In this workshop you practise two everyday restaurant jobs: asking for the bill and asking about paying by card. You will hear short recorded lines, learn what each one means in English, then use them in guided speaking tasks. The recordings give you the exact Spanish to say, so you can focus on clear pronunciation and on answering the other person's question in the right order.
Asking for the bill
The first job is simple: get the server's attention politely and ask for the bill. The recorded line «La cuenta, por favor.» means "The bill, please." Say it calmly and clearly. When you use it, you are making a request, so the other person will usually reply with a question about payment. Listen for that question instead of repeating your request. The same line appears again in a short exchange as «La cuenta, por favor.», where speaker A says it to start the conversation. In that exchange, speaker B answers with a question, and the conversation continues from there. Your goal is to say the request first, then wait and listen.
Understanding the payment question
After you ask for the bill, the server may ask how you want to pay. The recorded line «¿Efectivo o tarjeta?» means "Cash or card?" This is a choice question, so the other person expects one of two answers. If you want to pay by card, you can ask about it with «¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?», which means "Can I pay by card?" A similar question is «¿Aceptan tarjeta?», meaning "Do you accept card?" Both are useful, but they do different things: «¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?» asks whether paying by card is possible for you, while «¿Aceptan tarjeta?» asks whether the business accepts card at all. In the recorded exchange, speaker B asks «Claro. ¿Efectivo o tarjeta?», which means "Sure. Cash or card?" Speaker A then asks «¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?», "Can I pay by card?" and speaker B confirms with «Sí, aceptamos tarjeta.», "Yes, we accept card." Notice the order: request, question about payment, your question, then confirmation.
Keeping the order clear
A common mistake for beginners is to answer before the other person has asked. In this conversation, the order matters. First you ask for the bill with «La cuenta, por favor.» or «La cuenta, por favor.». Then the other person may ask «¿Efectivo o tarjeta?» or «Claro. ¿Efectivo o tarjeta?». Only after that do you ask «¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?» or «¿Aceptan tarjeta?». Finally, listen for a confirmation like «Sí, aceptamos tarjeta.». If you swap roles with a partner, the order of the conversation stays the same; only who reads each part changes. One person makes the request, the other asks about payment, the first person asks about card, and the other confirms. Practise the lines in that order until the sequence feels natural.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
La cuenta, por favor.
The bill, please.
lah KWEHN-tah, pohr fah-BOHR
¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?
Can I pay by card?
PWEH-doh pah-GAHR kohn tar-HEH-tah
¿Aceptan tarjeta?
Do you accept card?
ah-SEHP-tahn tar-HEH-tah
¿Efectivo o tarjeta?
Cash or card?
eh-fehk-TEE-voh oh tar-HEH-tah
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
La cuenta, por favor.
The bill, please.Claro. ¿Efectivo o tarjeta?
Sure. Cash or card?¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?
Can I pay by card?Sí, aceptamos tarjeta.
Yes, we accept card.Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided exchange: request, question, card
You are the customer in a restaurant. Your partner plays the server. Use the recorded lines in order. The server's lines are «Claro. ¿Efectivo o tarjeta?» and «Sí, aceptamos tarjeta.».
Your task: Say the bill request using «La cuenta, por favor.». Wait for your partner to say «Claro. ¿Efectivo o tarjeta?». Then ask about paying by card using «¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?». Wait for your partner to say «Sí, aceptamos tarjeta.». Repeat the exchange once more, then swap roles.
Reply comprehension: cash or card
Your partner says the server's payment question «¿Efectivo o tarjeta?», which means "Cash or card?" You want to pay by card. Choose the best reply from the recorded lines.
Your task: Listen to «¿Efectivo o tarjeta?». Decide whether the best response is «¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?», which asks "Can I pay by card?", or «¿Aceptan tarjeta?», which asks "Do you accept card?" Say your chosen line aloud, then explain in English why it fits the situation.
Recall with correct roles
Work with a partner. One person is the customer and one is the server. Do not read the lines yet. Try to recall the four steps of the recorded exchange from memory.
Your task: The customer begins with the bill request. The server asks the payment question. The customer asks about paying by card. The server confirms. Say each line aloud in that order. Then swap roles and repeat, keeping the same order.
Common questions
What is the difference between the two card questions?
One recorded line asks whether you can pay by card, and the other asks whether card is accepted. The first is about your own payment choice, while the second is about the business's payment options. Both are useful, but they fit slightly different moments in the conversation.
Can I practise alone without a partner?
Yes. You can play both roles with the audio. Say the customer line, then pause and say the server line, then continue. There is no automatic assessment, so check your own order against the recorded exchange: bill request, payment question, card question, confirmation.
Sources and further reading
- spanish: ask for billChecked September 2026
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