#62 Sharing Meeting Minutes｜French Business Phrases
Izumi Curious French
#175 Using Cashless Payment｜French Shopping Phrases
Izumi
In France, many everyday purchases—such as at cafés, supermarkets, and drugstores—are made using cashless payment methods.
In addition to credit cards, more and more people are using mobile payment applications on their smartphones, such as Apple Pay and Google Pay. As a result, even travelers often find themselves in situations where they can pay without using cash.
However, since the available payment methods vary from store to store, it is reassuring to be able to confirm in French whether a specific app can be used and what kind of procedure is required.
In this section, I will explain practical French expressions for paying with cashless methods in stores, following the natural flow of an actual conversation.
Contents
Dialogue
Est-ce que je peux payer avec une application de paiement sur mon téléphone ?
（Can I pay using a payment app on my smartphone?）
Oui, bien sûr.
（Yes, of course）
Do I need to scan a code, or do I just need to hold my phone near the terminal?
（Do I need to scan a code, or do I just need to hold my phone near the terminal?）
Il suffit d’approcher votre téléphone du terminal.
（You just need to hold your phone near the terminal.）
D’accord. Voilà, c’est fait.
（Alright. I’ve just completed the payment.）
Oui, le paiement est bien passé.
（Yes, the payment has gone through successfully.）
Merci beaucoup.
（Thank you very much.）
1. Checking Whether Cashless Payment Is Available
When making a payment, the first thing I recommend doing is confirming whether cashless payment apps can be used in that store.
Example
- Est-ce que je peux payer avec une application de paiement sur mon téléphone ?
（Can I pay using a payment app on my smartphone?）
The phrase “application de paiement” literally means “payment application” and is used in French as a general term for cashless payment systems.
Since it does not refer to a specific app name, it is a convenient expression that can be used in most stores.
Related Expression
- Est-ce que le paiement sans contact est accepté ici ?
（Is contactless payment accepted here?）
The term “paiement sans contact” refers to contactless or tap-to-pay methods and includes both card-based and smartphone-based payments.
2. Confirming the Payment Method
Even if a payment app is accepted, the procedure may differ depending on the country or store—for example, whether you need to scan a QR code or simply tap your device.
For this reason, I recommend confirming the process as follows:
Example
- Est-ce que je dois scanner un code ou simplement approcher mon téléphone ?
（Do I need to scan a code, or do I just need to hold my phone near the terminal?）
By presenting two options in one sentence, it becomes easier for the staff to explain which method is used.
Points
- scanner un code → to scan a QR code
- approcher mon téléphone → to hold my phone close (to tap)
In France, contactless methods are the most common, so you will often hear the following response:
Example
- Il suffit d’approcher votre téléphone du terminal.
（You just need to hold your phone near the terminal.）
The structure “il suffit de …” means “all you need to do is …” and is used to indicate that the procedure is simple.
3. Indicating That the Payment Has Been Completed
After finishing the payment process, it is natural to inform the staff that the operation is complete.
Example
- Voilà, c’est fait.
（I’ve just completed it.）
The expression “c’est fait” means “it’s done” or “it’s completed.” It is highly versatile and can be used not only for payments, but also for submitting documents or finishing any kind of task.
4. Confirming That the Payment Was Successful
With cashless payments, it is important to check whether the transaction has been processed correctly. If everything went well, the staff may say:
Example
- Le paiement est bien passé.
（The payment has gone through successfully.）
The phrase “bien passé” means “went well” or “was processed successfully” and is commonly used for payments, reservations, and administrative procedures.
On the other hand, if an error occurs, you may hear:
Examples
- Le paiement n’a pas fonctionné.
（The payment did not work.） - Il semble que le paiement n’ait pas été effectué.
（It seems that the payment has not been completed.）
The structure “… n’a pas fonctionné” means “did not work” and can be used for various types of technical problems.
The phrase “il semble que …” (it seems that …) softens the tone and is useful when discussing issues politely.
Even if the payment fails, you can respond as follows:
Examples
- Je peux réessayer ?
（May I try again?） - Je vais payer en espèces à la place.
（I will pay in cash instead.）
Summary
Key French Phrases
- Est-ce que je peux payer avec une application de paiement ?
→ Used to check whether cashless payment is available. - Il suffit d’approcher votre téléphone.
→ Common expression for explaining the payment procedure. - Voilà, c’est fait.
→ Used to indicate that the payment has been completed. - Le paiement est bien passé.
→ Used to confirm that the transaction was successful.
