Ask for the Bill in Italian: il conto, per favore and Paying by Card
Learn to end a meal in Italian: ask for il conto, request it politely, and ask whether you can pay by card, with informal and formal patterns.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
When a meal is winding down, the useful move is not more food vocabulary but a clear request to settle up. In Italian, the core phrase is il conto, per favore. You can make it more casual, more polite, or more specific about payment. This lesson gives you reusable patterns for getting the server's attention, asking for the bill, and checking whether card payment is possible. It focuses on standard contemporary Italian used in restaurants; local habits can vary, so treat the phrases as language tools, not as claims about every venue's policy.
By the end, you can…
- ask for the bill in Italian in an informal or neutral restaurant situation.
- politely request the bill and ask whether I can pay by card.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Il conto, per favore.
The bill, please.
eel KON-toh, pehr fah-VOH-reh
The core, neutral request. It works in most restaurants and is easy to say when you catch the server's eye.
Mi porta il conto, per favore?
Can you bring me the bill, please?
mee POR-tah eel KON-toh, pehr fah-VOH-reh
A natural question form. Use it when you want a complete sentence rather than just the noun phrase.
Mi porterebbe il conto, per favore?
Could you bring me the bill, please?
mee por-teh-REB-beh eel KON-toh, pehr fah-VOH-reh
More polite and slightly more formal. The conditional porterebbe softens the request; useful in upscale or unfamiliar places.
Posso pagare con la carta?
Can I pay by card?
POS-soh pah-GAH-reh kon lah KAR-tah
Ask this before assuming card payment is available. It is neutral and widely understood.
Scusi, il conto per favore.
Excuse me, the bill please.
SKOO-zee, eel KON-toh pehr fah-VOH-reh
Use Scusi to get attention politely. In very casual settings among peers, Scusa is possible, but Scusi is the safer default with staff.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The main pattern is il conto plus a politeness marker: Il conto, per favore. To make it a full request, use mi porta or the more polite mi porterebbe: Mi porta il conto, per favore? / Mi porterebbe il conto, per favore? For payment, use Posso pagare con la carta? You can also ask Posso pagare con il bancomat? when you mean a debit card, though bancomat is not identical to every card situation. Notice that conto is masculine: il conto, not la conto.
When to use it
Use Il conto, per favore when you want the bill and the setting is ordinary. Use Mi porterebbe il conto, per favore? when you want extra politeness, for example in a quieter or more formal restaurant. Use Scusi first if you need to call the server over: Scusi, il conto per favore. Ask Posso pagare con la carta? before the bill arrives if payment method matters to you. In some Italian venues you may pay at the counter rather than at the table, so the question is about possibility, not a guarantee.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Scusi, il conto per favore.
Excuse me, the bill please.SKOO-zee, eel KON-toh pehr fah-VOH-rehCerto. Glielo porto subito.
Of course. I'll bring it to you right away.CHER-toh. LYEH-loh POR-toh SOO-bee-tohGrazie. Posso pagare con la carta?
Thank you. Can I pay by card?GRAH-tsee-eh. POS-soh pah-GAH-reh kon lah KAR-tahSì, certo. Le porto il lettore.
Yes, of course. I'll bring you the card reader.see, CHER-toh. leh POR-toh eel let-TOH-rehA little context goes a long way
Italian restaurants often do not bring the bill until you ask, and in some places you pay at a counter rather than at the table. Scusi is a safe polite way to get a server's attention; Scusa is more informal and can sound too familiar with staff you do not know. The conditional Mi porterebbe is polite but not required in casual places. Regional and venue practices vary, so asking directly is normal and useful.
One thing to watch for
Saying la conto because conto sounds like it could be feminine.
Try this instead: Conto is masculine: il conto. Say Il conto, per favore or Mi porta il conto, per favore? If you use the wrong article, you may still be understood, but il conto is the standard form.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1You are in a casual restaurant and want the bill. What is the simplest natural phrase?
Show a sample answer
Il conto, per favore.
This is the core neutral request. Mi porta il conto, per favore? is also correct and slightly more explicit.
2How do you ask politely if you can pay by card?
Show a sample answer
Posso pagare con la carta?
This asks about possibility without assuming the venue accepts cards. Posso pagare con la carta, per favore? is also acceptable.
3Make the bill request more polite using a conditional form.
Show a sample answer
Mi porterebbe il conto, per favore?
The conditional porterebbe softens the request. Mi porta il conto, per favore? is fine too, but it is less formal.
For the bill, start with Il conto, per favore. Add Scusi to get attention, use Mi porterebbe for extra politeness, and ask Posso pagare con la carta? before you assume card payment is possible.
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