Before you meet
- We do not check anyone's identity. Nobody here is verified by us.
- Meet somewhere public and busy, in daylight, and tell someone where you are going.
- Dinora is free. Donations cover our costs, so neither side pays a fee.
How it works
How Dinora works, in plain language.
Two people who need cash moved in opposite directions find each other here, agree what each will hand over, and then each pays someone locally. No money crosses a border, and none of it passes through Dinora.
Diagram of one exchange. Carlos in Houston needs $500 to reach Sofía in Guadalajara; Roberto in Guadalajara needs $500 to reach María in Houston. The two needs cross at the border, which is the match. Neither is paid across it: instead Carlos hands $500 to María inside Houston, and Roberto hands $500 to Sofía inside Guadalajara. Total that crossed the border: nothing.
- Cash. Stays inside one city.
- Words. Cross the border freely.
01Carlos is in Houston and wants $500 to reach Sofía in Guadalajara. He posts that, and it goes on the public board.
What crossed the border
Two people handed over $500 each, in two different cities, on the same day. Add up everything that travelled between those cities and you get the third number.
- $500handed over in Houston
- $500handed over in Guadalajara
- $0crossed the border
That last figure is why there is nothing to charge for. No crossing means no exchange rate applied to your money, no wire fee, and no transfer sitting somewhere for days while someone decides about it.
We are the noticeboard, not the bank.
Dinora never holds, moves, releases or guarantees anyone's money. There is no escrow to fall back on and no payment to reverse. You are agreeing to meet a stranger and exchange cash, and you decide whether to go through with it.
| Stage | You | Your counterpart | Dinora |
|---|---|---|---|
| You post your route | Holds it | Holds nothing | Holds nothing |
| Someone takes it | Holds it | Holds it | Holds nothing |
| You agree the details in chat | Holds it | Holds it | Holds nothing |
| You meet in person | Holds it | Holds it | Holds nothing |
| You hand the cash over | Holds nothing | Holds nothing | Holds nothing |
| You both confirm | Holds nothing | Holds nothing | Holds nothing |
| Cash Dinora has held, across every stage | None, ever | ||
After the handover the cash is with the two people you each met — it is theirs now, and it never passed through us on the way. Confirming records that you say it changed hands. It is your statement, not our verification, and it moves nothing.
Before you go and meet someone, read this.
If something feels wrong
- Leave. You owe a stranger nothing, and no part of this completes without you.
- Block and report them from the chat. Reporting sends us the conversation so we can review it.
Common questions
How is it free?
Nothing is sent anywhere, so there is nothing to charge for. You pay someone in your city, your counterpart pays someone in theirs. No border crossing means no FX spread and no wire fee, and Dinora takes nothing.
What if my counterparty disappears?
If you have not handed over cash, you have lost nothing — leave the exchange and post again. If you have, Dinora cannot recover it: we never held it and there is no payment to reverse. That is why both sides should hand over at the same time, or the person who goes second should wait for the other's confirmation first.
Who is the person I'll actually meet?
Often not the person you matched with — it is whoever they nominated to receive the cash in your city. That person may have no Dinora account and no rating. Agree in chat exactly who will be there and how you will recognise each other, before you set off.
What if I don't feel safe at the meeting?
Walk away. You are not committed to anything until you choose to hand cash over, and nothing on Dinora completes without you. If you are in danger, call your local emergency number first, then block and report the person in the chat.
Is Dinora legal in my country?
Dinora is a place to post and find each other — it is not a money service, because no money passes through it. What you do after you meet is a private cash transaction between you and the other person, subject to your own local law.
How long does it take?
As long as the two of you take. Finding a match depends on whether anyone needs the opposite direction; the exchange itself takes as long as it takes you both to meet.
Are there limits?
Dinora sets none. Agree only what you are willing to carry and to lose, and consider starting small with someone you have not dealt with before.
Ready to try it?
Post your route, or accept an open offer.