Payments & Money

Здравейте!

Zdraveyte!

Hello!

First words at the register or the counter before you get to paying.

Приемате ли карти?

Priemate li karti?

Do you accept cards?

Ask before you commit — small shops and market stalls are often cash-only.

Може ли да платя в брой?

Mozhe li da platya v broy?

Can I pay in cash?

Since the euro switch on 1 Jan 2026 cash means euros — have a few notes ready.

Може ли да платя на вноски?

Mozhe li da platya na vnoski?

Can I pay in installments?

For a bigger buy — a phone, an appliance — where the shop offers monthly installments.

Може ли да развалите сто евро?

Mozhe li da razvalite sto evro?

Can you break a hundred euros?

When all you have is a big note and you need smaller ones for the day.

Може ли касова бележка?

Mozhe li kasova belezhka?

Can I have a receipt?

Ask for the printed receipt — you'll want it for returns or to track spending.

Има ли такса?

Ima li taksa?

Is there a fee?

Check before you tap — some card machines or cash desks add a surcharge.

Колко струва общо?

Kolko struva obshto?

How much is it in total?

The moment before you pay — confirm the full amount so there's no surprise.

Къде мога да обменя пари?

Kade moga da obmenya pari?

Where can I exchange money?

Still handy if you're carrying dollars or pounds and need euros — look for an обмяна на валута.

Колко струва това?

Kolko struva tova?

How much does this cost?

The bare question you will use dozens of times a week — pointing at anything with no visible tag.

Това крайната сума ли е?

Tova kraynata suma li e?

Is that the final amount?

Before you hand over money for a service — a repair, a haircut, a delivery — pin the number down.

Има ли други такси отгоре?

Ima li drugi taksi otgore?

Are there any other fees on top?

'Отгоре' literally means 'on top' — the everyday way to ask about surcharges nobody mentioned.

Колко е на месец?

Kolko e na mesets?

How much is it per month?

For anything billed monthly — a gym, a phone plan, a parking spot — where the sticker price is a total.

На етикета има две цени.

Na etiketa ima dve tseni.

There are two prices on the tag.

Some shelf tags and receipts still print a second, smaller figure next to the euro price. Routine, nothing to do — the euro figure is the price you pay.

Всичко прави двайсет и три евро и четирийсет.

Vsichko pravi dvayset i tri evro i chetiriyset.

That comes to twenty-three euros and forty.

Something you hear at the till. Drill it until the two numbers separate cleanly: twenty-three, then forty.

Дванайсет и петдесет, моля.

Dvanayset i petdeset, molya.

Twelve fifty, please.

Something you hear, and the number-trap that catches everyone: the currency word is simply dropped, so this is 12 euros 50.

Става сто двайсет и пет евро.

Stava sto dvayset i pet evro.

That makes one hundred and twenty-five euros.

Something you hear for a bigger total. 'Става' is the everyday verb for a bill adding up — listen for hundreds, then tens.

Точно сто евро.

Tochno sto evro.

Exactly one hundred euros.

Something you hear when the total lands round — 'точно' is your cue that there are no cents coming.

Колко ми давате?

Kolko mi davate?

How much are you giving me?

Something you hear when you have put notes on the counter and the cashier wants the figure out loud before counting.

Дванайсет евро и петдесет, нали?

Dvanayset evro i petdeset, nali?

Twelve euros fifty, right?

Say the number back with the currency spelled out. It costs two seconds and catches every mishearing.

Значи двайсет евро, нали?

Znachi dvayset evro, nali?

So that is twenty euros, right?

'Значи' opens a summing-up — use it when you think you got the number but want a nod before you pay.

В стари пари това е двайсет лева.

V stari pari tova e dvayset leva.

In old money that is twenty leva.

Something you may overhear an older customer say to themselves. You never need to answer in leva — euro is the money, and the euro figure is the one on the tag.

Платих три евро и двайсет.

Platih tri evro i dvayset.

I paid three euros twenty.

Telling a friend or a colleague what something cost — the everyday shape of an amount with cents.

Ето ви банкнота от петдесет евро.

Eto vi banknota ot petdeset evro.

Here is a fifty-euro note.

Handing over a big note. A denomination is named 'банкнота от петдесет', never 'петдесет банкнота'.

