Banking and money vocabulary

ATM
abbreviation of Automated Teller Machine: a machine, usually in a wall outside a bank,
from which you can take money out of your bank account using a special card.
bank balance
the amount of money in a bank account.
I'd like to check my bank balance, please.
bank charges
sums of money paid by a customer for a bank's services.
bank statement
a printed record of the money put into and removed from a bank account
bounce
when a check cannot be paid or accepted by a bank because of a lack of money in the
account:
I had to pay a penalty fee when my check bounced.
cash
(noun) money in the form of notes and coins, rather than checks or credit cards:
Do you have any cash on you?
cash a check/cheque
(verb) to exchange a check for cash:
Would you cash a check for me?
checkbook (US) / chequebook (UK)
a book of checks / cheques with your name printed on them which is given to you by
your bank to make payments with.
check (US) / cheque (UK)
a printed form, used instead of money, to make payments from your bank account:
I wrote him a check for $100.
credit
1. money in your bank account.
I was relieved to see from my statement that my account was in credit
2. a method of paying for goods or services at a later time, usually paying interest as
well as the original money.
They decided to buy the car on credit.
credit card
a small plastic card which can be used as a method of payment, the money being taken
from you at a later time.
checking account (US) / current account (UK)
a bank account that you can take money from at any time and which usually earns little
or no interest.
debit
(a record of) money taken out of a bank account.
The account was in debit at the end of the month (= more money had been spent than
was in the account at that time).
debt
money, which is owed to someone else, or the state of owing something:
He managed to pay off his debts in two years.
The firm ran up huge debts.
deposit (US) / pay in (UK)
to put money into a bank account.
If you go to the bank, will you deposit these checks for me?

direct debit
an arrangement for making payments, usually to an organization, in which your bank
moves money from your account into the organization's account at regular times:
I pay my electricity bill by direct debit.
expense
when you spend or use money.
Buying a bigger car has proved to be well worth the expense.
We've just had a new garage built at great expense.
insurance
an agreement in which you pay a company money and they pay your costs if you have an
accident, injury, etc:
life/health/car/travel insurance
interest
1. money which is charged by a bank or other financial organization for borrowing
money.
I got a loan with an interest rate of 10%.
2. money that you earn from keeping your money in an account in a bank or other
financial organization.
You should put the money in a savings account where it will earn interest.
loan
a sum of money which is borrowed, often from a bank, and has to be paid back, usually
together with an additional amount of money that you have to pay as a charge for
borrowing.
She's trying to get a $100 000 loan to start her own business.
NSF
Non Sufficient Fund
overdraft
The act of overdrawing a bank account.
payee
a person who money is paid to or should be paid to.
savings account (US) / deposit account (UK)
a bank account in which you usually leave money for a long time and which pays you
interest.
standing account (UK)
an instruction to a bank to pay a particular amount of money at regular times from a
person's bank account to another bank account (compare direct debit)
tax
(an amount of) money paid to the government, which is based on your income or of the
cost of goods or services you have bought:
They're putting up the tax on cigarettes.
traveler's check
a piece of paper that you buy from a bank or a travel company and that you can use as
money or exchange for the local money of the country you visit
withdraw
to take money out of a bank account.

Banking idiomatic expressions

Can I bank on your support?
A fool and his money are soon parted.
A company or an activity which is a licence to print money.

The company has been coining it/money since the new manager took over.
Since he's in the money, he's extremely generous to his friends.
Ice cream sellers are minting money thanks to the heat.
Most people think being a professional footballer is money for jam.
That costs an arm and a leg.
I got it for a song.
Time is money.
More money idioms with explanations and examples

Rich and poor

Describing a rich or a poor person:

Rich:
stinking rich, flush, well-heeled, loaded, moneyed, well-to-do, filthy rich, rolling in it,
wealthy, prosperous, affluent, well off, ...
Poor:
dirt poor, hard up, needy, skint, broke, penniless, moneyless, poverty-stricken, emptyhanded, deprived, unfortunate, underprivileged, meager, reduced, pitiable, humble,
lowly, modest, destitute

How To Use These Phrases In Your English

1 In 1. the cashier is the person who serves you in a bank. They
are usually behind a glass screen for security. In the US they
are called 'tellers'.

2 A bank account (2.) is the record of how much money that you
keep in the bank. There are many dierent kinds of account.
'Current account' means that you can take the money quickly
whenever you want.

3 In 3. a 'high interest account' is another record of money that

you keep in the bank for a long time. Every month the bank
pays you a little money (interest) for keeping a lot of money in
the account.

4 The balance in 4 is how much money you have at one time in

one account. You can ask 'I'd like to know the balance of my
current account'.

5 You use a cheque book (5.) to take out money. You write how
much money you want on a slip of paper (a cheque) with your
signature, give it to the cashier, and she / he gives you the
money.

6 A cash/debit card (6.) is another way to take out money. You

put it in a machine, type some numbers and it gives you
money.

 7 A hole-in-the-wall is the machine that you can take money

from with a cash card. In the US, they are called A.T.Ms.

8 You have an overdraft (8.) when you take out more money
than you have in your account. You have minus money (e.g.
-50 pounds).

9 If you have an overdraft (8.) you are overdrawn (adjective) and

we say that your account is 'in the red' (9.). In the black is the
opposite.

10 A standing order is some money that the bank automatically

pays to somebody from your account every month. In the UK,
we often pay for gas / electricity / telephone like this.

