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Bill, check, or receipt
A bill asks you to pay for a service or a meal in the UK; a check is the restaurant bill in the US; a receipt is the proof you get after paying.
Quick rule
Before paying: a bill (services, or UK restaurants) or a check (US restaurants). After paying: a receipt.
A request for payment (the electricity bill), the restaurant bill in the UK, and in the US a banknote.
The restaurant bill in the US. It is also a check you write to pay (British spelling: cheque).
The piece of paper you get after paying, as proof of purchase.
How to choose
| Question | bill | check | receipt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Is it what you ask for at the end of a meal in a US restaurant? | SometimesSometimes | Yes | No |
| Is it the monthly request for payment for electricity or water? | Yes | No | No |
| Is it the paper you get after paying, as proof? | No | No | Yes |
Why it trips people up
These words all name a paper about money, but at different moments. A bill and a check ask you to pay, and a receipt proves you did. Bill and check overlap in restaurants, and the country decides which one you hear.
How each one works
Bill
The restaurant bill
The waiter forgot to bring the bill.
Request for payment for a service
The electricity bill came today.
Banknote (US)
He handed the cashier a twenty-dollar bill.
Check
The restaurant bill in the US
The waiter brought the check after dessert.
get the check: pay it
Let me get the check; you paid last time.
The total of the bill
The check was $48, and she left a 20 percent tip.
Receipt
Proof of purchase
Save your receipt in case something breaks.
Asking for it in a store
Can I get a receipt, please?
What it shows
The receipt shows the date and the price of each item.
What comes next
bill plus for plus something
The bill for the repairs was higher than I expected.
ask for plus the check
We asked for the check and paid in cash.
receipt plus for plus something
I need a receipt for the taxi.
Set phrases
Bill
- foot the bill
- pay the cost of something, often for other people
Check
- pick up the check
- pay the restaurant bill for everyone
Receipt
- gift receipt
- a receipt with no price, so a present can be returned
Almost the same
Please bring the check.
You have not paid yet.
Please bring the receipt.
You have paid; you want the proof.
I paid the water bill.
You paid what they asked.
I kept the water receipt.
It is the proof that you paid.
In a conversation
- A:
Excuse me, we are ready for the check.
- B:
Of course. Here you go.
- A:
I will pay. Do you accept cards?
- B:
Yes. Would you like the receipt in a bag or by email?
- A:
By email, thanks. I also need to pay my phone bill tonight.
- B:
Good luck with that one.
Common mistakes
Wrong: The electricity check arrived this morning.
Right: The electricity bill arrived this morning.
A paper that asks you to pay for a service is a bill. A check is the restaurant bill in the US or a payment from a bank account.
Wrong: Keep the bill in case you return the shirt.
Right: Keep the receipt in case you return the shirt.
The proof of purchase is the receipt. A bill asks you to pay.
Memory trick
Before you pay, you get a bill or a check. After you pay, you get a receipt. If the paper asks for money, it is not a receipt.
It depends
- Bill, check and the country
- In British English the restaurant bill is the bill. In the US it is usually the check, and bill can also mean a banknote.
- Check, cheque
- The payment paper is spelled check in the US and cheque in the UK.
FAQ
Bill vs check vs receipt?
A bill and a check ask for payment, and a receipt proves you already paid.
Bill vs receipt: what is the difference?
You pay a bill, and then you get a receipt.
Bill vs check at a restaurant?
In the US the restaurant bill is the check; in the UK it is the bill.