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Everyday situations

How to pay and get change in English

A1

Paying by card, cash or contactless, getting your change, saying no to a tip: the phrases you need at the till.

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Quick answer

Three questions you hear at the till: How would you like to pay?, Card or cash? and Contactless?. A typical answer: Card, please. or Cash, please. For your change: Keep the change or Could I have the change? In the UK, contactless cards have been the norm since 2017. In the US, they came later but are now standard.

Paying in English follows very fixed patterns: five standard phrases cover 95% of situations. The real difference is not the language but the local way of paying. In the UK, people use contactless everywhere (up to £100), cash is less and less common, and tipping is rare outside restaurants. In the US, cashiers often ask for chip and PIN or a swipe (contactless arrived more slowly), people still use a lot of cash, and they expect a tip of 15 to 20% in restaurants. Two words often cause confusion. In the UK, the bill is what you pay at a restaurant, and paper money is a note. In the US, a bill is paper money, and the check is what you pay at a restaurant. Also, change is uncountable: it has no plural, so never say changes.

Step by step

Each step follows a typical conversation. Lines marked “or” are other possible answers, depending on the situation.

1. Choosing how to pay

Card or cash, contactless, chip and PIN, swipe: the four ways to pay.

  • Other person

    How would you like to pay?

    or

    Card or cash?

  • You

    Card, please.

    or

    Cash, please.

  • Other person

    Contactless?

  • You

    Yes, contactless, please.

    or

    Chip and PIN, please.

    UK→ In the UK, you must enter your PIN for amounts over £100.
  • Other person

    Could you tap there?

    → The cashier is pointing at the contactless card machine.
    or

    Could you swipe your card?

    US→ An older US system: you slide your card through the machine.

2. Inserting or tapping your card

Show or insert your card, enter your PIN, and sometimes sign (in the US).

  • Other person

    Please insert your card.

  • You

    There you go.

  • Other person

    Enter your PIN, please.

    or

    Could you sign here?

    → Some US shops still ask for this, for example for large amounts.
  • Other person

    I'm afraid your card was declined.

  • You

    Could you try again?

  • Other person

    Sorry, the machine isn't working.

    or

    Can you pay with cash instead?

    or

    Could you try a different card?

  • You

    Sure, I'll pay with cash.

3. Paying in cash and getting change

Give a bigger note and get your change back. Words for notes and coins.

  • Other person

    That's £18.50, please.

  • You

    Here's a twenty.

    → A twenty is a £20 note (UK) or a $20 bill (US).
  • Other person

    And £1.50 change.

  • You

    Could I have the change in coins?

  • Other person

    Of course, here you go.

  • You

    Here's a fifty.

  • Other person

    Sorry, we don't accept £50 notes.

    UK→ Some small UK shops do not take £50 notes, because there are many fake ones.
    or

    Do you have anything smaller?

  • You

    Sorry, I don't have anything smaller.

    → A polite way to say sorry for paying with a big note.
    or

    Could you break a fifty?

4. The tip

Very important in the US (15 to 20%), optional in the UK, rare in Northern Europe.

  • Other person

    Would you like to add a tip?

    US→ The usual question on card machines in the US.
  • You

    Let's add 20 %.

    or

    No tip, thanks.

    → Fine in the UK, but rude in a US restaurant.
  • You

    Is service included?

  • Other person

    Yes, service is included.

    UK
  • You

    Could you put it on the bill?

    → You ask to add the tip to the amount you pay by card.
  • Other person

    That'll be £22.

  • You

    Keep the change.

    or

    Make it £25.

    → A way to round up and include a tip: the total is £22, so the tip is £3.

5. Getting a receipt

Ask for a receipt, check the amount, and say if there is a mistake.

  • Other person

    Would you like a receipt?

  • You

    Yes, please.

    or

    Could I have an itemized receipt?

    → This receipt lists every item and its price, so you can check each line.
  • Other person

    Email or printed?

  • You

    Could you email it to me?

  • You

    There seems to be a mistake on the bill.

  • Other person

    Oh, sorry. What's wrong?

  • You

    I think I've been charged twice.

    or

    Could you check the total?

6. Problems: a declined card, a limit, no cash

What you can do when the payment does not work.

  • Other person

    Sorry, your card has been declined.

  • You

    I think there's a problem with my card.

  • You

    Could you try this one instead?

  • Other person

    Sorry, it's still not going through.

  • You

    Is there an ATM nearby?

  • Other person

    Yes, just round the corner.

  • You

    Could you hold the items? I'll be back in 5.

  • Other person

    Of course.

  • You

    Could I split the payment?

  • You

    Half on this card, half on the other?

  • Other person

    Of course, no problem.

  • You

    Is there a contactless limit?

    → UK: £100. US: it depends, often $200.
  • Other person

    Yes, above £100 you'll need to enter your PIN.

