Home›Polish›Coffee, a roll and "to take away or eat here?"›The card does not work and you need cash
Polish · Kawiarnia

The card does not work and you need cash: what to say in Polish

The card does not work and cash is needed.

Kawiarnia4 linesLevel A1For life in Poland The rest of the dialogue is in the app
💡
How it's done. Small cafés and markets are sometimes cash or BLIK only; ask beforehand: Czy mogę zapłacić kartą?Prepared by the Movko team, November 2026. This is language help, not legal or medical advice: check the rules with the office itself.

Cheat sheet for your visit

The first phrase is open: tap ▶ to listen, or “Show” to show it to the other person. The rest of the dialogue is in the course in the app.

1
YOU START
Czy mogę zapłacić kartą?
Chih MOH-geh zuh-PVAH-tseetsy KAHR-tom?
Can I pay by card?
Or say:Czy przyjmujecie karty?
Chih pshihy-moo-EH-tsyeh KAHR-tih?
THEY SAY
Niestety terminal nie działa. Tylko gotówka.
Nyehs-TEH-tih tehr-MEE-nuhl nyeh DZYAH-vuh. TIL-koh goh-TOOF-kuh.
Unfortunately the terminal isn't working. Cash only.
They might also say:
Przepraszam, dzisiaj tylko gotówka.
Psheh-PRAH-shuhm, DZEE-syigh TIL-koh goh-TOOF-kuh.
Sorry, cash only today.
in the app
2
YOU FINISH
Nie ma problemu. Mam gotówkę.
Nyeh mah proh-BLEH-moo. Mahm goh-TOOF-keh.
No problem. I have cash.
THEY SAY
Dziękuję. Oto reszta.
Dzyayn-KOO-eh. OH-toh RESH-tuh.
Thank you. Here is your change.
in the app

The course is in the app

This dialogue is part of the course “Polish for life in Poland”: 416 situations with audio, a pronunciation guide and spaced review.

Open in the App Store
On the website the first dialogue, the 112 category, the rescue phrases and the “Basics” are fully open.

Words worth knowing

mogę
MOH-geh
verb
I can
zapłacić
zuh-PVAH-tseetsy
verb
to pay
kartą
KAHR-tom
noun
by card
Niestety
Nyehs-TEH-tih
adverb
unfortunately
terminal
tehr-MEE-nuhl
noun
terminal
działa
DZYAH-vuh
verb
works

11 more words, with explanations, base forms and tap-a-word help, are in the app.

If you did not understand

Proszę powtórzyć.
PROH-sheh pof-TOO-zhitsy.
Please repeat that.
Proszę mówić wolniej.
PROH-sheh MOO-veetsy VOL-nyay.
Please speak more slowly.

All 21 rescue phrases in Polish →

Similar situations

You ask about Wi-FiKawiarnia · A1 in the app
→
You order tea and a glass of tap waterKawiarnia · A1 in the app
→
You buy ice cream at an ice-cream parlourKawiarnia · A1 in the app
→
At the café you order a coffee with milkKawiarnia · A1 in the app
→
Found a mistake? Write to us and we will fix it. This is language help, not medical or legal advice.Report
The rest of the dialogue is in MovkoDownload