first got started. so yeah you basically have it right — LoTW is the gold standard for DXCC and most ARRL awards, and it's free once you get the certificate set up which you already did. eQSL is its own thing, some awards accept it some don't, and a lot of the more serious DX guys don't really use it or don't check it very often.

physical cards still matter for certain awards and some DX entities only confirm via paper, especially the rarer ones where the operators are old school or operating from some tiny island with no reliable internet. for everyday contacts though, saying youre on LoTW is totally fine and a lot of people will appreciate it honestly. you'll start getting confirmations but it can take a while — some operators only upload logs every few months or even once a year after a big contest or expedition.

if you want cards eventually, you can get a batch printed pretty cheap through places like KB1OIQ's card printing thing or a bunch of other services. but don't stress about it right away, get your logs clean and LoTW sorted first and the rest kinda falls into place as you go.

oh man I went down this rabbit hole last year lol. I ended up signing up for all three just to cover my bases — LoTW for the DXCC credits, eQSL because a few guys I worked specifically asked for it, and I finally got cards made because I worked a DXpedition to a rare entity and they only confirmed via bureau or direct mail.

the card bureau through the ARRL is pretty slow btw, like we're talking months sometimes, but it's cheap if you're not in a rush. direct mailing is faster but you gotta include return postage or an IRC if it's a DX station overseas. some ops are really picky about getting a card even if LoTW matches up and I kind of get it, theres something nice about having a physical card from a contact in like Mozambique or wherever sitting in a box.

anyway the short version is LoTW first, get cards eventually, eQSL if someone specifically wants it. thats kinda the order id prioritize it