Knowing how to ask for the bill in Spanish is essential when visiting a restaurant, café or bar in Spain or Latin America.
The most common and natural expression is:
La cuenta, por favor.
This means:
The bill, please.
It is a short, polite phrase that you can use in almost any restaurant. However, there are several other ways to request the bill depending on the situation and how formal you want to sound.
In this guide, you will learn how to ask for the bill or check in Spanish, how to pronounce the most useful phrases and what to say when you are ready to pay.
How Do You Ask for the Bill in Spanish?
The easiest way to ask for the bill in Spanish is:
La cuenta, por favor
Meaning: The bill, please.
Approximate pronunciation: lah kwen-tah, por fah-bor
This is the phrase you will hear most often in restaurants throughout the Spanish-speaking world.
You do not need to use a complete sentence. Simply saying la cuenta, por favor is polite, clear and completely natural.
Example
Camarero: ¿Desean algo más?
Waiter: Would you like anything else?
Cliente: No, gracias. La cuenta, por favor.
Customer: No, thank you. The bill, please.
Can I Have the Bill, Please, in Spanish?
To say “Can I have the bill, please?” in Spanish, you can use:
¿Me trae la cuenta, por favor?
Meaning: Can you bring me the bill, please?
This is one of the most natural ways to request the bill from a waiter.
Although the literal translation is closer to “Will you bring me the bill?”, it is used politely in the same way as “Can I have the bill, please?” in English.
You can also say:
¿Me puede traer la cuenta, por favor?
Meaning: Could you bring me the bill, please?
This version is slightly more formal because it uses puede, meaning “can” or “could”.
Both expressions are correct:
- ¿Me trae la cuenta, por favor?
- ¿Me puede traer la cuenta, por favor?
The second option may feel a little more polite when speaking to someone you do not know.
How Do You Ask for the Check in Spanish?
In American English, people normally ask for the check, while British English speakers usually ask for the bill.
In Spanish, both ideas are usually expressed using the word:
La cuenta
Therefore, if you are wondering how to ask for the check in Spanish, you can say:
- La cuenta, por favor. — The check, please.
- ¿Me trae la cuenta? — Can you bring me the check?
- ¿Nos puede traer la cuenta? — Can you bring us the check?
In this context, you should not translate “check” literally as cheque.
In Spanish, un cheque usually refers to a bank cheque, not the restaurant bill.
Useful Ways to Ask for the Bill in Spanish
Here are several phrases you can use when you have finished your meal.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| La cuenta, por favor. | The bill, please. |
| ¿Me trae la cuenta, por favor? | Can you bring me the bill, please? |
| ¿Me puede traer la cuenta? | Could you bring me the bill? |
| ¿Nos trae la cuenta, por favor? | Can you bring us the bill, please? |
| ¿Nos puede traer la cuenta? | Could you bring us the bill? |
| Quisiéramos la cuenta, por favor. | We would like the bill, please. |
| Cuando pueda, la cuenta, por favor. | When you can, the bill, please. |
| Estamos listos para pagar. | We are ready to pay. |
The phrase cuando pueda is particularly useful because it sounds relaxed and polite.
Example
Cuando pueda, ¿nos trae la cuenta, por favor?
When you can, could you bring us the bill, please?
Me or Nos: Which One Should You Use?
The expression changes slightly depending on whether you are paying alone or with other people.
When you are alone
Use me:
- ¿Me trae la cuenta?
- ¿Me puede traer la cuenta?
When you are with other people
Use nos:
- ¿Nos trae la cuenta?
- ¿Nos puede traer la cuenta?
The word nos means “us”.
For example:
¿Nos puede traer la cuenta, por favor?
Could you bring us the bill, please?
However, you can always use the shorter phrase la cuenta, por favor, regardless of how many people are at the table.
How to Get the Waiter’s Attention in Spanish
Before asking for the bill, you may need to get the waiter’s attention.
In Spain, you can politely say:
- Perdone. — Excuse me.
- Disculpe. — Excuse me.
- Cuando pueda. — When you have a moment.
You can then add your request:
Perdone, ¿nos puede traer la cuenta?
Excuse me, could you bring us the bill?
Avoid shouting across the restaurant or repeatedly calling the waiter. Making eye contact and politely saying perdone is usually enough.
How to Say You Are Ready to Pay in Spanish
You can also tell the waiter that you are ready to pay.
Estamos listos para pagar
Meaning: We are ready to pay.
If you are alone, say:
Estoy listo para pagar
If you are a woman, you would say:
Estoy lista para pagar
Other useful expressions include:
- Quiero pagar. — I want to pay.
- Quisiera pagar. — I would like to pay.
- ¿Podemos pagar? — Can we pay?
- ¿Dónde se paga? — Where do we pay?
In some restaurants, the waiter brings the bill to your table. In others, especially cafés and informal bars, you may need to pay at the counter.
How to Ask to Pay by Card in Spanish
Once you receive the bill, you may want to ask whether you can pay by card.
¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?
Meaning: Can I pay by card?
You can also ask:
¿Aceptan tarjeta?
Meaning: Do you accept cards?
