Log records in the LoTW database are automatically compared so that when a contact at a particular time, operating mode, and frequency band is claimed by both participating amateurs (who both must have submitted their logs), a "QSL" (confirmation) is declared for a later award claim, e.g., for contacts with all U.S. states or 100 different countries. The matching process is blind, meaning that none of the two stations can see pending confirmations for him before he uploads a matching record. The LoTW QSL is purely electronic; there is no paper confirmation. However, a participant may print out a record of each confirmed contact, complete with its LOTW record number.