Два евро и осемдесет стотинки.

Dva evro i osemdeset stotinki.

Two euros and eighty stotinki.

Answering 'колко беше?'. The small coins are called стотинки here — that is what is stamped on them, so 'цент' sounds foreign.

Дайте ми за десет евро.

Dayte mi za deset evro.

Give me ten euros' worth.

Buying by value rather than by weight — fuel, nuts, sunflower seeds, loose cheese. Name the money and they fill to it.

Половината е дванайсет и петдесет.

Polovinata e dvanayset i petdeset.

Half of that is twelve fifty.

Working out a shared bill out loud at the table — saying the halved figure is the drill that makes numbers stick.

Сметката беше хиляда двеста и петдесет евро.

Smetkata beshe hilyada dvesta i petdeset evro.

The bill was one thousand two hundred and fifty euros.

A rent, a deposit, a repair quote. Bulgarians chunk it thousands / hundreds / tens, so listen for three beats.

Ще повторя бавно: сто седемдесет и пет евро.

Shte povtorya bavno: sto sedemdeset i pet evro.

I will repeat it slowly: one hundred and seventy-five euros.

On the phone with a landlord or a workshop — you say the figure yourself, slowly, so nobody has to guess.

Ще плащате ли с карта?

Shte plashtate li s karta?

Will you be paying by card?

Something you hear at almost every till, often before the total is announced — answer with card or cash.

Само в брой.

Samo v broy.

Cash only.

Something you hear at market stalls, small bakeries and some taxis — flat, unapologetic, and final.

В момента пос терминалът не работи.

V momenta pos terminalat ne raboti.

The card terminal is not working at the moment.

Something you hear when the card machine is dead. Written POS terminal on the receipt; said as one word, 'пос'.

С карта, ако може.

S karta, ako mozhe.

By card, if possible.

Your two-word answer to the cashier — softer than a bare demand and always understood.

Въведете пин кода.

Vavedete pin koda.

Enter your PIN.

Something you hear the second the terminal wakes up. Written ПИН or PIN; always said as one word, 'пин'.

Допрете картата до терминала.

Doprete kartata do terminala.

Tap your card on the terminal.

Something you hear when you are hovering the card over the wrong part of the machine.

Извадете картата.

Izvadete kartata.

Take your card out.

Something you hear once the payment goes through and the card is still sitting in the slot.

Може ли само да допра картата?

Mozhe li samo da dopra kartata?

Can I just tap the card?

The terminal looks old and you would rather not type a code in front of a queue.

Май сбърках пин кода.

May sbarkah pin koda.

I think I mistyped the PIN.

You fumbled the keypad and the machine beeped — say this before the cashier assumes the card is bad.

Транзакцията е отказана.

Tranzaktsiyata e otkazana.

The transaction was declined.

Something you hear with a queue behind you — recognising it instantly is the difference between calm and flustered.

Няма достатъчно средства по картата.

Nyama dostatachno sredstva po kartata.

There are not enough funds on the card.

Something you hear when the cashier reads the reason off the terminal — it is the machine talking, not a judgement.

Опитайте пак с друга карта.

Opitayte pak s druga karta.

Try again with a different card.

Something you hear right after a refusal — they are not accusing you, just moving things along.

Ще опитам с друга карта.

Shte opitam s druga karta.

I will try another card.

Taking charge of the moment yourself instead of standing there while the terminal blinks.

Какво пише на екрана?

Kakvo pishe na ekrana?

What does the screen say?

The terminal faces the cashier, not you — ask instead of guessing why it failed.

Имате ли по-дребни?

Imate li po-drebni?

Do you have anything smaller?

Something you hear constantly. 'Дребни' covers small notes and coins together — the till is short of both.

Нямам ресто.

Nyamam resto.

I have no change.

Something you hear from a stall or a driver early in the morning, before the float has built up.

Имате ли петдесет стотинки?

Imate li petdeset stotinki?

Do you have fifty stotinki?

Something you hear when the cashier wants one coin from you so the change comes out round.

Имам само голяма банкнота.

Imam samo golyama banknota.

I only have a big note.

Warn them before they start counting — it gives them the chance to send you next door for change first.

Имам точно, без ресто.

Imam tochno, bez resto.

I have it exact, no change needed.

