The Ultimate Vocabulary Guide: At the Bank in Spanish

Need to go to the bank in Spanish? 

It’s important to learn common banking phrases, expressions, and vocabulary terms—whether you’re planning a trip to a Spanish-speaking country or needing to speak about money, payments, and other bank-related activity in Spanish.

Read this article to learn how to deal with ATMs; speak with Spanish-speaking bank tellers; and hold conversations about accounts, loans, and more!

¡Vamos al banco!
Let’s go to the bank!

Basic Bank Words

Bank terms in Spanish are easy, as many of them resemble their translations in English. 

This chart includes words that will help you in your experience at the bank in Spanish.

Términos Bancarios – Bank Terms

English	Spanish
Bank	El banco
Money	El dinero
Credit card	La tarjeta de crédito
Debit card	La tarjeta de débito
Change	El cambio
Coin/currency	La moneda
Amount	Importe
Debt	La deuda
Check	El cheque
Exchange rate	El tipo de cambio
Cashier	El cajero / la cajera
Traveler’s check	El cheque de viajero
US dollar	El dólar americano
Cash desk	La caja / La ventanilla
ATM	El cajero automático
Receipt	El recibo / el comprobante
Deposit	El depósito
Withdrawal	El retiro
Foreign currency	La divisa

The word moneda means coin or currency. 

¿Me prestas unas monedas?
Can you lend me some coins?

El importe es en moneda nacional.
The amount is in national currency.

To cambiar dinero (exchange money) means to trade money from one currency to another. Moneda nacional is national currency and moneda extranjera is foreign currency. 

El importe es en moneda extranjera.
The amount is in foreign currency.

In Spanish-speaking countries, you will rarely hear this term unless you are getting information on a specific transaction involving any foreign currency. 

The colloquial way to express it is to specify what foreign currency you are referring to.

El importe es en dólares australianos.
The amount is in Australian dollars.

Cambio refers to receiving change at the bank in Spanish. Tipo de cambio literally means “type of change,” but it translates to exchange rate.

Caja (box) and ventanilla (window) mean cash desk in this situation and can also be used for services other than the bank’s. Examples are paying for water or electricity service, school tuition, and taxes.

Actions at the Bank in Spanish

These verbs refer to basic services at the bank. In order to formulate sentences you can start by saying quiero (I want) or necesito (I need), followed by the action you need to carry out:

English	Spanish
To cash	Cobrar
To pay	Pagar
To authorize	Autorizar
To sign	Firmar
To withdraw	Retirar
To transfer	Transferir
To deposit	Depositar
To exchange	Cambiar
To open (an account)	Abrir la cuenta
To close (an account)	Cerrar la cuenta

Read on to find example sentences using these actions at the bank in Spanish.

Questions and Answers

We’ve covered vocabulary and terms you can use in the bank in Spanish. But in reality, you’ll be having conversations. 

Below are common questions and answers at the bank in Spanish. Since these interactions start with a greeting, check out The Ultimate List of Spanish Greetings and Farewells for Beginner Students.

¿Qué necesita hacer?
What do you need to do?

¿Tiene una cuenta con nosotros?
Do you have an account with us?

Pase a la tercer ventanilla para hacer el movimiento.
Go to the third window to make the transaction.

Un ejecutivo la puede ayudar con eso, por favor tome un turno.
An executive can help you with that, please take a turn. 

¿Disculpe, dónde hay un cajero automático?
Excuse me, where can I find an ATM?

Movimientos en Ventanilla – Cash Desk Transactions

Now, let’s learn to use the previous words in phrases you use for specific transactions y at the ventanilla (cash desk). 

Necesito cobrar un cheque.
I need to cash a check.

Quiero depositar dinero a una cuenta de débito.
I want to make a deposit to a debit account.

Necesito cambiar dólares americanos a pesos mexicanos.
I need to exchange US dollars to Mexican pesos.