Other useful payment phrases include:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Quiero pagar con tarjeta. | I want to pay by card. |
| Voy a pagar en efectivo. | I am going to pay in cash. |
| ¿Se puede pagar con el móvil? | Can I pay with my phone? |
| ¿Tiene cambio? | Do you have change? |
| Aquí tiene. | Here you are. |
| Quédese con el cambio. | Keep the change. |
In Spain, tarjeta is the standard word for a debit or credit card.
How to Ask to Split the Bill in Spanish
If you are eating with other people, you may want to divide the bill.
¿Podemos pagar por separado?
Meaning: Can we pay separately?
You can also say:
¿Nos puede cobrar por separado?
Meaning: Can you charge us separately?
Other useful expressions include:
- Queremos dividir la cuenta. — We want to split the bill.
- Pagamos a medias. — We will split it equally.
- Cada uno paga lo suyo. — Each person pays for their own items.
- Yo invito. — It is my treat.
- Pago yo. — I will pay.
Example conversation
Cliente: ¿Nos puede traer la cuenta, por favor?
Customer: Could you bring us the bill, please?
Camarero: Claro. ¿Van a pagar juntos o por separado?
Waiter: Of course. Are you paying together or separately?
Cliente: Por separado, por favor.
Customer: Separately, please.
Useful Words on a Restaurant Bill
Understanding the bill is just as important as knowing how to request it.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| La cuenta | Bill / check |
| El total | Total |
| El precio | Price |
| El IVA | VAT / sales tax |
| El servicio | Service |
| La propina | Tip |
| El descuento | Discount |
| El efectivo | Cash |
| La tarjeta | Card |
| El recibo | Receipt |
| El cambio | Change |
| El importe | Amount |
Be careful with the difference between la cuenta and el recibo.
- La cuenta is the document showing what you need to pay.
- El recibo is usually the proof of payment you receive afterwards.
Do You Need to Leave a Tip in Spain?
A tip is called una propina in Spanish.
Tipping customs vary between countries. In Spain, leaving a tip is generally optional rather than compulsory. Customers may leave some change or a small amount when they are happy with the food and service.
Useful expressions include:
- ¿Está incluido el servicio? — Is service included?
- Quédese con el cambio. — Keep the change.
- Quiero dejar una propina. — I want to leave a tip.
- ¿Puedo añadir la propina al pago con tarjeta? — Can I add the tip to the card payment?
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Using “el billete”
The word billete can mean a banknote or a travel ticket, but it does not mean a restaurant bill.
Incorrect:
El billete, por favor.
Correct:
La cuenta, por favor.
Using “el cheque”
Although English speakers may ask for “the check”, cheque in Spanish normally refers to a bank cheque.
The correct restaurant word is cuenta.
Saying only “pagar”
The word pagar means “to pay”, but saying it alone may sound abrupt.
It is better to say:
- Quisiera pagar, por favor.
- ¿Podemos pagar?
- La cuenta, por favor.
Forgetting “por favor”
Spanish speakers may understand your request without por favor, but adding it makes the expression sound friendlier and more polite.
Restaurant Conversation Example
Here is a complete conversation you can use as a model:
Camarero: ¿Todo bien?
Waiter: Is everything all right?
Cliente: Sí, todo estaba muy bueno, gracias.
Customer: Yes, everything was very good, thank you.
Camarero: ¿Desean algo más?
Waiter: Would you like anything else?
Cliente: No, gracias. Cuando pueda, ¿nos trae la cuenta, por favor?
Customer: No, thank you. When you can, could you bring us the bill, please?
Camarero: Claro.
Waiter: Of course.
Cliente: ¿Podemos pagar con tarjeta?
Customer: Can we pay by card?
Camarero: Sí, sin problema.
Waiter: Yes, no problem.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you ask for the bill in Spanish?
The simplest and most common expression is:
La cuenta, por favor.
You can also say:
¿Me puede traer la cuenta, por favor?
How do you ask for the check in Spanish?
Use the word cuenta, even when translating the American English word “check”:
¿Nos trae la cuenta, por favor?
Do not use cheque, as this normally refers to a bank cheque.
How do you say “Can I have the bill, please?” in Spanish?
A natural translation is:
¿Me puede traer la cuenta, por favor?
When speaking for a group, use:
¿Nos puede traer la cuenta, por favor?
What is the shortest way to ask for the bill?
Simply say:
La cuenta, por favor.
It is polite, natural and understood throughout the Spanish-speaking world.
How do you ask to pay separately in Spanish?
Say:
¿Podemos pagar por separado?
You can also ask:
¿Nos puede cobrar por separado?
Practise Asking for the Bill in Spanish
Learning how to ask for the bill in Spanish will make restaurant experiences much easier during your travels.
The most important phrase to remember is:
La cuenta, por favor.
Once you feel comfortable with that expression, practise adding other useful phrases such as:
- ¿Podemos pagar con tarjeta?
- ¿Nos puede cobrar por separado?
- Quédese con el cambio.
- Cuando pueda, la cuenta, por favor.
At Teba Languages, you can learn practical Spanish for restaurants, travel and everyday situations. Our Spanish courses will help you expand your vocabulary and communicate with confidence in real conversations.
