How to Create Money as Item in QBCore

Learn how to create physical money items that players can drop, trade, and pick up in your QBCore server.

Overview

In QBCore, you can create physical money items that act like regular inventory items. This allows players to drop cash, trade it with others, and creates more immersive roleplay opportunities.

Prerequisites

QBCore Framework installed
Access to server files
Basic understanding of Lua scripting
QB-Inventory system

Step 1: Configure Money Items

First, you need to add money items to your shared items configuration.

Edit qb-core/shared/items.lua

Add these money items to your items list:

-- Money Items
['cash'] = {
    name = 'cash',
    label = 'Cash',
    weight = 0,
    type = 'item',
    image = 'cash.png',
    unique = false,
    useable = false,
    shouldClose = false,
    combinable = nil,
    description = 'Paper money'
},
 
['markedbills'] = {
    name = 'markedbills',
    label = 'Marked Bills',
    weight = 1000,
    type = 'item',
    image = 'markedbills.png',
    unique = true,
    useable = false,
    shouldClose = false,
    combinable = nil,
    description = 'Money with serial numbers'
},
 
['dirtymoney'] = {
    name = 'dirtymoney',
    label = 'Dirty Money',
    weight = 1000,
    type = 'item',
    image = 'dirtymoney.png',
    unique = true,
    useable = false,
    shouldClose = false,
    combinable = nil,
    description = 'Illegally obtained money'
}

Step 2: Create Money Conversion Functions

Server-Side Functions (qb-core/server/functions.lua)

Add functions to convert between cash and money items:

-- Convert cash to item
QBCore.Functions.ConvertCashToItem = function(source, amount)
    local Player = QBCore.Functions.GetPlayer(source)
    if not Player then return false end
    
    if Player.PlayerData.money.cash >= amount then
        Player.Functions.RemoveMoney('cash', amount)
        Player.Functions.AddItem('cash', amount)
        return true
    end
    return false
end
 
-- Convert item to cash
QBCore.Functions.ConvertItemToCash = function(source, amount)
    local Player = QBCore.Functions.GetPlayer(source)
    if not Player then return false end
    
    local cashItem = Player.Functions.GetItemByName('cash')
    if cashItem and cashItem.amount >= amount then
        Player.Functions.RemoveItem('cash', amount)
        Player.Functions.AddMoney('cash', amount)
        return true
    end
    return false
end

Step 3: Create Useable Items

Make Cash Items Useable

Add to qb-core/server/main.lua or create a separate resource:

-- Use cash item to convert to money
QBCore.Functions.CreateUseableItem('cash', function(source, item)
    local Player = QBCore.Functions.GetPlayer(source)
    if not Player then return end
    
    local amount = item.amount or 1
    Player.Functions.RemoveItem('cash', amount)
    Player.Functions.AddMoney('cash', amount)
    TriggerClientEvent('QBCore:Notify', source, 'You deposited $' .. amount .. ' to your wallet', 'success')
end)
 
-- Use dirty money (requires laundering)
QBCore.Functions.CreateUseableItem('dirtymoney', function(source, item)
    local Player = QBCore.Functions.GetPlayer(source)
    if not Player then return end
    
    TriggerClientEvent('QBCore:Notify', source, 'This money needs to be laundered first', 'error')
end)

Step 4: Create Admin Commands

Money Management Commands

Add these commands for server administration:

-- Give cash item to player
QBCore.Commands.Add('givecash', 'Give cash item to player (Admin Only)', {{name = 'id', help = 'Player ID'}, {name = 'amount', help = 'Amount of cash'}}, true, function(source, args)
    local Player = QBCore.Functions.GetPlayer(tonumber(args[1]))
    local amount = tonumber(args[2])
    
    if Player and amount and amount > 0 then
        Player.Functions.AddItem('cash', amount)
        TriggerClientEvent('QBCore:Notify', source, 'Gave $' .. amount .. ' cash to ' .. Player.PlayerData.charinfo.firstname, 'success')
        TriggerClientEvent('QBCore:Notify', Player.PlayerData.source, 'You received $' .. amount .. ' in cash', 'success')
    end
end, 'admin')
 
-- Convert all cash to items
QBCore.Commands.Add('cashtoitem', 'Convert wallet cash to items', {}, false, function(source, args)
    local Player = QBCore.Functions.GetPlayer(source)
    if not Player then return end
    
    local cashAmount = Player.PlayerData.money.cash
    if cashAmount > 0 then
        if QBCore.Functions.ConvertCashToItem(source, cashAmount) then
            TriggerClientEvent('QBCore:Notify', source, 'Converted $' .. cashAmount .. ' to cash items', 'success')
        else
            TriggerClientEvent('QBCore:Notify', source, 'Failed to convert cash', 'error')
        end
    else
        TriggerClientEvent('QBCore:Notify', source, 'You have no cash to convert', 'error')
    end
end)

