How do you say "How do I pay?" in Chinese?

"How do I pay?" in Chinese is 怎么付款？ — written in pinyin as Zěnme fùkuǎn?. It is a money phrase you would use in China.

What does 怎么付款？ mean in Chinese?

怎么付款？ (Zěnme fùkuǎn?) means "How do I pay?". Broken down word by word: 怎么 (zěnme) means "how"; 付款 (fùkuǎn) means "to pay".

When would you use "How do I pay?" in Chinese?

Use it at any counter when you cannot tell how payment works here — no card reader in sight, no QR code propped up, and nobody has asked you for money yet. The usual answer is 扫码 (sǎo mǎ, scan the code): either you scan their code with your phone, or they scan the code your app shows, and both directions are called the same thing.

How to say “How do I pay?” in Chinese

“How do I pay?” in Chinese is 怎么付款？, written in pinyin as Zěnme fùkuǎn?.

怎么付款？

Zěnme fùkuǎn?

How do I pay?

Word by word

What each part of 怎么付款？ actually means.

怎么zěnmehow
付款fùkuǎnto pay

When you use it

Use it at any counter when you cannot tell how payment works here — no card reader in sight, no QR code propped up, and nobody has asked you for money yet.
The usual answer is 扫码 (sǎo mǎ, scan the code): either you scan their code with your phone, or they scan the code your app shows, and both directions are called the same thing.

Use 怎么付款？ in money situations. Pay like a local: QR codes, Alipay, WeChat Pay, cash and cards.

Other ways people say it

The same idea, said differently. Roughly in the order you'll hear them.

在哪儿付钱？
Zài nǎr fù qián?
Where do I pay?
For markets and canteens where paying happens at a specific spot — this asks the place rather than the method.
收银台在哪儿？
Shōuyíntái zài nǎr?
Where is the checkout counter?
收银台 is the cash register counter in shops and supermarkets — the landmark question when you are standing in the wrong aisle with an armful of goods.
可以扫您的码吗？
Kěyǐ sǎo nín de mǎ ma?
May I scan your code?
Their printed code scanned by your app is one of the two QR directions; asking before pointing your camera keeps the moment friendly.

What usually trips people up

付款 and 付钱 are the shop verbs; restaurants have their own — 结账 (jiézhàng) or 买单 (mǎidān) is what you say when you want the bill, so in a restaurant the question becomes 怎么结账？
The two QR directions are easy to mix: scanning their code opens a payment page on your phone, while showing your code lets their scanner take money from you. If a staff member grabs your phone, they are doing the second one.
扣款 (kòukuǎn) on a banking app means an automatic deduction — it is not the counter word, and nobody says it when asking you to pay.

What you might hear back

扫这个码。Sǎo zhège mǎScan this code.
现金也行。Xiànjīn yě xíngCash works too.
到那边收银台。Dào nàbiān shōuyíntáiThe checkout is over there.

Common questions

How do you say "How do I pay?" in Chinese?: "How do I pay?" in Chinese is 怎么付款？ — written in pinyin as Zěnme fùkuǎn?. It is a money phrase you would use in China.
What does 怎么付款？ mean in Chinese?: 怎么付款？ (Zěnme fùkuǎn?) means "How do I pay?". Broken down word by word: 怎么 (zěnme) means "how"; 付款 (fùkuǎn) means "to pay".
When would you use "How do I pay?" in Chinese?: Use it at any counter when you cannot tell how payment works here — no card reader in sight, no QR code propped up, and nobody has asked you for money yet. The usual answer is 扫码 (sǎo mǎ, scan the code): either you scan their code with your phone, or they scan the code your app shows, and both directions are called the same thing.

Where you'll use it

怎么付款？ comes up in these situations, in this order.

More Money phrases

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