Spanish Phrase
¿Aceptan tarjetas?
Meaning
A short, polite way to ask a shop, restaurant or service provider whether they take payment by credit or debit cards. It can be used in any commercial setting where you are unsure of the accepted payment methods.
When to use
Use this phrase at the cash register, when ordering food, booking a hotel room, or any time you need to confirm the payment options before making a purchase.
✦Grammar Breakdown
¿Aceptantarjetas?
Present Indicative (3rd pl.)
Aceptan is the third‑person plural form of aceptar in the present indicative, used here as a polite way to address the staff (Uds.)
Plural noun agreement
Tarjetas is plural, so the verb must be plural (aceptan) – not acepta.
Question marks
Spanish questions are enclosed by opening (¿) and closing (?) inversion marks.
🗨In Conversation
¿Aceptan tarjetas?
Do you accept cards?
Sí, aceptamos tarjetas de crédito y débito.
Yes, we accept credit and debit cards.
✕Common Mistakes
¿Acepta tarjetas?
The verb must agree with the plural noun "tarjetas" or with the implied plural "ustedes".
¿Aceptan la tarjeta?
Using the singular article changes the meaning to a specific card; the neutral question asks about any card.
¿Aceptan tarjeta?
Missing the plural "s" makes the question sound like you’re asking about a single card.
↔Alternatives
¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?
Can I pay with a card?
¿Aceptan tarjetas de crédito?
Do you accept credit cards?
¿Se pueden usar tarjetas aquí?
Can cards be used here?
¿Tienen tarjeta de crédito?
Do you have a credit card?
Cultural Tip
In many Latin‑American countries cash is still king, so it’s courteous to ask before ordering. In Spain the word tarjeta usually covers both credit and debit cards, but in some regions you may need to specify "tarjeta de crédito" or "tarjeta de débito". Using the plural form (¿Aceptan tarjetas?) sounds more formal and is the safest way to address staff you don’t know personally.