Hebrew for Credit Cards and Card Payments in Israel

If you are paying in Israel, you will hear card and payment words constantly: in shops, over the phone, on delivery apps, and at service desks. The most useful Hebrew here is fairly small and very practical.

This guide focuses on the words and phrases you are most likely to use or hear when paying by card.

Core words

• כרטיס אשראי — credit card
• כרטיס — card
• אשראי — card payment / credit card
• תשלום — payment
• לשלם — to pay
• בכרטיס — by card / with a card
• במזומן — in cash
• חשבון — bill / account
• סכום — amount
• קבלה — receipt

A very common question is:

• אפשר לשלם בכרטיס? — Can I pay by card?

You may also hear:

• רק מזומן — cash only
• לא עובד — it’s not working
• הכרטיס עבר? — Did the card go through?

In a store

These are the most useful phrases at a checkout:

• אפשר לשלם בכרטיס אשראי? — Can I pay with a credit card?
• אפשר לשלם בכרטיס? — Can I pay by card?
• אפשר בתשלומים? — Can I pay in installments?
• צריך קוד? — Do I need a code / PIN?
• אפשר בלי מגע? — Can I tap it? / Can I pay contactless?

If the cashier says באשראי או במזומן?, they are asking whether you want to pay by card or in cash.

On the phone or with a service rep

When you pay by phone, you may be asked for:

• מספר כרטיס — card number
• תוקף — expiry date
• שלוש ספרות מאחורה — the three digits on the back
• שם בעל הכרטיס — cardholder name

Useful things to say:

• אני רוצה לשלם בכרטיס אשראי. — I want to pay by credit card.
• אפשר לחלק לתשלומים? — Can I split it into installments?
• לא קיבלתי אישור. — I did not get confirmation.

What you may see on screens and receipts

Common words on payment terminals and receipts include:

• סכום לתשלום — amount to pay
• אישור — approval / confirmation
• דחייה — decline
• הזן קוד — enter code
• העבר כרטיס — swipe the card
• הצמד כרטיס — tap the card

If a machine asks for תשלום, it simply means payment. If you see אשראי, it usually means card payment.

A few practical notes

In everyday Israeli Hebrew, people often say אשראי when they mean paying by card. So if someone asks באשראי או במזומן?, they are asking whether you want to pay by card or cash.

Not every business uses the same setup. Sometimes the answer will be כן, sometimes רק בשעות מסוימות, and sometimes אין. If you are unsure, אפשר לשלם בכרטיס? is usually enough.

If you also need more everyday service language, Hebrew for Israeli Service Calls is a good next step. For other short practical phrases, Hebrew for Saying “I’m On My Way” and Hebrew for Leaving a Conversation Politely are also useful.

Quick practice

Try reading these out loud:

• כרטיס אשראי
• אפשר לשלם בכרטיס?
• רק מזומן
• תוקף הכרטיס
• אפשר בתשלומים?

Mini dialogue

A: אפשר לשלם בכרטיס?
B: כן, בטח.
A: מעולה, תודה.

At a service desk:

A: אני רוצה לשלם בכרטיס אשראי.
B: בסדר, תעביר את הכרטיס כאן.

The main goal is to know the few phrases that come up again and again: כרטיס אשראי, לשלם, בכרטיס, במזומן, and אפשר לשלם?. Those are enough for many everyday situations.