pay a bill

Meaning

To pay a bill means to hand over money owed for a service or product received, such as electricity, internet, or professional services. It is a fundamental task in both personal finance and business accounting. The tone is neutral and practical.

Examples

• You can easily pay a bill online using our mobile banking app.

  You can easily pay a bill online using our mobile banking app.

• He went to the bank to pay a bill that was overdue.

  He went to the bank to pay a bill that was overdue.

• Is it possible to pay a bill with a credit card at this office?

  Is it possible to pay a bill with a credit card at this office?

• She had to pay a bill for the office supplies we ordered last week.

  She had to pay a bill for the office supplies we ordered last week.

• Before we can close the account, we need to pay a bill from the utility company.

  Before we can close the account, we need to pay a bill from the utility company.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I need to buy a bill.

  ✓ I need to pay a bill.

  You 'pay' a bill (settle a debt). You do not 'buy' a bill.

• ✗ He forgot to spend the bill.

  ✓ He forgot to pay the bill.

  'Spend' is used for money or time. For invoices or utility costs, the correct verb is 'pay'.

Related Expressions

Practice

• You can set up automatic payments so you never forget to ___.

  💡 Settle a recurring charge for a service.

  Show answer

  pay a bill

• I need to go to the post office to ___ for our internet service.

  💡 Give money for a utility or service invoice.

  Show answer

  pay a bill