How to safely transport money?

How to safely transport money? - Faceless woman buying metro ticket via electronic machine

I am looking for a safe way of transporting money while traveling. Are there any good guides or tips?

I know CC or ATM machines are almost available everywhere... they almost always work well. But it's the almost part that worries me more. Unforeseen situation like out of cash machines, bank limitation, governmental limitation, etc. can ruin your travel plans. Physical money is still the widest used mean everywhere and it's good to have some backup just in case.

The problem is transporting it safely. The best would be carrying it with you, not in bags, or leave it somewhere. The wallet is too visible and can easily be stolen, the backpack the same. Although rare I am sure we all know stories of stolen property in hotels / hostels /etc

What tactics and ideas are there to safely transport and keep money?

Are there any "gadgets" that may help to avoid or dissuade someone from stealing?



Best Answer

First and foremost never have more physical money than you can afford to lose.

Secondly, if you carry it on your person always split it into two parts. The first part, kept in your pocket or easily accessible should be the smaller of the two. The second part should be kept in a body wallet or some other equally hidden place (shoe/sock).

Finally, keeping a portion of your money in a safe in your hotel room or with the front desk of your hotel is always a good backup plan as well.




Pictures about "How to safely transport money?"

How to safely transport money? - Multiracial women in protective masks walking together in hallway of subway and looking at each other
How to safely transport money? - Interior of modern taxi car while passenger paying for ride
How to safely transport money? - Calm black woman with coffee wearing medical mask standing in metro



Quick Answer about "How to safely transport money?"

  • Divide money in different places. ...
  • Favor on-body storage. ...
  • Keep small bills handy. ...
  • Carry an anti-theft bag. ...
  • Trim your wallet. ...
  • Use a dummy wallet. ...
  • Buy a travel wallet. ...
  • Adapt to the local money culture.


  • What is the safest way to carry money?

    7 Safe Ways to Carry Money When Traveling
  • Divide Your Money. Whenever possible, we suggest you divide your cash and credit cards into multiple safe spots so that a potential thief can't wipe you out at once. ...
  • On-Body Storage. ...
  • Theft-Proof Bag. ...
  • Clean out Your Belongings. ...
  • Dummy Wallet. ...
  • Lock Valuables Away. ...
  • Plan Accordingly.


  • How do you travel with money?

    5 Tips to Travel Safely With Money
  • Inform your bank and credit card companies before you leave. ...
  • Carry a minimal and smart wallet. ...
  • Separate your money and keep some of it secure. ...
  • Use a money belt. ...
  • Use a credit card for purchases, not a debit card.


  • Is it safe to carry large amounts of cash?

    Even though it is technically not illegal to travel with large amounts of cash, it is definitely suspicious to many law enforcement officers. Carrying a large amount of cash can result in asset forfeiture and seizure, even if you are not arrested for an offense.

    How much cash should you carry around?

    \u201cWe would recommend between $100 to $300 of cash in your wallet, but also having a reserve of $1,000 or so in a safe at home,\u201d Anderson says. Depending on your spending habits, a couple hundred dollars may be more than enough for your daily expenses or not enough.



    How do I legally and safely transport large amounts of money?




    More answers regarding how to safely transport money?

    Answer 2

    Don't use cash. Its can be stolen really easy.

    I may recomend the way I usually deal with my money in every trip

    First of all, you need some cash on your hands. Buy some junk food and souvenirs in an airport. It must be sum of money that you are not afraid to lost or waste on something. I usually keep this sum in dollars and change it on domestic currency when arrive.

    You also need to have 2 credit card which operate the same account. On this account keep most of your money in dollars. It must be VISA or MasterCard. Keep one of those cards in wallet and another in safety place - where you keep your passport and other documents. Use first card to for usual payments and getting cash from ATM. (If you use VISA you will not charge additional for getting cash from ATM)

    So, if by some reasons you lost your wallet or it was stolen - just call to your bank and block first card. Your money will be still available by using second card.

    I also want to warn you to never use ATM on the streets. Use only ATMs in a big shops.

    Answer 3

    I always carry at least some money in US and Canadian cash- crisp bills in large denominations (plus whatever useful foreign currency I might have had lying around from the last trip to the region).

    Probably $500-$1500 in most cases. That, plus several ATM and credit cards (Plus System) and all three major types of CC's, kept in a couple locations and separate from the cash. I don't buy any foreign currency in advance nor do I generally sell the foreign currency upon leaving if I think I might be back in the next few years.

    At the airport upon arrival, I usually get a couple hundred dollars worth of foreign currency (withdrawal from an ATM) to get started, and buy a coffee or something to get some change. That works in most of SE Asia, Europe, China, Japan etc. There are a few places where you won't find western ATMs, but there's usually a bank at the airport where you can change some money. If it's a situation where the ATMs won't work, more cash either from home or from the last country you visited where ATM cards are accepted. It's important not to carry too too much cash (many thousands of dollars equivalent total) or you could attract the attention of authorities trying to prevent money laundering. Although $10K is supposed to be okay in many places, I think they actually prick up their ears at far smaller amounts.

    I keep a list of all ATM and credit card numbers and bank phone numbers, both in a munged written list and available in encrypted and munged form online (along with a scan of my passport, air tickets, visas, etc.), so I can easily call and cancel should there be a problem. Once I forgot a bank card in an ATM, called (using Skype, so it was almost free) and immediately cancelled the card.

    In fact, worst case, should I happen to wake up naked in a ditch, the information online ought to be enough to get me back home eventually, with some inconvenience and tolerable monetary losses.

    I do use a wallet (front pocket only) and have never had it stolen (though I did have some travelers checks stolen from the opposite pocket in a coordinated crush attack by pickpockets). Also a money belt, especially if I'm expecting to be alone in a risky area.

    I also tend to trust hotel safes with at least some of my cash and most of my credit cards (perhaps unwisely). Most backpacks are really unsafe, especially many pockets that can be unzipped (often they find themselves unzipped behind you) but if you bury stuff down deep inside it's reasonably safe. I think I've been targeted by pickpockets and thieves about 10 times, and (so far) almost no losses.

    Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

    Images: Ono Kosuki, Charlotte May, Tim Samuel, Uriel Mont