HaloBahasa

Money, banks and cash machines

The words on the ATM screen, the ones on the transfer form, and the two that decide what a price actually means.

a2Lesson 21 of 345 min

By the end of this lesson

  • Use an Indonesian cash machine without guessing
  • Understand a price that includes or excludes tax

At the machine

The screen is often in Indonesian only, and the words are consistent across banks.

tarik tunai ‘withdraw cash’
saldo ‘balance’
transfer ‘transfer’
jumlah ‘amount’
lanjut ‘continue’
batal ‘cancel’
benar ‘correct, confirm’

Paying by transfer

Indonesia runs on bank transfer far more than on cards. Small shops, landlords and even restaurants will give you an account number.

Bisa transfer? ‘Can I transfer?’
Nomor rekeningnya berapa? ‘What’s the account number?’
Atas nama siapa? ‘In whose name?’

That last question is standard and you should expect it. Transfers are verified by name, not just number.

Cash or card

tunai ‘cash’
kartu ‘card’
uang kecil ‘small change’
kembalian ‘change given back’

Ada uang kecil? ‘Do you have anything smaller?’

You will be asked this constantly. Large notes are a genuine problem for small vendors, and breaking them where you can is a kindness.

The two words that change a price

Pajak is tax and servis is service charge. Restaurant prices are often quoted before both, and the bill arrives twenty-one percent higher than the menu.

Sudah termasuk pajak? ‘Is tax included?’
Plus plus on a menu means tax and service are not included, and it is written exactly like that.

What you’ll actually hear

What the book says: Apakah pembayaran dapat dilakukan secara tunai?
What you’ll hear: Bisa cash?

Words from this lesson

tarik tunaicash withdrawalThe ATM menu item. Literally 'pull cash'.
transfertransferBorrowed. The default way to pay for everything.
rekeningbank account
tunaicash
pajaktax