Cashier Transactions

Dealing with money can be stressful. It is easier to make mistakes when transactions are not in your native language. Take your time. Making mistakes can be costly. Many customers will not tell you if you make a mistake. Some companies will make you pay for shortages. Customers will be more patient if you are honest. Tell them you are training. They will also appreciate your effort to learn their language. Say, “Please bear with me. I’m still learning.” As you become comfortable with the and the payment system your service in English will speed up.Cashier

Transactions: Language

Here are some expressions to use on the job. Practise them with a friend or family member. Refer to the vocabulary list (click back to return to this page) if you don’t know a word.

• Do you have a discount card today?
• Are you using any coupons today?
• I will need to see some ID to sell you a lottery ticket. (for age restricted items)
• I’m sorry but your card has been declined. Would you like to use another form of payment? (when a credit or debit card has insufficient funds.)
• Will there be anything else for you today?
• Is this everything today?
• And how was everything today? (service industry)
• Will that be cash or charge?
• How will you be paying today?
• Your total comes to $16.50.
• From twenty…and here’s $3.50 change.
• Please swipe your card.
• I just need to see some photo ID to verify your check.
• Would you like your receipt in the bag?

Sample Transactions: Speaking Practice

Find an English friend to practise with. Take turns being cashier and customer.

Sample Cash transaction

Cashier:	Hello. Is this everything for you today?
Customer:	Yes. Just a few items today.
Cashier:	Did you find everything you were looking for?
Customer:	Yes, thank you.
Cashier:	Okay. Your total comes to $8.70. (say “eight seventy” or “eight dollars and seventy cents”)
Customer:	Can you break a fifty? I’m afraid I don’t have anything smaller.
Cashier:	No problem. From fifty..$41.30 is your change. (say “forty-one thirty” or “forty-one dollars and thirty cents”)
Customer:	Thank you.
Cashier:	Thank you. See you again.

Sample Credit Card transaction

Cashier:	Here is your order, sir. Two pepperoni pizzas. Will there be anything else?
Customer:	No, that’s great thanks.
Cashier:	Okay. Will that be cash or charge today?
Customer:	Charge.
Cashier:	Okay. Please swipe your card in the machine…Sorry, can you try again please.
Customer:	Is there a problem with my card?
Cashier:	No, it’s going through fine this time. I’ll just need you to sign here, please.
Customer:	There you go.
Cashier:	Thank you Mr. Bates. Enjoy your pizza!

Cashier Vocabulary

Word	Meaning
action code	a number cashiers type on the register to tell the computer to do something (#2A=void item)
adjustment	a change (usually related to price change)
age restricted items	products such as alcohol, tobacco, and restricted movies and videos which cannot be purchased by minors
aisles	long narrow areas that a room is divided into
associate	another employee who works with you
bag verb	to place purchased items in a bag for the customer
bank card	a card that allows customers to purchase an item using money from their bank account (also called debit card)
bar code	a series of lines that a computer reads to determine the product and price
bill	the total amount owed by the customer (also called receipt)
break	a short time for an employee to take a rest from work
bulk	items that are purchased in large amounts (also refers to items where customer collects the amount desired from a large bin)
cash	paper or coin money that the customer gives for payment
cash advance	money given to an employee or customer that he will have to pay back later
cash register	system used to key in purchases; also makes mathematical calculations and records payments
change	the money you give back to a customer
charge verb	to request a certain payment (They charge fifty dollars an hour.)
charge verb and noun	to pay (payment) with a credit card
checkout	the place where customers go to pay for purchases
clerk	person who serves customers; usually stands behind a desk
coins	small amounts of money; circular shape (also called change)
company procedures	the rules and practices outlined by the employer for the employees
competition	other businesses that offer similar products or services
counterfeit	money that looks real but is actually fake
coupon	a piece of paper that offers a set discount on a product or service
consumer	the person who buys and uses the products and services
coupon	a piece of paper that offers a set discount on a product or service
currency	type of money used in each country (eg. dollar, yen)
customer	the person who buys the product or service
customer service	fulfilling the needs of the people who buy products or services
damaged; defective	does not work or does not look new
deactivate	remove security device
debit	to take money out (also refers to paying with a bank card)
denomination	related to type of currency (eg. ones, tens, fifties )
department store	a store that sells a wide variety of personal and household needs, such as groceries, furniture and clothing
discount	a price reduction
estimate	guess the right amount
float	the amount of money in a cash register or till before and after a person’s shift
feed	to insert the end of a roll of paper into a slot
gift certificate; gift card	a pre-paid card that a customer uses to pay for purchases
gift receipt	a receipt that documents a purchase but does not include the price of the product
identification	photograph and official document that proves who a person is
initials	first letter of a person’s first and last name
inquiry	a question
key in	to type a code into a cash register
(put on) layaway	to put a product away for a customer who will come back to purchase it at a later time
log	a record of sales information
manual	instruction booklet
merchandise	things that customers buy
multiple item	a product that a customer is buying more than one of (eg. five balls)
multitask	do many things at once
NOF	an error code that means a product price is not on file
on sale	costs less than usual
orientation	a time for learning about the company and job
peak time	the busy time of the day
perk	a little bonus that employees enjoy on top of their wage or salary (eg. restaurant employees get free lunch)
personal check	a written document that allows a business to retrieve funds from a customer’s bank account
price override	change the automated price of a product or service
POS system	Point of Sale system (cash register)
price tag	the sticker or ticket that tells customers what a product costs
produce	fresh fruit and vegetables
promotion	a special discount or offer
prompt service	to help customers quickly
punch in/out	record the start and end time of your shift using a time clock system
rain check	a ticket given to a customer that allows them to receive an out-of-stock item or attend a cancelled event at a later date
receipt	a piece of paper that records the place, time, and price of items or services purchased
reduce(d)	price is less than usual
refund	get money back
register area	the place where a cashier stands and serves the customer
register tape	the paper that goes into the cash register and provides a printed record of all transactions
retailer	a store or business that sells products for the manufacturer
ring in	type the product code or service item into the POS
safe	a secure cabinet where a large amount of money is locked up; requires a code or key to open
sale	a price reduction
scan	pass a product over a laser (scanner reads the bar code and transfers the data (price, product name) to the POS system)
schedule	a table that identifies the weekly or monthly shifts for each employee
security device	a device attached to products that will set off an alarm if it is not removed by the cashier
serial number	a number system used to identify products and services
shelves	long rows of flat wood or metal used to hold products that are for sale in a store
shift report	a record of notes that must be handed in by a cashier at the end of a work shift
sign in/sign off	indicate that one is starting or finishing
supplies	things that are needed to do a job (eg. calculator, pens, paper)
supplier	the company or business that provides a retailer or wholesaler with products to sell
swipe	slide quickly across (eg. Swipe your credit card through the card reader, please.)
tally	add up
tax exempt	a special case in which the customer does not have to pay taxes
tender	money
terminal	a single computer or POS system
till	the drawer that holds money in a cash register
transaction	the sale and purchase of a product or service
UPC	Universal Product Code: a number the identifies the product and the retailer
void	cancel a transaction
wholesale	the sale of a large quantity of goods to a retail outlet
workstation	the area where a cashier works

