Checking you understood prices, times and instructions

Key rules

• Read back: Repeat every price, time and instruction aloud before you leave or agree.
• In writing: Ask for key details by WhatsApp or email with private people and firms.
• Public offices: For anything binding, ask for a written receipt, a reference number or a registered submission rather than a chat message.
• Dates and prices: 03/04 is 3 April, and 1.250,50 € is one thousand two hundred fifty euros and fifty cents.

Repeat it back, then get it in writing

Say the price, time or instruction back to the other person, then ask them to put it in writing. This is normal in Spain and prevents costly misunderstandings. Nobody will take offence.

What to confirm

Check these points, in this order of importance:

1. The next step and who does it.
2. The date and time, including morning or afternoon.
3. The price, whether it includes IVA, and how you pay (cash, card or bank transfer).
4. The documents needed, originals or copies, and whether translations or apostilles are needed.
5. The address, floor or office, and the name of the person or desk.
6. How to follow up, and the reference number (expediente).
7. Opening hours, and whether you need an appointment.

Phrases that help

• "¿Me puede repetir, por favor?" asks them to repeat.
• "Más despacio, por favor" asks them to slow down.
• "A ver si lo he entendido..." means you are about to check your understanding.
• "Entonces, son 45 euros, ¿correcto?" repeats a price.
• "Entonces, el martes a las cinco de la tarde, ¿verdad?" repeats a time.
• "¿Puede escribirlo, por favor?" asks for it in writing.
• "Perdone, ¿quiere decir que...?" asks what they mean.
• "¿Es todo lo que necesito?" checks you have everything.
• "¿Cuál es el siguiente paso?" asks for the next step.

Numbers that get mixed up

Spanish writes prices with a point for thousands and a comma for decimals. So 1.250,50 € is one thousand two hundred fifty euros and fifty cents. Aloud, "dos con cincuenta" is 2.50.

Dates run day, month, year, so 03/04 is 3 April.

Written times and timetables use the 24-hour clock (17:30). Speech uses the 12-hour clock with "de la mañana" or "de la tarde". "Y media" is half past, "y cuarto" quarter past, "menos cuarto" quarter to. "Las dos y media" is 2:30.

Some numbers sound alike: quince and cincuenta, sesenta and setenta, trece and treinta, cuarenta and cuatrocientos. When it matters, ask them to write the figure down. Phone numbers are often said in pairs. Also watch "a las" (at) against "hasta las" (until).

Private dealings

With landlords, tradespeople, clinics and schools, asking for confirmation by WhatsApp or email is routine. You can say "Te lo mando por WhatsApp para confirmarlo" and send your own summary of what was agreed.

Public offices

Offices are more formal, and staff may decline to give details by WhatsApp. For anything binding at a public office, ask for a written receipt, a reference number or a registered submission rather than a chat message. Keep the receipt (justificante) and the reference number.

The questions and answers below cover reading prices and dates in more detail.

What if I said yes without understanding?

If you agreed to something in Spain without really understanding it, act quickly and put your questions in writing. This page is for anyone who said yes to a landlord, a firm or an office and now has doubts.

Reopen it as soon as you notice

Contact the other side quickly, in person or in writing. Say plainly that you did not fully understand what you agreed to and that you want to go through it again. Most landlords, tradespeople, clinics, schools and private firms will accept this. The sooner you ask, the easier it is to fix.

WhatsApp or email is fine for private dealings. Writing also gives you a record of what you asked and what they answered.

Ask for the key points in writing

Ask the other side to confirm in writing the amount, the dates, what you must do and what happens if you stop. If the first explanation was in Spanish and you missed parts, ask for it in simple words or in writing. Use a translation tool on the contract or message before you reply.

Can it be undone?

It depends on what you agreed to. A spoken yes or a chat message is usually easier to reopen than a signed contract or a payment already made. Before you sign or pay anything else, ask the other side whether you can cancel, how, and by when. Ask for the answer in writing. Then read any cancellation terms in the paperwork you were given. If you cannot settle it directly, your town hall's consumer office can tell you what your options are.

If it was at a public office

For anything binding at a public office, ask for a written receipt, a reference number or a registered submission rather than a chat message. Staff may decline to give details by WhatsApp. Go back in person or use the office's email or online portal, and keep the receipt.

Do it in this order

1. Stop. Do not sign, pay or confirm anything further.
2. Gather what you have: messages, emails, papers and receipts.
3. Contact the other side and ask to go through it again.
4. Ask in writing whether it can be cancelled and what it would cost.

Whether an agreement can be undone depends on the contract and who you dealt with. Check with your town hall's consumer office.

Frequently asked questions

Which Spanish numbers do people mix up most often?

The pairs that sound alike are quince and cincuenta, sesenta and setenta, trece and treinta, and cuarenta and cuatrocientos. When you hear one of these in a price or time, repeat it back as a full sentence, such as 'Entonces, son 45 euros, ¿correcto?'.

How do I read a price like 1.250,50 € in Spain?

The price 1.250,50 € is one thousand two hundred fifty euros and fifty cents, because Spain uses a point for thousands and a comma for decimals. Spoken prices are often short, so 'dos con cincuenta' means 2.50 euros.

Does 03/04 mean 3 April or 4 March in Spain?

In Spain 03/04 means 3 April, because dates are written day, month, year. For times, timetables use the 24-hour clock (17:30), while people speaking say 'las cinco y media de la tarde', so ask whether it is morning or afternoon.

Can I ask a landlord or tradesperson to confirm by WhatsApp?

Yes, asking a landlord, tradesperson, clinic or school to confirm by WhatsApp is normal, and 'Te lo mando por WhatsApp para confirmarlo' is a routine thing to say. Public offices are more formal, so ask them for an email or a written receipt.