Useful vocabulary

Ways to pay

  • cardthe plastic from your bank you pay with
  • cashcoins and notes
  • contactlesspaying by tapping on a machine
  • chip and PINinsert your card, type your secret code
  • a debit card / a credit cardpays from your account / with borrowed money
  • a gift carda present you can spend in a shop
  • a cheque / a check(UK)a signed paper that pays someone
  • mobile payment / Apple Pay / Google Paypaying with your phone

Money

  • changemoney you get back
  • a coina small round piece of metal money
  • a note / a bill(UK)paper money
  • a bill(US)paper money
  • a penny / penniesthe smallest coin: 1p or 1 cent
  • a nickel / a dime / a quarterUS coins: 5, 10 and 25 cents
  • a buck(US)an informal word for a dollar
  • a quid(UK)an informal word for a pound

At the till

  • the checkout / the till(UK)the place where you pay
  • the register(US)the place where you pay
  • a receipta paper that proves you paid
  • a refundmoney given back to you
  • a transactionone payment or exchange of money
  • a tip / gratuityextra money for good service
  • the totalthe full amount to pay
  • VAT / sales taxtax on the things you buy

Payment problems

  • declinedrefused by the bank
  • a limitthe highest amount allowed
  • to split the billto share the cost between people
  • an ATM / a cashpointa machine that gives out money
  • a fee / chargesmoney you pay for a service
  • to overchargeto ask someone for too much money
  • to refundto give money back
  • fraud / fraudulentusing lies to get money

UK vs US: what changes

You want to say…UKUS
The place where you payThe till / the checkoutThe register
The machine that gives you moneyA cashpoint / an ATMAn ATM
Paper moneyA noteA bill
What you pay at a restaurantThe billThe check
The small units (100 make one)Pence (£0.50 = fifty pence)Cents ($0.50 = fifty cents)
Informal word for one unitA quid (= £1)A buck (= $1)
Tax on what you buyVAT (Value Added Tax, included)Sales tax (added when you pay)

Common mistakes to avoid

1. Change has no plural

Change (the money you get back) is uncountable: it never has a plural. ✓ Could I have my change? ✓ Keep the change. ✗ Could I have my changes? To ask for a kind of change, say Could I have my change in coins / in small notes?

2. Bill in New York and in London

In the UK, a bill is what you pay at a restaurant, and a note is paper money. In the US, a bill is paper money, and sometimes also what you pay at a restaurant (it depends on the situation). The usual US word for a restaurant bill is the check. In a New York restaurant, a bill can sound unclear, so say the check, please.

3. In the US, people expect a tip

In the US, a restaurant tip is 15 to 20%. Waiters earn less than the normal minimum wage (sometimes $2.13 an hour) and depend on tips. Leaving less than 15% is seen as rude, and less than 10% as an insult. In a taxi: 15%. At the hairdresser's: 15 to 20%. The card machine often suggests 15, 18 or 20% automatically.

4. VAT included in the UK, sales tax added in the US

In the UK, the price on the label includes VAT (Value Added Tax, 20%). The price you see is the price you pay. In the US, the price on the label does not include sales tax (from 0 to about 10%, depending on the state and the city). So you pay more at the till than the price on the label. Many visitors to New York get a surprise.

5. Tipping on the card machine

In the US, the card machine often shows 15 / 18 / 20 / Custom when you pay. Choosing No tip in a US restaurant sends a very negative message (unless the service was terrible). In the UK, the machine asks less often, and you should not feel you have to tip.

Practice quiz

Question 1 / 4The Big Challenge question bank

You pay £18.50 with a £20 note. What do you say to leave the change as a tip?

Related pages: Paying and getting change

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Frequently asked questions

How do you pay in a shop in English?+

There are three main answers: Card, please. Cash, please. Contactless. The cashier will ask How would you like to pay? or Card or cash? If your card does not work, ask Could you try again? or offer a different card. Always ask Could I have a receipt? If you only have a big note, ask Could you break a fifty? (Can you change it into smaller money?)

Is it keep the change or keep the changes?+

Keep the change is the standard phrase. Change is uncountable, so it never has a plural (never keep the changes). To round up the amount, you can also say Make it + a rounder amount: Make it £20 means “take £20 in total, and the rest is your tip”.

What is the difference between bill and check?+

In the UK, the bill is what you pay at the end of a restaurant meal. In the US, it is the check (people understand the bill, but it sounds British). Ask Could I have the bill / check, please?

Do you have to leave a tip in the US and the UK?+

In the US, yes: 15 to 20% in a restaurant (not required by law, but people really expect it), 15% in a taxi and 15 to 20% at the hairdresser's. Waiters get part of their pay from tips. In the UK, it is optional: 10 to 15% is welcome if service is not included. Check for a service charge on the bill, so you don't pay twice.

Is tax included in prices in the US?+

In the UK and the rest of Europe, yes: VAT (Value Added Tax, about 20% in the UK) is included in the price you see. In the US, no: sales tax (from 0 to about 10%, depending on the state and the city) is added when you pay. In New York City, headphones that cost $20 on the label cost about $21.78 at the till (8.875% tax). This is true for electronics and restaurants, but not for clothes under $110 in New York City, or for basic food in some states.

What do you say when your card is declined?+

The cashier says Your card has been declined or Your card was declined. You can answer Could you try again?, Could I try a different card? or I'll pay in cash instead. If you think there is a real problem with your card, ask Could you check if there's a hold on my card? Then call your bank to unblock it.

Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →

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