#72 Responding to Customer Inquiries｜French for Business Communication
Izumi French Garden
#103 How to Ask About Tipping Methods｜French Everyday Phrases
Izumi
Tipping is a common practice in France, and you may find yourself unsure about how to leave a tip at restaurants, cafés, or in taxis.
Since card payment is the norm in France, you may want to confirm whether you should leave the tip in cash or whether it can be added to the card transaction.
In this lesson, I will introduce practical French expressions you can use when asking about tipping methods, accompanied by sample dialogues.
Contents
Dialogue
Excusez-moi, j’aimerais laisser un pourboire. Pourriez-vous me dire comment je peux le payer ?
（Excuse me, I’d like to leave a tip. Could you tell me how I can pay it?）
Vous pouvez le laisser en espèces, ou l’ajouter directement au paiement par carte.
（You may leave it in cash, or add it directly to the card payment.）
Et si je paie par carte, dois-je indiquer le montant moi-même ?
（And if I pay by card, do I enter the amount myself?）
Oui, il suffit d’ajouter le montant du pourboire avant de valider le paiement.
（Yes, you just need to enter the tip amount before confirming the payment.）
Parfait, merci beaucoup pour votre aide.
（Perfect, thank you very much for your help.）
1. Asking How to Pay the Tip
First, here is a useful expression for asking how to leave a tip:
- Excusez-moi, j’aimerais laisser un pourboire. Pourriez-vous me dire comment je peux le payer ?
(Excuse me, I’d like to leave a tip. Could you tell me how I can pay it?)
The expression “laisser un pourboire” means “to leave a tip.”
Using “Pourriez-vous me dire 〜 ?” allows you to ask politely and naturally.
2. Asking Whether to Pay in Cash or by Card
フランスではカード払いが一般的で、チップをカードに上乗せできる店も増えています。そのため、次のような質問が役立ちます。
- Est-ce que je peux laisser le pourboire en espèces ?
(Can I leave the tip in cash?) - Est-ce que je peux l’ajouter au paiement par carte ?
(Can I add it to the card payment?)
The verb l’ajouter (to add it) is frequently used in conversation related to card payments and is a natural way to refer to adding a tip.
Useful related vocabulary:
- en espèces → cash
- paiement par carte → card payment
While French has several words for “cash,” espèces is the most common everyday term.
3. Asking How to Operate the Card Terminal
Depending on the establishment, the customer may enter the tip amount manually, or the staff may do it for you.
These expressions help you confirm the procedure:
- Dois-je indiquer le montant moi-même ?
(Do I enter the amount myself?) - À quel moment dois-je ajouter le pourboire ?
(At what point should I add the tip?)
Confirming this beforehand helps you avoid mistakes when entering the payment on the terminal.
4. Asking About an Appropriate Amount
Tipping is not obligatory in France, but for good service it is common to leave around 2–5 euros.
To ask about the appropriate amount, you can use:
- Quel montant est généralement approprié ?
(What amount is usually considered appropriate?) - Combien laisse-t-on d’habitude ?
(How much do people usually leave?)
Although “généralement apprécié” literally means “generally appreciated,” in the context of tipping it conveys the idea of “the usual amount” or “a reasonable amount.”
Summary
- Comment je peux payer le pourboire ?
→ Useful basic expression for asking how to pay the tip. - Je peux le laisser en espèces / l’ajouter au paiement par carte ?
→ Use these when confirming whether to pay in cash or add it to the card payment. - Dois-je indiquer le montant moi-même ?
→ Helpful when asking about operating the card terminal. - Quel montant est généralement approprié ?
→ Use this when asking about the typical or appropriate tip amount.
