Change after paying — Economics, 4–6 years
When we pay more than the price, the shop gives back the difference. Learning to find change helps us check that a payment is fair.
The difference comes back
If something costs €3 and you give €5, you have given €2 too much. The shop gives those €2 back: that money is called change. Change makes it possible to pay with the coins or note you have, not only with the exact amount.
Why do we need change?
People often carry a few coins or a note instead of every possible combination of coins. A shop therefore needs a fair way to return what was paid above the price. Without change, a customer might have to leave an item or pay too much.
Finding the change
A book costs €6. You give the shop €10. Start at €6 and count up: €7, €8, €9, €10. You counted four steps, so the correct change is €4. The shop might give two €2 coins or another combination worth €4.
A common mix-up
It is easy to subtract the price from the payment in the wrong direction, especially when the larger number comes first. A child may say €6 instead of €4 for €10 minus €6, because the price is the number they remember. Checking by adding the change to the price fixes it: €6 + €4 = €10.
At a real checkout
At a market, café or toy shop, the amount you hand over may be larger than the price. You can watch the cashier count the change, then check that it makes the price again when added to the change. This is useful whenever people pay with cash.
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