Convenience Store

1. Are you open twenty-four hours?

   Are you open twenty-four hours? / Are you open all night?

   Usage

   Unlike in Japan, British and American convenience stores are not always open around the clock. Petrol-station shops often are, but a corner shop typically closes around 10pm

   Grammar Note

   "You" here means the business, not the person. "What time do you close?" works in the same situation

2. Is there a minimum spend on card?

   Is there a minimum spend on card? / Is there a card minimum?

   Usage

   Independent corner shops and bodegas often set a card minimum (commonly £5 or $5) because of card fees. Worth asking before buying a single drink

   Grammar Note

   Payment methods take no article: "on card", "by card". Americans usually say "card minimum" rather than "minimum spend"

3. Sorry, there's a five pound minimum on card.

   Usage

   Said by staff. You will hear this the moment you hand over a card. Either pay cash or add something to get over the threshold

   Grammar Note

   In the attributive phrase "a five pound minimum" the noun stays singular (not "pounds"); it is often hyphenated as "five-pound"

4. Could I have a bag, please?

   Could I have a bag, please? / Can I get a bag?

   Usage

   In the UK carrier bags are chargeable by law and are never given automatically — you have to ask for one

   Grammar Note

   "Could I" is softer than "Can I". Americans default to "Can I get a bag?", which sounds slightly blunt to British ears

5. Do you need a bag? They're twenty-five p.

   Usage

   Said by staff. British shops mention the charge in the same breath. Answer "No, I'm fine, thanks" or "Yes, please"

   Grammar Note

   Britons pronounce pence as the letter "p": "twenty-five p". The "they" refers to bags in general, not a specific set

6. Have you got any ID on you?

   Have you got any ID on you? / Can I see some ID?

   Usage

   Said by staff. Under the UK's Challenge 25 policy anyone who looks under 25 is asked for ID. A passport or driving licence is required — no photocopies, and no ID means no sale

   Grammar Note

   "Have got" is the British possessive; Americans say "Do you have any ID?". "On you" stresses carrying it at this moment

7. What time do you stop selling alcohol?

   What time do you stop selling alcohol? / When does the licence end?

   Usage

   Each UK shop has its own licensing hours, commonly ending at 11pm or midnight. Even a 24-hour store may be barred from selling alcohol at certain times

   Grammar Note

   "Stop + gerund" means to cease an activity; "stop to sell" would mean pausing in order to sell

8. Is this part of the meal deal?

   Is this part of the meal deal? / Does this count towards the meal deal?

   Usage

   The British "meal deal" bundles a sandwich, a snack and a drink for a flat price (around £3–4). Eligible items are labelled on the shelf, but the labels are easy to miss

   Grammar Note

   "The meal deal" takes the definite article because it refers to that shop's known offer. Also: "Which drinks are in the meal deal?"

9. Could I get twenty pounds cashback, please?

   Could I get twenty pounds cashback, please? / Can I take cash out?

   Usage

   In UK shops you can add a cash withdrawal to a debit-card purchase — handy where ATMs are scarce. Credit cards are not eligible

   Grammar Note

   "Cashback" is uncountable and takes no article. Here "pounds" is a full noun so it is plural

10. Sorry, we're cash only.

    Sorry, we're cash only. / We don't take cards.

    Usage

    Said by staff. Some New York bodegas and independent corner shops still take cash only. Follow up with "Is there a cash machine nearby?"

    Grammar Note

    "Cash only" functions as a set complement after "be". On signage it appears bare as "CASH ONLY"

11. Do you sell top-ups for pay-as-you-go?

    Do you sell top-ups for pay-as-you-go? / Can I top up my phone here?

    Usage

    UK corner shops and newsagents sell mobile top-ups, the usual way for travellers to keep a local prepaid SIM running

    Grammar Note

    "Top up" is the phrasal verb; hyphenated "top-up" is the noun. "Pay-as-you-go" is hyphenated throughout as a single unit

12. Where are the sandwiches?

    Where are the sandwiches? / Whereabouts are the sandwiches?

    Usage

    Pre-packed sandwiches and wraps in the chilled section are the standard quick lunch. Hot boxed meals of the Japanese kind are not a thing here

    Grammar Note

    Use "the" for goods known to be in the shop. Britons often say "Whereabouts are...?" colloquially

13. Do you want your receipt?

    Do you want your receipt? / Would you like the receipt?

    Usage

    Said by staff. With the push to cut paper receipts you are now nearly always asked. Decline with "No, you're alright, thanks"

    Grammar Note

    Service English prefers the possessive "your receipt" over "the receipt". A softer version is "Would you like your receipt?"

14. Is this still in date?

    Is this still in date? / Has this gone out of date?

    Usage

    Britain distinguishes "use by" (a safety deadline) from "best before" (a quality date). Near closing time, short-dated items get yellow reduction stickers

    Grammar Note

    "In date" and "out of date" are article-less idiomatic phrases. Americans more readily understand "Is this still good?"

15. Do you have any hot food?

    Do you have any hot food? / Is there anything hot?

    Usage

    There is no Japanese-style "shall I heat it up?" service here. If you want something hot, look for the hot counter at a petrol-station shop — sausage rolls, pasties, pies

    Grammar Note

    "Food" is uncountable, so no article and "any" in questions. Asking "Is there anywhere I can heat this up?" will almost always get a no

16. Have you got any stamps behind the counter?

    Usage

    Most UK corner shops and newsagents keep stamps out of sight behind the till rather than on the shelves. Some also house a Post Office counter — handy for sending postcards home

    Grammar Note

    UK stamps come as first class (faster, dearer) or second class. They are sold in books: "a book of six first class, please"

17. Just tap your card on the reader.

    Just tap your card on the reader. / Pop it on the machine.

    Usage

    Said by staff. Contactless is universal in the UK — no PIN or signature for small amounts. Foreign Visa / Mastercard contactless cards work fine

    Grammar Note

    Sentence-initial "just" in an imperative reassures the listener that nothing more is needed. "Pop it on the machine" is the casual British variant

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