Pay by card in Spanish with a four-line counter script.

Catch the total first.

A total rarely arrives as a number on its own. It comes as a short sentence, and the last word is usually the currency. That word is your anchor: when you hear pesos, the number has finished and it is your turn.

The amount is illustrative. The currency word changes by country: pesos in Mexico, euros in Spain.

If the whole number disappears, you do not need to guess. Three phrases cover it: Perdón, ¿cuánto es? (sorry, how much is it?), ¿Puede repetir, por favor? (could you repeat that, please?) and ¿Puede escribirlo, por favor? (could you write it down, please?). Puede is the polite singular, the safe choice with a stranger at a till. There are more in how to ask someone to repeat or slow down.

Ask about the card.

One phrase does most of the work at a till. Learn it as a chunk, so it comes out without assembling the grammar first.

Tarjeta is the card itself. English switches between pay by card and pay with card; Spanish uses con for both, so pagar con tarjeta answers either wording. ¿Aceptan tarjeta? talks to the staff as a group and is common in Mexico and much of Latin America. ¿Se puede pagar con tarjeta? avoids choosing a you-form and works anywhere. And el pago con tarjeta is the noun on a sticker or a payment screen; it is there to be read, not said.

Because ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta? is about yourself, it stays the same whether you would use tú or usted with the person in front of you. You cannot get it wrong.

The full exchange.

Here is the whole thing in one place. Read it twice: once as the customer, once as the assistant. Saying the assistant’s half aloud is what trains your ear for the reply you will actually get.

An original practice dialogue, not a recorded conversation. A real shop may add its own questions about bags, loyalty cards or receipts.

Once these lines feel familiar, put them next to the words that come before and after: the café ordering dialogue covers the order, and the bill article covers the end of a sit-down meal.

Understand the answer.

The reply is short, usually two or three words. Learn the two yes forms and the one no that matters.

If you hear solo efectivo, the visit is not over. Answer Vale, en efectivo and pay what you have, or ask ¿Hay un cajero cerca? (is there a cash machine nearby?). Vale is everyday in Spain; De acuerdo travels better across countries.

The machine has more than one name. In Spain you will hear el datáfono; in much of Latin America, including Mexico, la terminal. You may be asked for el PIN or la firma (a signature).

Thank the assistant.

The last step is short, and it is what makes the exchange feel finished rather than abandoned.

You may also hear ¿Quiere el recibo? (would you like the receipt?). No, gracias is a complete answer; if you want it, say Sí, por favor.

Cover and recall.

Reading a phrase again feels productive. Pulling it out of memory is what a counter actually asks of you. Cover the tables above, then say or write the Spanish for each prompt before you check.

• I can catch a total and ask for it again.
• I can ask to pay by card in one short question.
• I can answer solo efectivo without switching to English.

Use the examples whenever you need them. This is practice, not a proficiency test.

If apps left you tapping, not talking.

Points and streaks reward tapping a screen; a person waiting at a till is a different skill. This page is a script, not a game: four steps, one line for each, and the replies to expect. There is no account and no microphone, so you can read it, say it aloud and close the tab.

The second worry is fair too: a free plan that exists only to sell something. The free 7 Day Spanish Starter Plan is five pages with one small task a day, and the whole plan is printed on its web page, so you can work from it without downloading anything. The paid options are planned, not open for booking: the pricing page lists planned prices and says what is still unconfirmed, and there is no checkout today. The refund and editorial policies are published on the site as well.

Common questions.