Two people in different cities settle with each other directly. You hand over cash in your city to the counterparty or their contact, and they hand over the agreed amount in the destination city. No money crosses a border, and no bank or transfer operator is involved.

It is a settlement made of two matching payments. You need to move money from one city to another, and someone else needs the opposite. You hand over cash in your city, the counterparty hands over the agreed amount in the destination city — the two transfers offset each other, and no money physically travels. That is how person-to-person cash transfers on Shaomacao work.

Find a person on the board who needs the mirror transfer on your route, or post your own listing. Once a request is accepted, you exchange contacts, agree the rate and exact amounts, and each of you hands over cash in your own city. No bank, no money transfer operator, no card involved.

A bank or transfer operator physically moves the money and charges a fee. Here nothing moves: two people settle in cash by mutual offset, each in their own city. There is no operator commission, no bank limits and no SWIFT — but also no financial institution guarantees: the deal rests on the counterparty's track record and a face-to-face meeting.

Nothing. Posting a listing, browsing the board, and sending requests are free. There is no commission on exchanges, because the platform never touches the money — participants settle directly between themselves.

The two participants are. Shaomacao is a listings board: it does not hold, transfer, or escrow funds, does not guarantee any exchange, and is not a party to your agreement. There is no protection fund and no dispute arbitration. This is why reviews and a visible track record matter — and why you should never send funds before a face-to-face exchange.

Open their profile from the listing. It shows every review left after their completed exchanges, by both sides, along with the routes and amount bands involved. An account with a consistent history across several exchanges is a very different proposition from one with none.

Only after the listing owner accepts your request. Until then, neither side sees the other’s phone number or contact method. Both parties receive an email when a request is accepted.

Listings use four bands: up to 500, 500–1,500, 1,500–3,000, and 3,000–6,000 US dollars. The band is a guide for matching; the exact sum is agreed between the two participants.

The participants do. Shaomacao does not publish rates, does not set them, and takes no part in the calculation. Agree the rate and the exact amounts before you meet.

Adults aged 21 and over with a valid email address. Registration requires confirming the address by email; you can also sign in with Google and complete your profile afterwards.

Thirty days, after which it expires automatically. You can close it earlier once your exchange is done, which keeps the board honest for everyone else.

The catalogue covers major cities worldwide. In practice the board is thickest on routes with heavy movement of people — Dubai, Moscow, Istanbul, Bangkok, Tbilisi and similar hubs. If your route is empty, posting a listing is what makes it findable for the person on the other side.

That depends entirely on where you are. Rules on cash handling, currency exchange between private individuals, reporting thresholds and licensing differ by country and can be strict. You are responsible for complying with the law in your own jurisdiction, and Shaomacao does not provide legal or financial advice.

Yes. Deleting an account from your profile settings anonymises your personal data. Reviews you left stay on the platform without your name, because they are part of someone else’s public track record.