Can I Send Money Inside a Package by Post or Courier?
TL;DR
- Sending money in packages is generally prohibited by courier companies.
- Forbidden items include cash, coins, checks, and credit cards.
- Shipping money can lead to theft or loss without responsibility from couriers.
- Use money transfer services like Western Union for safer alternatives.
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If you would like to send money inside a package to your family or friends abroad by post or courier, you might want to think twice about it. Although a beautiful box with a card and some cash in it would be a great surprise for the recipient, we must advise you not to send money in packages.
Most courier companies would agree that shipping money inside a parcel is not allowed. A stolen parcel with some money inside is not mainly a pleasant surprise for the sender. Cash is a rather common item on the list of the forbidden and not recommended things when shipping with courier companies.
Besides cash not being allowed for shipping, courier companies do not allow shipping these valuables, as follows:
- coins and banknotes, regardless of their currency;
- dividend warrants, cheques, and postal orders;
- lottery tickets, coupons, or any other document that one can exchange for money;
- precious metal and stones.
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In cases that the courier company receives a parcel with a forbidden item (in this case, money inside a package), the shipment is either refused, confiscated or destroyed.
Eurosender can organise the shipping for various packages, from smallest to largest, and from fastest delivery to the standard estimated delivery time. We recommend you book our express service if you want to have the shipment delivered within 24h in Europe, and 48-72h worldwide!
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Can I ship my credit card by courier?
Similarly to sending money inside a parcel, you are also not allowed to ship credit or debit cards when sending packages with courier companies.
Read more about shipping credit cards here.
Why is sending money by courier not allowed?
We can think of several situations that could go wrong if everyone started shipping money inside a parcel. The first and most important one is that courier companies want to ensure maximum security for the people involved in the transaction and their boxes. Chances for theft will increase if everyone starts sending money to courier companies.
If the parcel containing money inside gets destroyed, the courier company cannot take responsibility for it as it contained prohibited items inside.
What are the alternatives to shipping money by courier?
Send money with a money transfer service
A money transfer service is probably the safest and fastest way to send money all over the world. Services such as Western Union or MoneyGram, to name just two of them, offer the possibility to send money within minutes.
Sending money by post
Indeed, internationally sending money inside a parcel by post and couriers is forbidden. However, in some countries, you can still send some cash in the mail overseas or domestically to a certain amount. We recommend you check with your local post office if this postal service is available in your country.
Sending cash by courier through Eurosender
If you have organised your shipping through our platform, the same rule applies. Shipping cash, coins, banknotes, dividends and other documents that one can exchange for money is forbidden.
However, we can organise the shipping for many other items, starting from envelopes and small packages, to pallets and dedicated freight vehicles. Keep in mind that registered users enjoy greater benefits and discounts when booking.
Still have questions?
Check our articles that answer the most common questions about shipping.
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About the author
Marcel Nahtigal is Head of Marketing at Eurosender, specializing in digital strategies to enhance customer connections in logistics.