You counted the coins out while queuing — this one line saves the cashier opening the drawer.

Момент, да видя дали имам дребни.

Moment, da vidya dali imam drebni.

One moment, let me see if I have change.

Buying yourself a few seconds at the counter while you dig through your pockets.

Рестото ви е седем евро и двайсет.

Restoto vi e sedem evro i dvayset.

Your change is seven euros twenty.

Something you hear as the coins land — another amount said fast, with the currency word buried in the middle.

Пет, шест, седем, заповядайте.

Pet, shest, sedem, zapovyadayte.

Five, six, seven, there you go.

Something you hear as the cashier counts notes up into your palm — follow along and you can check it in real time.

Мисля, че рестото не е точно.

Mislya, che restoto ne e tochno.

I think the change is not right.

Said quietly before you walk away — the calm phrasing keeps it a mistake rather than an accusation.

Задръжте стотинките.

Zadarzhte stotinkite.

Keep the small coins.

Waving off the last few cents at a bakery or kiosk so neither of you has to fight with the coppers.

Този банкомат работи ли?

Tozi bankomat raboti li?

Is this cash machine working?

Asking the guard or the person ahead of you. 'Банкомат' is the everyday word for a cash machine, said as one word.

Искам да изтегля пари.

Iskam da izteglya pari.

I want to withdraw money.

Your opening line inside a branch when you would rather use the counter than the machine.

Поставете картата и изберете сума.

Postavete kartata i izberete suma.

Insert your card and choose an amount.

Something you hear from a bank employee walking you through an unfamiliar machine.

Банкоматът ми глътна картата.

Bankomatat mi glatna kartata.

The cash machine swallowed my card.

The exact idiom Bulgarians use — 'глътна' is 'swallowed'. Say it at the branch door and they will know immediately.

В този банкомат няма пари.

V tozi bankomat nyama pari.

There is no cash in this machine.

Something you hear from the person turning away from the machine ahead of you — it saves you the queue.

Каква е таксата за теглене?

Kakva e taksata za teglene?

What is the withdrawal fee?

Standalone machines in tourist spots charge several euros a go — ask before the card goes in.

В кой банкомат няма такса?

V koy bankomat nyama taksa?

Which cash machine has no fee?

Your own bank charges nothing at its own machines — worth asking a local which ones those are near you.

Ще ви начислим такса от три евро.

Shte vi nachislim taksa ot tri evro.

We will charge you a three-euro fee.

Something you hear at a counter or read on the screen — catch the number and decide before you confirm.

Изберете сумата в евро, без конверсия.

Izberete sumata v evro, bez konversiya.

Choose the amount in euros, without conversion.

Something you hear if you ask staff for help: a foreign card gets offered its home currency at a bad rate — always refuse and take euros.

Всеки плаща своето.

Vseki plashta svoeto.

Everyone pays for their own.

Said to the table before the bill arrives so nobody has to do arithmetic afterwards.

Дължа ти десет евро.

Dalzha ti deset evro.

I owe you ten euros.

A friend covered you. Note the informal "ти" — with friends the polite "вие" would sound like distance.

Ще ти ги преведа довечера.

Shte ti gi preveda dovechera.

I will transfer it to you this evening.

Phone bank transfers are how friends settle up here — naming a time closes the subject politely.

Няма бързане, върни ми ги когато можеш.

Nyama barzane, varni mi gi kogato mozhesh.

No rush, pay me back whenever you can.

You covered someone else and want to make sure they do not feel chased.

Ти плати миналия път, сега аз черпя.

Ti plati minaliya pat, sega az cherpya.

You paid last time, this one is on me.

Something you hear as a hand blocks your wallet. 'Черпя' means 'I'm treating' — accept warmly; arguing is the rude move.

Може ли да платя по банков път?

Mozhe li da platya po bankov pat?

Can I pay by bank transfer?

For a deposit, a tradesman or a school fee, where nobody wants that much cash changing hands.

Ще ми дадете ли ибана на фирмата?

Shte mi dadete li ibana na firmata?

Will you give me the company IBAN?

Printed as IBAN in Latin letters on every invoice, but said out loud as one word, "ибан", and declined like a normal noun.

Какво да напиша като основание за плащане?

Kakvo da napisha kato osnovanie za plashtane?

