To ask for the bill in Italian, say Il conto, per favore (eel KON-toh, pehr fah-VOH-reh). For a touch more courtesy, ask Ci porta il conto, per favore?, could you bring us the bill? In Italian restaurants the waiter rarely brings it until you ask, because hurrying guests is considered rude, so you will need one of these.
- The bill, please
- Il conto, per favore
- Could you bring us the bill?
- Ci porta il conto?
- Can I pay by card?
- Posso pagare con la carta?
- Receipt
- lo scontrino
- Level
- A1
How do you ask for the bill politely?
Talk to the waiter as Lei: porta, not porti. Catch their eye first with a raised hand and Scusi!
| Italian | English | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Il conto, per favore. | The bill, please. | Short and fine anywhere |
| Ci porta il conto, per favore? | Could you bring us the bill, please? | The polite standard (Lei) |
| Mi porta il conto? | Could you bring me the bill? | Eating alone |
| Possiamo avere il conto? | Can we have the bill? | Equally polite |
| Scusi! | Excuse me! | To get the waiter's attention |
| Chiediamo il conto? | Shall we ask for the bill? | To your friends at the table |
| Posso pagare con la carta? | Can I pay by card? | Before you reach for your wallet |
Il conto is also a bank account (un conto in banca), and fare i conti means to do the sums, or to face the consequences.
Conto, scontrino or ricevuta?
Three words, three pieces of paper. Il conto is the bill you are asked to pay at the table. Lo scontrino is the printed till receipt you are handed afterwards. La ricevuta is a receipt in general, the word you'll want if you need one for expenses.
At a bar (an Italian café) things work differently. In busy city bars you often pay at the cassa first, then show your scontrino at the counter to order. Elsewhere you drink first and pay on the way out with Quant'è?
Pago alla cassa?
Do I pay at the till?
Un caffè, per favore. Ecco lo scontrino.
A coffee, please. Here's the receipt.
Mi può fare una ricevuta?
Could you give me a receipt?
Lei
Scontrini end up in every pocket. In a Contos A2 mystery, a bookseller hides a note she has found inside an old novel when her young assistant asks what she is holding:
Niente. Un vecchio scontrino.What are coperto and servizio, and should you tip?
Il coperto is a fixed charge per person for bread and the table setting. It should be printed on the menu, so it is not a scam. Il servizio is a service charge some restaurants add, more often in tourist areas.
Tipping is not expected the way it is in the US. Many people leave the small change or round up for good service, and nobody will chase you if you don't.
Il servizio è incluso?
Is service included?
Possiamo pagare separatamente?
Can we pay separately?
Dividiamo il conto?
Shall we split the bill?
Offro io!
It's on me!
Tenga il resto.
Keep the change.
Lei
For prices and paying in shops, see how to say "How much is it?" in Italian.
Read Italian stories set in cafés, bakeries and trattorias, starting at A1, and tap any word you don't know.
Read free in your browserFrequently asked questions
How do you pronounce il conto?
"eel KON-toh", with the stress on the first syllable of conto. Per favore is "pehr fah-VOH-reh", stressed on VO.
Is it rude to ask for the bill in Italy?
No, it is expected. Waiters leave the table alone so you can stay as long as you like. When you are ready, asking is the normal thing to do.
What does pagare alla romana mean?
Paying "Roman style": usually splitting the total equally between everyone at the table, whatever each person ordered. The plainer way to say it is dividere il conto.
What is the difference between conto and scontrino?
The conto is the bill you are asked to pay. The scontrino is the till receipt you get once you have paid; at a bar it can also be the ticket you hand over to order.