Optimum or optimal

Is there a difference between optimum and optimal?
As adjectives, they have the same meaning: best; most favourable; most conducive to a good result
They both come from the Latin optimus, meaning “best”.
Look at these examples:

• What is the optimum/optimal childbearing age?
• We need to find the optimal/optimum solution.
• In our case, the optimum/optimal investment would produce a modest return at no risk.

Optimum can also be a noun, while optimal has two derivatives:

• optimally (adverb)
• optimality (noun)

Practical or practicable

Let’s try to understand the difference between these two words.
practical (adjective): useful and suitable for a particular purpose

• I love your kitchen. It’s really practical. Everything is in the right place, and at the right height.

practicable (adjective):  able to be done; can be put into practice

• Your idea about making a new car park is not practicable. There is not enough space.

Note that there are a few other meanings for “practical”.

Top 20 Business Vocabulary

1 A.T.M.                        abbr. Automated Teller Machine; cash dispenserUK
2 banknote                  n: a piece of paper money; billUS
3 billUS                         n. a banknote; a piece of paper money
4 black market           n. illegal traffic in officially controlled commodities such as foreign currency
5 bureau de change  n. establishment where currencies of different countries may be exchanged
6 cash                           n. 1 coins or bank notes (not cheques); 2 actual money paid (not credit)
7 cash dispenserUK  n: automatic machine from which clients of a bank may withdraw money; ATM
8 cashier                       n. person dealing with cash transactions in a bank, store etc
9 coin                             n: a piece of metal money
10 currency                  n. the money in general use or circulation in any country
11 debt                           n. money etc owed by one person to another
12 exchange rate        n. the rate at which one currency can be exchanged for another
13 foreign exchange   n: the currency of other countries
14 hard currency         n. currency that will probably not fall in value and is readily accepted
15 invest                         v. to put money for profit into business, land etc – investment n.
16 legal tender              n: currency that cannot legally be refused in payment of a debt
17 petty cashUK            n. a cash fund for small, everyday expenses
18 soft currency            n. currency that will probably fall in value and is not readily accepted
19 speculate                   v. (risky) buying of foreign currency, land etc for rapid gain – speculation n.
20 transaction                 n. a (usually commercial) exchange; a deal – to transact v.

Meetings

1	A.G.M.	abbr. Annual General Meeting
2	A.O.B.	abbr. Any Other Business [usually the last item on an agenda]
3	absent	adj. not here; not at the meeting; not present
4	agenda	n. a written programme or schedule for a meeting
5	apologies	n. item on agenda announcing people who are absent; apologies for absence
6	ballot	n. a type of vote, usually in writing and usually secret- secret ballot n.
7	casting vote	n. a deciding vote (usually by the chairman) when the votes are otherwise equal
8	chairman	n. the person who leads or presides at a meeting; chairperson; chair
9	conference	n. formal meeting for discussion, esp. a regular one held by an organisation
10	conference call	n. telephone call between three or more people in different locations
11	consensus	n. general agreement
12	decision	n. a conclusion or resolution to do something – to decide v.
13	item	n. a separate point for discussion [as listed on an agenda]
14	matters arising	n. item on agenda for discussion of what has happened as a result of last meeting
15	minutes	n. a written record of everything said at a meeting
16	proxy vote	n. a vote cast by one person for or in place of another
17	show of hands	n. raised hands to express an opinion in a vote
18	unanimous	adj. in complete agreement; united in opinion
19	videoconference	n. conference of people in different locations linked by satellite, TV etc
20	vote	v. to express opinion in a group by voice or hand etc – also n. – to cast a vote v.

