Paying for something in French usually involves a short exchange. You need to understand the price, say how you want to pay, and recognize a few common questions at the checkout.
Asking about the price
To find out how much something costs, you can use these common questions:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| C'est combien ? | How much is it? |
| Ça coûte combien ? | How much does it cost? |
| Combien coûte cette veste ? | How much does this jacket cost? |
| Quel est le prix ? | What is the price? |
C'est combien ? is a simple and common way to ask the price when it is already clear what you are talking about.
Understanding the amount
At the checkout, you will often hear ça fait followed by the amount you need to pay.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Ça fait cinq euros. | That's five euros. |
| Ça fait douze euros cinquante. | That's €12.50. |
| Ça vous fait vingt-trois euros. | Your total is €23. |
A price such as €12.50 is commonly said as douze euros cinquante.
Paying by card or in cash
The two most useful expressions for saying how you want to pay are par carte and en espèces.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| par carte | by card |
| en espèces | in cash |
| une carte bancaire | bank card |
| un billet | banknote / bill |
| une pièce | coin |
| la monnaie | change |
You can use these expressions on their own or in a sentence:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Par carte, s'il vous plaît. | By card, please. |
| En espèces, s'il vous plaît. | In cash, please. |
| Je peux payer par carte ? | Can I pay by card? |
| Vous acceptez les cartes ? | Do you accept cards? |
What you may hear at the checkout
Many checkout exchanges use short, predictable questions.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Vous payez comment ? | How are you paying? |
| Par carte ou en espèces ? | By card or cash? |
| Vous voulez le ticket ? | Would you like the receipt? |
| Vous voulez un sac ? | Would you like a bag? |
| Vous avez la monnaie ? | Do you have the change? |
You can usually answer just as briefly:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Par carte. | By card. |
| En espèces. | In cash. |
| Oui, s'il vous plaît. | Yes, please. |
| Non, merci. | No, thank you. |
A receipt is un ticket de caisse, often shortened to un ticket when the context is clear.
Paying by card
If you pay by card, you may hear a few additional expressions:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| sans contact | contactless |
| Vous pouvez insérer votre carte. | You can insert your card. |
| Vous pouvez taper votre code. | You can enter your PIN. |
| La carte ne passe pas. | The card isn't going through. |
If one card does not work, you can say:
Je vais essayer une autre carte.
I'll try another card.
Putting it together
A typical payment can be very short:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Ça vous fait vingt-huit euros cinquante. | Your total is €28.50. |
| Je peux payer par carte ? | Can I pay by card? |
| Oui, bien sûr. | Yes, of course. |
| Vous voulez le ticket ? | Would you like the receipt? |
| Oui, s'il vous plaît. | Yes, please. |
| Merci. Bonne journée. | Thank you. Have a nice day. |
| Merci, vous aussi. | Thanks, you too. |
Recognizing Ça vous fait..., Par carte ou en espèces ?, and Vous voulez le ticket ? will help you follow many everyday payment exchanges.
From learning to practice
Practice paying as a short exchange: ask the price with C'est combien ?, listen for the amount, and respond with Par carte, s'il vous plaît or En espèces, s'il vous plaît.