What should I write as the payment reference?

Bulgarian transfer forms have a compulsory 'основание за плащане' box — get the wording from them or the payment goes unmatched.

Проверете името на получателя.

Proverete imeto na poluchatelya.

Check the recipient's name.

Something you hear at the counter before they release the transfer — names are matched by hand, so a typo bounces it.

Преводът влиза до два работни дни.

Prevodat vliza do dva rabotni dni.

The transfer will arrive within two working days.

Something you hear when you ask when the money will actually land on the other side.

Искам да си открия сметка.

Iskam da si otkriya smetka.

I want to open an account.

Your first sentence at the desk once you have a residence address and can prove it.

Носите ли документ за адрес?

Nosite li dokument za adres?

Do you have proof of address with you?

Something you hear at the bank counter — a rental contract or a registration slip is what they mean.

Каква е месечната такса по сметката?

Kakva e mesechnata taksa po smetkata?

What is the monthly fee on the account?

Bulgarian current accounts almost all carry a small monthly charge — ask so it is not a surprise.

Трябва ми фактура, не касова бележка.

Tryabva mi faktura, ne kasova belezhka.

I need an invoice, not a till receipt.

A фактура is the accounting document you can expense; a касова бележка is only the till slip. Say which you need up front.

Дайте ми данните на фирмата.

Dayte mi dannite na firmata.

Give me the company details.

Something you hear the moment you ask for an invoice — keep the name, address and tax number saved on your phone.

Цената включва ли данък добавена стойност?

Tsenata vklyuchva li danak dobavena stoynost?

Does the price include VAT?

Abbreviated ДДС on every invoice and read out letter by letter; the full words are safer to say aloud and always understood.

Искам да си върна парите.

Iskam da si varna parite.

I want my money back.

Faulty goods or a service that never happened — the plain, unmistakable sentence for it.

Сумата ще се върне по картата до седем дни.

Sumata shte se varne po kartata do sedem dni.

The amount will go back onto your card within seven days.

Something you hear once a refund is agreed — it explains why the money is not in your hand right now.

Таксувахте ме два пъти.

Taksuvahte me dva pati.

You charged me twice.

The terminal hiccupped and two payments went through — say it while you still have both slips.

Нямам достатъчно пари в момента.

Nyamam dostatachno pari v momenta.

I do not have enough money right now.

The total came in over what is in your pocket — say it plainly instead of counting coins in silence.

Махнете нещо, за да ми стигнат парите.

Mahnete neshto, za da mi stignat parite.

Take something off so the money is enough.

At the till with the basket already scanned — this fixes it in one sentence with no fuss.

Няма проблем, оставете го.

Nyama problem, ostavete go.

No problem, leave it.

Something you hear as the cashier lifts the item back off the belt — the moment is over, nobody minds.

Повторете сумата, моля.

Povtorete sumata, molya.

Repeat the amount, please.

Sharper than a general "say that again" — it tells them you only need the number, not the whole sentence.

Кажете го цифра по цифра, моля.

Kazhete go tsifra po tsifra, molya.

Say it digit by digit, please.

For an account number or a long total that arrives as one blurred word.

Тринайсет или трийсет?

Trinayset ili triyset?

Thirteen or thirty?

The teens and the tens blur at speed in Bulgarian too — asking outright is faster than paying the wrong one.

Чух четирийсет, така ли беше?

Chuh chetiriyset, taka li beshe?

I heard forty — was that it?

Offer the number you think you caught. Naming it lets them correct one digit instead of repeating everything.

Покажете ми сумата на екрана.

Pokazhete mi sumata na ekrana.

Show me the amount on the screen.

The till display faces away from you — turning it round ends the guessing in one move.

Колко казахте?

Kolko kazahte?

How much did you say?

The cashier rattles off a price and it's gone — this pulls it back without embarrassment.

Може ли да напишете цената?

Mozhe li da napishete tsenata?

Can you write down the price?

Numbers are the hardest to catch by ear — ask them to write it and you're safe.

Не разбирам.

Ne razbiram.

I don't understand.

Say it the instant you freeze — they'll slow down or point at the total.

Благодаря, приятен ден!

Blagodarya, priyaten den!

Thank you, have a good day!

Once the receipt's in your hand — a warm exit they'll almost always return.