Step 5: Inventory Integration

Configure QB-Inventory

Ensure your inventory system can handle these items properly:

-- In qb-inventory/config.lua
Config.ItemDrops = true  -- Allow dropping items
Config.PickupKey = 38    -- E key to pickup items
 
-- Add to weapon drops or item specific configs if needed
Config.MaxDroppedCash = 100000  -- Maximum cash that can be dropped at once

Step 6: Add Images

Create Item Images

Create or download appropriate images:
- cash.png - Regular money icon
- markedbills.png - Marked bills icon
- dirtymoney.png - Dirty money icon

Place them in your inventory resource’s images folder:

qb-inventory/html/images/
├── cash.png
├── markedbills.png
└── dirtymoney.png

Step 7: Money Laundering System (Optional)

Create a Simple Laundering Script

-- Money laundering location
local launderingLocation = vector3(1138.0, -3199.0, -39.0) -- Example coords
 
-- Client-side proximity check
CreateThread(function()
    while true do
        local ped = PlayerPedId()
        local pos = GetEntityCoords(ped)
        local distance = #(pos - launderingLocation)
        
        if distance < 3.0 then
            QBCore.Functions.DrawText3D(launderingLocation.x, launderingLocation.y, launderingLocation.z, '[E] Launder Money')
            
            if IsControlJustPressed(0, 38) then -- E key
                TriggerServerEvent('qb-money:server:launderMoney')
            end
        end
        
        Wait(1000)
    end
end)
 
-- Server-side laundering
RegisterNetEvent('qb-money:server:launderMoney', function()
    local src = source
    local Player = QBCore.Functions.GetPlayer(src)
    if not Player then return end
    
    local dirtyMoney = Player.Functions.GetItemByName('dirtymoney')
    if dirtyMoney then
        local amount = dirtyMoney.amount
        local launderedAmount = math.floor(amount * 0.75) -- 25% fee
        
        Player.Functions.RemoveItem('dirtymoney', amount)
        Player.Functions.AddItem('cash', launderedAmount)
        
        TriggerClientEvent('QBCore:Notify', src, 'Laundered $' .. amount .. ' for $' .. launderedAmount, 'success')
    else
        TriggerClientEvent('QBCore:Notify', src, 'You have no dirty money to launder', 'error')
    end
end)

Step 8: Testing

Test Your Implementation

Give yourself cash items:
```
/givecash [your_id] 1000
```
Test dropping and picking up:
- Open inventory and drag cash to drop
- Walk over dropped cash and press E to pick up
Test conversion:
- Use /cashtoitem command
- Right-click cash items in inventory to use them
Test trading:
- Give cash items to other players
- Verify they can use the items

Advanced Features

Track Money Serial Numbers

-- Add metadata to track money origin
local function CreateTrackedMoney(source, amount, origin)
    local Player = QBCore.Functions.GetPlayer(source)
    if not Player then return end
    
    local metadata = {
        serial = QBCore.Shared.RandomStr(8),
        origin = origin,
        timestamp = os.time()
    }
    
    Player.Functions.AddItem('markedbills', amount, false, metadata)
end
 
-- Usage example
CreateTrackedMoney(source, 5000, 'bank_robbery')

Anti-Duplication Measures

-- Prevent money duplication exploits
local moneyTransactions = {}
 
RegisterNetEvent('qb-money:server:secureTransfer', function(targetId, amount)
    local src = source
    local transactionId = src .. '_' .. os.time()
    
    if moneyTransactions[transactionId] then
        return -- Prevent duplicate transactions
    end
    
    moneyTransactions[transactionId] = true
    
    -- Your transfer logic here
    
    -- Clean up old transactions
    SetTimeout(60000, function()
        moneyTransactions[transactionId] = nil
    end)
end)

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Items not showing in inventory:

Check if item images exist
Verify items are properly added to shared/items.lua
Restart qb-core and inventory resources

Can’t drop items:

Ensure Config.ItemDrops = true in inventory config
Check weight limits in inventory system
Verify player has permission to drop items

Items not useable:

Make sure QBCore.Functions.CreateUseableItem is registered
Check for script errors in console
Verify item names match exactly

Best Practices

Always validate inputs - Check amounts and player data
Use metadata - Track item origins for security
Implement limits - Prevent excessive cash items
Log transactions - Keep records for admin purposes
Test thoroughly - Verify all functionality before deploying

Conclusion

Creating money as items in QBCore adds depth to your roleplay server by making cash physical and tradeable. Players can now drop money during robberies, trade cash directly, and engage in more realistic financial interactions.

Remember to regularly backup your server before implementing these changes, and always test on a development server first.

Need more help? Join our GitHub discussions or check out more QBCore tutorials.

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