Frasa
SituationsGet the app (opens the App Store in a new tab)

Spanish · Cafés & restaurants · Elementary

How to ask for the bill in Spanish

Catch the waiter’s eye and say “La cuenta, por favor”: in Spain the bill rarely comes until you ask. To split it, ask “¿Podemos pagar por separado?”. Tipping isn’t usually expected; if you liked the service, round up or say “Quédese con el cambio”.

Try it · about two minutes

At the end of a meal with friends you ask for the bill, decide how to split it and whether to leave a tip.

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

The conversation

  1. Waiter

    ¿Qué tal estaba todo?

    How was everything?

    You

    Todo muy rico, gracias.

    Everything was delicious, thank you.

  2. Waiter

    ¿Quieren postre o café?

    Would you like dessert or coffee?

    You

    No, gracias. ¿Nos trae la cuenta?

    No, thanks. Could you bring us the bill?

  3. Waiter

    ¿Van a pagar con tarjeta o en efectivo?

    Are you paying by card or in cash?

    You

    Con tarjeta. ¿Se puede dividir entre cuatro?

    By card. Can it be split four ways?

  4. The waiter comes back with the card machine, and you’re not sure about a tip.

    You

    ¿Está incluido el servicio?

    Is service included?

  5. Waiter

    La propina no es obligatoria, pero se agradece.

    Tipping isn’t compulsory, but it’s appreciated.

    You

    Vale, dejamos unas monedas.

    OK, we’ll leave a few coins.

  6. Waiter

    Adiós, hasta luego.

    Bye, see you later.

    You

    Gracias, hasta luego.

    Thanks, see you.

Key phrases

  • La cuenta, por favor.

    The bill, please.

  • ¿Qué tal estaba todo?

    How was everything?

  • Todo muy rico, gracias.

    Everything was delicious, thank you.

  • ¿Van a pagar con tarjeta o en efectivo?

    Are you paying by card or in cash?

  • ¿Podemos pagar por separado?

    Can we pay separately?

  • Pagamos a medias.

    We’ll split it down the middle.

  • ¿Está incluido el servicio?

    Is service included?

  • ¿Aquí se suele dejar propina?

    Do people usually leave a tip here?

  • Quédese con el cambio.

    Keep the change.

  • La propina no es obligatoria, pero se agradece.

    Tipping isn’t compulsory, but it’s appreciated.

Good to know in Spain

How paying usually goes

  1. 1

    Catch the waiter’s eye and ask for the bill; it rarely comes until you do.

    The bill, please.
  2. 2

    You usually pay at the table, by card or in cash.

    Are you paying by card or in cash?
  3. 3

    If you liked it, round up or leave a few coins.

Tipping is modest

Tipping isn’t usually expected in Spain. If they liked the service, many people round up or leave some coins.

La propina no es obligatoria, pero se agradece.

Tipping isn’t compulsory, but it’s appreciated.

One card, then Bizum

Often one friend pays the whole bill and the others send their share by Bizum, a payment service most Spanish banks offer in their apps.

Pago yo con tarjeta y luego me hacéis un Bizum.

I’ll pay by card and you can Bizum me afterwards.

More situations in Spanish

All situations in Spanish

Keep 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.