Can I Put Money In A Parcel?

Sometimes you are struggling to think of an idea for a gift and are fast running out of time. The person you want to give a gift to is far away and you have to send a parcel imminently.

So you find yourself clutching a fistful of dollars and a parcel. However, can you actually send this in the post?

Well, in short, the answer is no. Often parcels can be opened or get lost in transit and then the person you were hoping to surprise doesn’t get their cash prize.

This is because money is very hard to track via mail and if it gets lost then you simply cannot recover it.

But why would you want to send money via a parcel? What methods are there to send cash across the country? What penalties can you incur, if any, by sending cash in the post?

Well, in this article, we’re going to look at cash in the post and whether you should do it.

Why Should I Send Cash In The Post?

Cash in the post is not uncommon and it can be a quick and easy method of getting money from one place to another.

However, the issue with this is tracking and the money getting stolen.

If you are sending large sums of money through the mail system, then you increase the risk of having your cash taken before it reaches its destination.

This is because not all mail persons are that scrupulous and some can tend to rifle through the mail precisely to get their hands on the contents inside.

Also, a package can get intercepted by many different hands on the way. Just because it is delivered successfully, that doesn’t mean someone can’t steal your package.

Because most mail and courier companies do not allow cash to be shipped in the post. This is because if a courier is carrying cash without their knowledge, then they are putting themselves at risk.

This could lead to you experiencing serious charges if the mailer is injured or robbed.

So, put simply, shipping currency that is currently in use is forbidden by most courier companies. But what if you are shipping an historical coin or a single currency that has less value?

Shipping Coins Via Parcel

Shipping single coins that have little value is not prohibited by most courier companies.

However, you will have to check the shipping policy of most courier companies before you get your coin out for delivery.

There are certain rules that you have to abide by if you are going to be shipping smaller and less valuable denominations of currency across the globe:

• Wrapping – you’ll have to make sure that your cling film is wrapped thoroughly before you transport it. This is done for safety and also visibility. If your coin is harder to get at, then it will be safer to transport.
• Padded envelope – all you have to do with this coin is make sure that it is put in a padded envelope. This will also add to the safety of your package.
• Seal the package firmly – once you have done this, then make sure that your package is sealed firmly with a strong adhesive. We would recommend using electrical tape rather than glue, as glue could always become unstuck.

If you abide by these procedures, then you should not experience much issue when you are transporting your goods.

If it gets lost, then you also have a better chance of getting reimbursed from the company especially if you have recorded the delivery.

What Else Is Prohibited Transportation Via Mail?

There are a few things that are prohibited from being shipped from one place to another. Here is a short list of some of those items:

• Coins and banknotes – these are not allowed to be transported due to the reasons that we have listed above.
• Cheques and postal orders – because these have a cash value then it is much harder to reimburse them and impossible to retrieve them once they are lost.
• Lottery tickets – again, because these have a direct transference of cash, then it is much harder to track these items when you are posting them.
• Metals and stones – if these stones are rare and precious, then the value of them might be beyond the remit of the average courier company.

There are also security concerns when you are transferring expensive or cash items.

It will often need special delivery by a security company who specialise in shipping expensive items.

If you are going to be shipping gift cards, these are usually considered to be ‘no compensation items’, which means that they cannot be insured but you can still send them.

What Happens To Cash Found In the Post?

If cash is found in your parcel, the courier company will most likely destroy it and inform you of the parcel’s destruction.

There are no penalties for sending cash in the post, but if you want something like this to arrive at its destination, then we would suggest that you do not send it via post.

Cash itself is not considered a contraband substance, although if there is a very large sum of cash being sent through the post, then likely it will be investigated by the police and you might be called in for questioning.

How Else Can I Send Money Across The Country?

Sending money has now become relatively easy, especially with the advent of online banking.

If you get the bank details of the recipient, then you can transfer money almost instantly. This is much easier and safer than going through the trouble of sending your cash in the post.

You can also send your money via wire transfer. This is when you inform the bank of the amount of money you want to transfer and to whom and they will fill out all of the paperwork that is required for this.

There are companies that will allow you to make cash-to-cash transfers of large amounts of money across the country or even internationally. 

For a cash-to-cash transfer, all you need to do is deposit the money at a transfer center, which will then send the money to the destination, even converting it into the domestic currency of the destination if required.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I Be Able To Ship A Credit Card Via Courier?

No, most couriers will not allow you to ship credit cards either.

This is because most couriers are not liable for insurance on active credit cards. If your credit card gets stolen, the postal company will also not be able to cover it.

Are Cash-To-Cash Transfer Services Safe?

Yes, as these companies specialise in sending large amounts of cash, they have all the safety precautions that you need to get your money safely from point A to point B.

What Companies Can I Ship Money Through?

There are a few decent companies that you can use to ship money, the two main ones being Western Union or MoneyGram.

Conclusion

We hope that our guide to helping you ship cash via parcel has helped you decide whether this is the best method of shipping your money.