How to Say "Keep the Change" in Spanish

quédese con el cambio

/kedese kon el kambjo/from spelling rules

The English phrase 'keep the change' is translated into Spanish as quédese con el cambio.

This phrase is used when paying for a service or item (like a taxi or restaurant bill) and you want the recipient to keep the remaining coins or small bills as a tip.

Meaning: instruction to keep the change (phrase)

Which one should you use?

The informal version quédate con el cambio uses the 'tú' command. If you are addressing a group of people, such as a group of waiters, you should use the plural form quédense con el cambio. You may also use the phrase Puede quedarse con la diferencia to mean 'You can keep the difference' or the informal phrase Puedes quedarte con lo que sobre to mean 'You can keep what's left'.

Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?

The informal version quédate con el cambio is used in more casual situations.

Is it said differently in some regions?

In Argentina or Uruguay, you may use Quedate con el vuelto to mean 'Keep the change'. In some parts of Mexico or Central America, the expression Quedate con la feria is common.

How does it change in a sentence?

The informal version uses the 'tú' imperative quédate instead of the formal quédese. For a group of people, use the plural form quédense.

Did you know?

In some regions of Mexico and Central America, you might hear the word feria used to mean 'change', even though it literally translates to 'fair' or 'carnival'.
In Argentina and Uruguay, the word for change is vuelto, which is derived from the verb 'to return' rather than the concept of swapping or exchanging.
While the Spanish word el sounds similar to the Arabic definite article al-, they are false cognates and are not related to each other.

Examples in context

Quédese con el cambio.
Keep the change.
Tatoeba #456282 by lukaszpp, translation #357219 by plover
"Quédese con el cambio." "Gracias."
"Keep the change." "Thank you."
Tatoeba #6470001 by carlosalberto, translation #6469314 by OsoHombre
No se preocupe, quédese con el cambio.
Don't worry, keep the change.

Example conversation

Sofía is paying for a coffee at a cafe.

Sofía

Aquí tiene diez euros, quédese con el cambio.
Here is ten euros, keep the change.
Mateo

Muchas gracias, Sofía.
Thank you very much, Sofía.
Sofía

De nada, Mateo.
You're welcome, Mateo.
Mateo

Que tenga un buen día.
Have a great day.

Sources

Wiktionary, “keep the change” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
Word origins: Wiktionary entries cambio, con, el, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.

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How to Say “Keep the Change” in Spanish