Ten Expressions to Use In Speaking And Writing

1 Cashier

2 Current account

3 High interest account

4 Balance

5 Cheque book

6 Debit card / Cash card

7 Hole-in-the-wall / Cashpoint

8 Overdraft / Overdrawn

9 In the red / In the black

10 Standing orderBuild Up A - Z of money terms

VOCABULARY
account
n. a record of money a person deposits into a bank
ATM
n. Automatic Teller Machine aka Hole in the wall.
balance
n. the difference between credits and debits in an account
bank
n. a building in which commercial banking is transacted.
bank charges
n. money paid to a bank for the bank's services etc
banker's draft
n. a cheque drawn on the bank (or building society) itself against either a cash deposit or
funds taken directly from your own bank account.
barter
v. to trade without using money.
borrow
v. to ask for the temporary use of money on the condition of repayment and at a set rate of
interest.
branch
n. local office or bureau of a bank

building society
n. A building society is like a bank, but it is owned by its members - savers and borrowers and not by shareholders. Its traditional purpose was to lend money to individuals to
purchase or remortgage their homes. This money used to come exclusively from individual
saving members who are paid interest on their deposits. Now, an increasing proportion,
but still a minority of the funds are raised on the commercial money markets.
cashflow
n. cash earnings minus cash outflows for fixed- and working-capital investment.
cashier
n. an employee of a bank or building society who receives and pays out money.
chequebook
n. book containing detachable cheques
cheque
n. written order to a bank to pay the stated sum from one's account
counterfeit
n. fake money made in order to deceive - also v.
credit
n. money in a bank a/c; sum added to a bank a/c; money lent by a bank - also v.
credit card
n. (plastic) card from a bank authorising the purchasing of goods on credit
currency
n. money that is used by a country such as the United Kingdom.
current account
n. bank a/c from which money may be drawn at any time; checking account US
debit
n. a sum deducted from a bank account, as for a cheque - also v.
debit card
n. you use a debit card in much the same way as a credit card but instead of receiving
credit after making your purchase, the funds are automatically (within a few days usually)
withdrawn from your bank account.
debt
n. the state of owing something (especially money).
denomination
n. a number that expresses the value of a coin or bill. A five pound note and a ten pound
note represent two denominations.
deposit
n. an amount of money placed with a bank
depositaccount
n. bank a/c on which interest is paid; savings account US.
fill in
v. to add written information to a document to make it complete.
foreign exchange
n. Used to describe the currency of other countries and the system for dealing in such
currency (often shortened to Forex).
interest
n. money paid for borrowing money, or money that a bank or building society pays a
customer for putting money into their bank.
interest rate
n. the percentage of an amount of money which is paid for the use of that money over a
period of time.
lend

v. to give the temporary use of money on the condition of repayment and at a set rate of
interest.
loan
n. money lent by a bank etc and that must be repaid with interest - also v.
mortgage
n. most of us do not buy our homes outright for cash - instead we borrow money to do so.
overdraft
n. deficit in a bank account caused by withdrawing more money than is paid in
pay
v. To give (someone) money that is due for work done, goods received, or a debt incurred.
pay
n. Money paid to someone for regular work. Also see salary.
pay in
v. to deposit or put money in to a bank account
payee
n. person to whom money is paid
paying-in slip
n. small document recording money that you pay in to a bank account
pence
n. more than one penny.
pension
n. A regular payment made during a person's retirement (when they become too old to
work) from an investment fund to which that person or their employer has contributed.
salary
n. A fixed regular payment, typically paid on a monthly or biweekly basis made by an
employer to an employee.
standing order
n. an instruction to a bank to make regular payments
statement
n. a record of transactions in a bank account
withdraw
v. to take money out of a bank account
withdrawal
n. the act of taking out money.

Other useful phrases

where's the nearest cash machine?
what's the interest rate on this account?
what's the current interest rate for personal loans?
I've lost my bank card
I want to report a
lost credit card
stolen credit card
we've got a joint account
I'd like to tell you about a change of address
I've forgotten my Internet banking password
I've forgotten the PIN number for my card
I'll have a new one sent out to you
could I make an appointment to see ?
the manager

a financial advisor
I'd like to speak to someone about a mortgage

Making transactions
I'd like to withdraw 100, please
I want to make a withdrawal
how would you like the money?
in tens, please (ten pound notes)
could you give me some smaller notes?
I'd like to pay this in, please
I'd like to pay this cheque in, please
how many days will it take for the cheque to clear?
have you got any ?
identification
ID (abbreviation of identification)
I've got my
passport
driving licence
ID card
your account's overdrawn
I'd like to transfer some money to this account
could you transfer 1000 from my current account to my deposit account?

Other services
I'd like to open an account
I'd like to open a personal account
I'd like to open a business account
could you tell me my balance, please?
could I have a statement, please?
I'd like to change some money
I'd like to order some foreign currency
what's the exchange rate for euros?
I'd like some
euros
US dollars
could I order a new chequebook, please?
I'd like to cancel a cheque
I'd like to cancel this standing order

Using a cash machine

Insert your card
Enter your PIN
Incorrect PIN
Enter
Correct
Cancel
Withdraw cash
Other amount

Please wait
Your cash is being counted
Insufficient funds
Balance
On screen
Printed
Another service?
Would you like a receipt?
Remove card
Quit

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