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German phrases for sorting out a mistake at the checkout in Germany

Go back to the till and say “Entschuldigen Sie die Störung”. Then explain: “Auf dem Regal steht ein anderer Preis”. A colleague will often check the shelf label (“Bitte warten Sie, es kommt gleich jemand”). Thank them, and say “Ja, bitte” when they offer the Kassenbon, so you keep the corrected receipt.

Try it · about two minutes

The price on your receipt doesn’t match the shelf, so you go back to the till to sort it out.

Sound on: the cashier speaks German. You choose what to say back, and Frasa tells you why it works.

How does the conversation usually go?

  1. You check your receipt just after paying. The price of one item is not the one on the shelf label. You step back to the till.

    You

    Entschuldigen Sie die Störung.

    Sorry to bother you.

  2. Cashier

    Wie kann ich Ihnen helfen?

    How can I help you?

    You

    Auf dem Regal steht ein anderer Preis.

    The shelf price is different.

  3. Cashier

    Bitte warten Sie, es kommt gleich jemand.

    Please wait, someone will be along shortly.

    You

    Kein Problem, ich warte.

    No problem, I’ll wait.

  4. Cashier

    Das tut mir leid, ich kümmere mich sofort darum.

    I’m sorry, I’ll sort it out right away.

    You

    Vielen Dank für Ihre Hilfe.

    Thank you very much for your help.

  5. Cashier

    Möchten Sie den Kassenbon?

    Would you like the receipt?

    You

    Ja, bitte.

    Yes, please.

  6. Cashier

    Einen schönen Tag noch!

    Have a nice day.

    You

    Danke, Ihnen auch. Tschüss.

    Thanks, you too. Bye.

Which German phrases do you need?

  • Entschuldigen Sie die Störung.

    Sorry to bother you.

  • Darf ich Sie etwas fragen?

    Could I ask you something?

  • Auf dem Regal steht ein anderer Preis.

    The shelf price is different.

  • Könnte jemand den Preis am Regal prüfen?

    Could someone check the shelf price?

  • Ich glaube, das wurde doppelt abgerechnet.

    I think this was charged twice.

  • Ich glaube, ich habe falsches Wechselgeld bekommen.

    I think I got the wrong change.

  • Der Rabatt wurde an der Kasse nicht abgezogen.

    The discount wasn’t taken off at the till.

  • Möchten Sie den Kassenbon?

    Would you like the receipt?

  • Ich hätte gern einen Kassenbon.

    I’d like a receipt, please.

  • Könnte ich bitte mit der Marktleitung sprechen?

    Could I speak to the manager, please?

What is worth knowing in Germany?

How to sort it out

  1. 1

    Check your Kassenbon before you leave the shop. Mistakes are easiest to fix on the spot.

  2. 2

    Go back to the till, or to the customer service desk if there is one, and say what differs.

    The shelf price is different.
  3. 3

    Show the receipt and the shelf label. A colleague will often come to check it.

Other till mistakes

The same approach works for a double charge, wrong change or a discount missing from the receipt. Name the mistake, and show the receipt.

Ich glaube, ich habe falsches Wechselgeld bekommen.

I think I got the wrong change.

At a self-checkout

Many supermarkets have self-checkouts. If the machine stops or scans wrongly, wave or call for an assistant and say you need help with the machine.

Können Sie mir bei diesem Automaten helfen?

Can you help me with this machine?

Questions about this situation

Which German phrases matter most here?
“Entschuldigen Sie die Störung.” (Sorry to bother you); “Darf ich Sie etwas fragen?” (Could I ask you something); “Auf dem Regal steht ein anderer Preis.” (The shelf price is different). The full list is above.
Can I hear how they sound?
Yes: press the speaker next to a phrase to hear it, recorded for the Frasa app.
How can I practise this conversation?
Press “Start the conversation” above to play it through and choose your replies, with a note on why some fit better in Germany. Frasa, an iPhone app, lets you save these phrases and rehearse them out loud.

Related situations in German

All situations in German

Practise these phrases in Frasa

Frasa is an iPhone app for the conversations in front of you. Save phrases like these, rehearse them out loud, and they come back until they stick.

AI-generated. May be inaccurate.