Bezahlen und Trinkgeld
Germany still runs more on cash (Bargeld) than many countries, and tipping culture works differently than in the US - both genuinely useful to know before your first restaurant bill or market stall purchase.
| das Bargeld | cash | die Kartenzahlung | card payment |
| kontaktlos | contactless | das Kleingeld | small change |
Kann ich mit Karte zahlen? (reusing Lesson 33)
Nehmen Sie Bargeld? (Do you take cash?)
Haben Sie es kleiner? (Do you have anything smaller? - i.e. smaller change)
Worth knowing: many small shops, market stalls, and older establishments in Germany are still cash-only or prefer it - carrying some Bargeld is genuinely practical, unlike in countries where card is assumed everywhere.
German tipping is modest compared to the US - typically 5-10%, and it's usually done by rounding up or stating the total out loud when paying, not left on the table:
Das macht 18,50 €. (That comes to €18.50 - what the waiter says.)
20 €, stimmt so. (€20, keep the change - "that's correct as is," the standard way to leave a small tip.)
"Stimmt so" is the single most useful tipping phrase - it tells the waiter you're rounding up and don't need change back.
1. "Do you have anything smaller?" - Haben Sie es ______?
2. What phrase means "keep the change" when paying?
3. What's the typical German tipping percentage range?
4. What's the German word for "cash"?
5. Is card payment universally accepted at small German shops?
Vocabulary cross-checked against the official Goethe-Zertifikat A1 Wortliste; tipping norms are cultural context rather than exam content, worth confirming against current local practice.
Want to practice a full payment exchange at a specific type of business? Ask your teaching agent.