#166 Asking for the Location of a Popular Local Restaurant｜French Travel Phrases
Izumi Curious French
#194 Paying Utility Bills｜French Daily Life Phrases
Izumi
When you stay abroad for an extended period, you may need to pay utility bills yourself, such as electricity, water, or internet fees.
In many cases, payments are made by presenting a bill at a bank counter, payment desk, or post office and completing the necessary procedures there.
In this section, I will explain useful French expressions that you can use when paying utility bills, together with key grammatical points.
Contents
Dialogue
Bonjour, je voudrais régler cette facture, s’il vous plaît.
（Hello, I would like to pay this bill, please.）
Bien sûr. Vous souhaitez payer par carte ou en espèces ?
（Certainly. Would you like to pay by card or in cash?）
Par carte, s’il vous plaît. Est-ce que je dois remplir un formulaire ?
（By card, please. Do I need to fill out a form?）
Non, ce n’est pas nécessaire. Il suffit d’insérer votre carte ici.
（No, that is not necessary. You only need to insert your card here.）
Très bien. Le paiement a-t-il bien été enregistré ?
（I see. Has the payment been processed successfully?）
Oui, tout est en ordre. Voici votre reçu.
（Yes, everything is in order. Here is your receipt.）
Merci beaucoup pour votre aide.
（Thank you very much for your assistance.）
1. Starting the Payment Procedure
When you pay a bill at a counter, you typically present the invoice and begin the procedure using a phrase like the following.
Example
- Je voudrais régler cette facture, s’il vous plaît.
（I would like to settle this bill, please.）
Here, “Je voudrais régler …” uses the conditional form “voudrais” of “vouloir,” which softens the request and makes it polite.
In French, two common verbs mean “to pay”: “régler” and “payer,” and I recommend understanding the difference between them.
“régler + noun” carries the nuance of settling an outstanding payment and sounds more formal and administrative.
Related Expressions
- régler une facture
（to settle a bill） - régler l’addition
（to pay a restaurant bill）
On the other hand, “payer + noun” focuses more directly on the act of paying money.
Related Expressions
- payer la facture
（to pay the bill） - payer 30 euros
（to pay 30 euros）
You can think of the distinction as follows:
Points
- régler
→ completing a payment procedure - payer
→ paying an amount of money
2. Confirming the Payment Method
When paying utility bills, you often need to confirm the payment method, since several options may be available.
Example
- Vous souhaitez payer par carte ou en espèces ?
（Would you like to pay by card or in cash?）
In French, payment methods are typically expressed using the prepositions “par” and “en.”
Points
- par + means
→ card, transfer, cheque - en + form
→ cash, coins, physical money
These nouns usually appear without articles because they refer to payment methods as “general categories,” much like “by card” or “in cash” in English.
If an article is added, the focus shifts to the specific object:
Related Expressions
- avec une carte
（using a particular card） - avec la carte de l’entreprise
（using the company card）
3. Understanding the Payment Procedure
During the payment process, you may need to complete forms or operate a payment terminal. Therefore, asking about the procedure is helpful.
Example
- Est-ce que je dois remplir un formulaire ?
（Do I need to fill out a form?）
The structure “devoir + infinitive” is used to ask about necessity or obligation. In this context, it does not imply strict obligation but rather practical necessity within a procedure.
A common explanation from staff is:
Example
- Il suffit d’insérer votre carte ici.
（You only need to insert your card here.）
The structure “il suffit de + infinitive” means “it is sufficient to…” and indicates that the procedure is simple.
Related Expressions
- Il suffit de signer ici.
（You only need to sign here.） - Il suffit d’attendre un instant.
（You only need to wait a moment.）
4. Confirming That the Payment Is Completed
After completing the procedure, it is important to confirm that the payment has been properly processed.
Example
- Le paiement a-t-il bien été enregistré ?
（Has the payment been properly recorded?）
This sentence uses a passive construction (être + past participle) to describe the result of an action.
The form “a été enregistré” combines:
Points
- a été
→ past tense of “être” - enregistré
→ past participle of “enregistrer” (to record)
Together, they express a completed action: the payment has already been recorded.
A typical confirmation response is:
Example
- Tout est en ordre.
（Everything is in order.）
Here, “tout” refers to the entire procedure, including processing, registration, and documentation.
The structure “être en + noun” expresses a state or condition, and “en ordre” means “in proper condition” or “without problems.”
Related Expressions
- Tout est en règle.
（Everything is compliant.） - Le traitement est en cours.
（The processing is in progress.）
Summary
Key French Phrases
- Je voudrais régler cette facture.
→ A polite expression used to initiate payment. - Puis-je payer par carte ?
→ Useful when confirming payment methods. - Est-ce que je dois remplir un formulaire ?
→ Used to clarify procedural steps. - Le paiement a-t-il bien été enregistré ?
→ Used to confirm that payment has been completed. - Tout est en ordre.
→ Indicates that the entire process has been successfully completed.