Much / many

The words much and many mean a lot of.

* If a noun is in singular, we use much

Example:
much money

* If a noun is in plural, we use many

Example:
many friends

Use of much / many

In everyday English, we normally use much / many only in questions and negative clauses.

Example:
How much money have you got?
Carla does not have many friends.

In positive clauses with so, as or too, we also use much / many.

Example:
Carla has so many friends.
She has as many friends as Sue.
Kevin has too much money.

In all other positive clauses, however, we prefer expressions like a lot of / lots of.

Example:
Carla has a lot of / lots of friends.
Kevin has a lot of / lots of money.

In formal texts, however, much / many are also common in positive clauses. This you will notice for example when you read English news.

Countable / Uncountable Nouns

In connection with much / many people often speak of countable nouns and uncountable nouns.

Countable nouns have a singular and a plural form. In plural, these nouns can be used with a number (that’s why they are called ‘countable nouns’). Countable nouns take many.

Example:
100 friends – many friends

Uncountable nouns can only be used in singular. These nouns cannot be used with a number (that’s why they are called ‘uncountable nouns’). Uncountable nouns take much.

Example:
100 money – much money

Note: Of course you can count money – but then you would name the currency and say that you have got 5 euro (but not „5 money“).

A Little / A Few

The expressions a little and a few mean some.

* If a noun is in singular, we use a little
Example: a little money

* If a noun is in plural, we use a few

Example: a few friends

Countable / Uncountable Nouns

In connection with a little / a few people often speak of countable nouns and uncountable nouns.

Countable nouns have a singular and a plural form. In plural, these nouns can be used with a number (that’s why they are called ‘countable nouns’). Countable nouns take a few.
Example: 4 friends – a few friends
Uncountable nouns can only be used in singular. These nouns cannot be used with a number (that’s why they are called ‘uncountable nouns’). Uncountable nouns take a little.

Example: 3 money – a little money

Note: Of course you can count money – but then you would name the currency and say that you have got 3 euro (but not „3 money“).
A Little / A few or Little / Few

It’s a difference if you use a little / a few or little / few. Without the article, the words have a limiting or negative meaning.
* a little = some little = hardly any

Example: I need a little money. – I need some money. I need little money. – I need hardly any money.
* a few = some few = hardly any

Example: A few friends visited me. – Some friends visited me. Few friends visited me. – Hardly any friends visited me.

Without the article, little / few sound rather formal. That’s why we don’t use them very often in everyday English. A negative sentence with much / many is more common here.
Example: I need little money. = I do not need much money. Few friends visited me. = Not many friends visited me.

Some / any

The words some and any are used for countable and uncountable nouns. In general, we could say that some means a few / a little and any means none in negative clauses or a few / a little in questions.

Positive Clauses

In positive clauses, we usually use some.

Example:

I have bought some bread.

I have bought some apples.

Negative Clauses

In negative clauses, we use any. Note, however, that any alone is not a negative – it must be not … any

Example:

I have not bought any bread.

I have not bought any apples.

Questions

In questions, we usually use any.

Example:

Have you bought any bread?

Have you bought any apples?

Compound Words with some / any

Some / any can also be part of compound words such as:

• something / anything
• someone / anyone
• somewhere / anywhere

Note that some / any have to be used with a noun while compound words with some / any can stand on their own.

Example:

I have bought some bread.

I have bought something.

However, some and any need not stand directly before the noun. Sometimes, the noun appears somewhere before some or any and is not repeated. So if you are not sure whether to use some or something for example, check if there is a noun in the sentence that you can place after some.

Example:

I do not have to buy bread. Rachel has already bought some [bread].

Exceptions

Positive Clauses with Any

We usually use some in positive clauses. But after never, without, hardly, we use any.

Example:

We never go anywhere.

She did her homework without any help.

There’s hardly anyone here.

Also in if clauses, we usually use any.

Example:

If there is anything to do, just call me.

Questions with Some

We usually use any in questions. But if we expect or want the other to answer ‚yes‘, we use some.

Example:

Have you got any brothers and sisters?

→ some people have brothers or sisters, others don’t – we cannot expect the answer to be ‚yes‘

Would you like some biscuits?

→ we offer something and want to encourage the other to say ‚ja‘

Both, Either, Neither, Nor and So

Expression	Example
both … and …	I like both cats and dogs.
so	Jane likes cats. So do I.
not … either	Jane doesn’t like cats. I don’t like cats either.
either … or …	Jane either has a cat or a dog.
neither/nor	Jane doesn’t like cats. Neither do I./Nor do I.
neither … nor …	I like neither cats nor dogs.