Paying & Splitting the Bill
Use these essential phrases to confidently ask for the check, state your payment method, and split the cost with friends at a restaurant or cafe.
Key Phrases
La cuenta, por favor.
neutralThe bill, please.
The standard and most common way to ask for the check in any Spanish-speaking country.
¿Me cobras, por favor?
casualCan you charge me, please?
A very natural way to ask to pay, typically used in informal spots or cafes.
¿Aceptan tarjeta?
neutralDo you accept cards?
Use this when you are not sure if the establishment is cash-only.
¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?
casualCan I pay with a card?
A direct and easy way to ask if your preferred payment method is okay.
¿Podemos pagar por separado?
neutralCan we pay separately?
The clearest way to ask the server to divide the charges per person.
Vamos a dividir la cuenta.
casualWe are going to split the bill.
Useful to tell your friends or the server that you will share the cost.
¿Cuánto es en total?
neutralHow much is it in total?
A straightforward way to ask for the final amount.
¿Qué te debo?
casualWhat do I owe you?
Very informal; typically used at a bar or when paying a friend back.
Puede quedarse con el cambio.
politeYou can keep the change.
Polite and direct when handing over cash to the server.
Así está bien, gracias.
casualIt's fine like this, thanks.
A common indirect way to tell the server to keep the change as a tip.