Quiero abrir una cuenta y obtener una tarjeta de crédito.
I want to open an account and get a credit card.

Necesito el comprobante del retiro.
I need the receipt of the withdrawal.

Quiero cobrar este cheque de viajero ya firmado.
I want to cash this signed traveler’s check.

Necesito transferir dinero.
I need to transfer money.

Quiero autorizar un pago.
I want to authorize a payment.

Quiero reportar una tarjeta extraviada / robada.
I want to report a lost / stolen card.

Servicio Ejecutivo – Executive service

You can address a bank executive or a financial advisor to do any of these actions on your trip to the bank in Spanish:

• Ask for a mortgage credit
• Process a loan
• Open or cancel a savings, current, credit, or investment account 
• Buy an insurance policy
• Contract financial instruments and service
• Transfer your payroll account

Quiero abrir una cuenta bancaria con ustedes.
I want to open a bank account with you.

¿Qué tipo de cuenta quiere abrir?
What kind of account would you like to open?

Una cuenta de ahorros.
A savings account.

Una cuenta de cheques.
A checking account.

Una cuenta de inversión.
An investment account.

Le ofrecemos estas opciones.
We offer these options.

¿Qué beneficios tiene cada una?
What are the benefits of each one?

¿Cuándo me llega la tarjeta?
When does the card arrive? / When can I expect the card?

¿Cuándo me llega la chequera?
When does the checkbook arrive? / When can I expect the checkbook?

Quisiera comprar un seguro de vida.
I would like to buy a life insurance policy.

¿Qué rendimiento da esta inversión?
What is the return on this investment?

Necesito un préstamo.
I need a loan.

Quiero tramitar un crédito hipotecario.
I want to process a mortgage credit.

Llene este formulario, por favor.
Fill out this form please.

¿Qué intereses ofrecen?
What interest rates do you offer?

¿Qué trámite debo hacer? 
What is the procedure?

¿Qué documentos debo traer?
What documents should I bring?

¿Cuándo me llega la autorización de crédito?
When will I get the credit authorization?

Perdí mi tarjeta y quiero cancelarla.
I lost my card and want to cancel it.

Quiero cambiar mi nómina con ustedes.
I want to transfer my payroll account with you.

Credit / Debit Cards

When you pay for something on the phone or internet, the service provider or company will ask for a series of information about your payment method. Here’s the vocabulary you need to carry out transactions at the bank in Spanish. 

Card data	Los datos de la tarjeta
Account holder	El titular de la cuenta
Account number	El número de cuenta
Card number	El número de tarjeta
Expiry date / Valid through	Fecha de expiración / Válido hasta
Member since	Miembro desde
Security number	El número de seguridad
Signature	La firma
In case of loss, call…	En caso de extravío llame al …
Account status / statement / balance	El estado de cuenta / El balance de cuenta
Customer service	El servicio al cliente

ATM

You will rarely hear the acronym ATM in hispanic countries. This service is most likely referred to as cajero automático (automatic cashier). Although most ATMs have an option to change language, we don’t want you to feel without tools in a case of bad luck. So here are all the phrases and terms you need to know to use an ATM machine anywhere or at the bank in Spanish. 

ATM	Cajero automático
Insert your card	Inserte su tarjeta
Enter your PIN	Ingrese su PIN
Enter	Entrar
Please wait	Por favor espere
Select an option	Seleccione una opción
Money withdrawal	Retirar dinero
Select account type	Seleccione el tipo de cuenta
Savings Account	Cuenta de ahorros
Please enter amount	Por favor ingrese cantidad
Insufficient funds	Fondos insuficientes
Cancel	Cancelar
Other amount	Otra cantidad
Account activity	Actividad en cuenta
Balance inquiry	Consulta de saldo
Transfers and payments	Transferencias y pagos
Change PIN	Cambiar PIN
Print receipt	Imprimir recibo / comprobante
Quit	Salir
Remove your card	Retire su tarjeta

Practice Your Spanish Bank Knowledge!

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