%20(1).png)
Business English Pricing Vocabulary (Quiz + Examples)
- Erin West
- 1 day ago
- 7 min read
Talking about prices can be confusing, even for strong English learners. In real life, people use many simple phrases to describe costs, extra fees, discounts, and payment plans. In this article, you’ll learn the most common Business English vocabulary that native speakers use every day when discussing pricing, along with helpful phrasal verbs that come up naturally in conversations about money, costs, and services. You’ll see easy examples, and then you can try a short quiz to check your understanding. This will help you talk about pricing, plans, and money with more confidence at work and in real conversations.
Today’s Challenge
Your friend wants to sign up for a new service, but he’s not sure about the price.
You call the company, and the agent makes a clear promise on the phone: the price never changes, no matter how much you use it.
You repeat the promise to your friend:
You get unlimited access for a _____.
A) fixed window B) steady rate C) flat fee D) straight charge
Which option sounds natural?
Did you get it right?
FLAT FEE
phrase
one fixed price you pay for a service, no matter how much you use it or how long it takes
The lawyer offered to handle the case for a flat fee instead of hourly billing.
We pay a flat fee each month for unlimited internet access.
The cleaning service charges a flat fee per visit, with no extra costs.
That's right! The correct answer is C) flat fee.
Take the Quiz to Learn Business English Pricing Vocabulary
Ready for more practice? In this section, you’ll find short Business English vocabulary questions about pricing. Each mini quiz is followed by a simple explanation and examples to help you understand how these expressions work in real life.
Choose the correct answer, then listen to the sentence(s).
1.
We were looking at hotels for the conference, but everything downtown _____. Every place we checked was charging outrageous prices — some were over $600 a night — so we decided to book a cheaper place a few blocks away instead.
A) cost a feather and a breeze
B) cost next to nothing
C) cost an arm and a leg
D) cost a drop in the bucket
ANSWER & MEANING
The correct answer is C) cost an arm and a leg.
COST AN ARM AND A LEG
idiom
be very expensive
The new laptop is great, but it cost an arm and a leg, so I’m hoping it lasts a long time.
Parking downtown costs an arm and a leg, especially during big events.
Their office renovation looks amazing, but I’m sure it cost an arm and a leg.
ADVERTISEMENT
2.
The caterer said they’d do the whole client lunch for twelve dollars a person, including dessert and coffee — for downtown prices, that’s a _____.
A) surcharge
B) dealing
C) margin
D) steal
ANSWER & MEANING
The correct answer is D) steal.
BE A STEAL
idiom
to cost much less than you would normally expect for something of that quality or in that location
Those tickets were an absolute steal — I can’t believe they were only $40.
If you can lock in that rate for the whole year, it’s a steal.
This software is a steal with all the features it includes.
ADVERTISEMENT
3.
If we upgrade everyone’s laptops at once, it’ll _____. Maybe we can spread the purchases over two quarters instead.
A) break the bank
B) break the ice
C) break even
D) break the silence
ANSWER & MEANING
The correct answer is A) break the bank.
BREAK THE BANK
idiom
to be too expensive; to cost more than you can afford
Flying everyone out for an in-person workshop would break the bank. Let’s see what we can do on Zoom instead.
I’d like a hotel that feels professional but doesn’t break the bank — nothing fancy, just clean and convenient.
The quote they sent us for the website redesign won’t break the bank, especially if the quality is as good as they say.
ADVERTISEMENT
4.
If you sign up for the workshop by Friday, you can get the _____; after that, the regular price is $50 higher.
A) billing policy
B) cost estimate
C) early-bird price
D) full charge
ANSWER & MEANING
The correct answer is C) early-bird price.
EARLY-BIRD PRICE
noun phrase
a lower price for people who buy early (business events, courses, software)
If you register this week, you can still get the early-bird price for the conference.
The early-bird price ends on March 1, and after that the course will be full price.
We offered an early-bird price to encourage people to sign up for the webinar early.
ADVERTISEMENT
5.
Some retailers charge a small _____ when you pay with a credit card. For example, the total you see at checkout might be slightly higher than the price shown on the product page.
A) service upgrade B) processing fee C) bonus charge D) loyalty reward
ANSWER & MEANING
The correct answer is B) processing fee.
PROCESSING FEE
noun phrase
a small extra charge added to a purchase to cover the cost of handling the payment
There’s a small processing fee if you pay with a credit card.
The ticket was only $15, but the processing fee made the total a bit higher.
Some online services add a processing fee at checkout to cover their payment system.
ADVERTISEMENT
6.
The promotional materials _____, so the team didn’t have to adjust the budget. In fact, the amount they paid was so small that it barely made a difference.
A) cost a fortune
B) shifted gears
C) cost next to nothing
D) met halfway
ANSWER & MEANING
The correct answer is C) cost next to nothing.
COST NEXT TO NOTHING (cost - cost - cost)
verb phrase
If something costs next to nothing, it means it is extremely cheap.
I bought this little phone stand online—it cost next to nothing.
The repairs cost next to nothing because most of the work was covered by the warranty.
The add-on feature cost next to nothing, so we included it in the project budget.
ADVERTISEMENT
7.
The service has become really popular since it’s _____ and offers decent value. A lot of customers say it fits their budget without sacrificing the features they need.
A) hard to justify
B) easy on the wallet
C) full of limitations
D) tied to extra approvals
ANSWER & MEANING
The correct answer is B) easy on the wallet.
EASY ON THE WALLET
adjective phrase
not expensive; affordable
This streaming plan is really easy on the wallet, especially compared to the other options.
We picked the smaller package because it’s easier on the wallet and still covers what we need.
Their lunch specials are easy on the wallet, which is why the place is always packed.
Subscribe to unlock exclusive online quizzes. ➜ Try more quizzes.
8.
The company decided to _____ the price of their holiday bundles after seeing a sharp rise in demand. As a result, several customers noticed the higher rates right away.
A) mark up
B) break down
C) roll out
D) look down
ANSWER & MEANING
The correct answer is A) mark up.
MARK UP
phrasal verb
to increase the price
The store marked up the price of winter jackets once the cold weather hit.
They usually mark up their holiday packages because demand is so high in December.
Some dealerships mark up the price of popular models when inventory is low.
ADVERTISEMENT
9.
The dealership agreed to _____ a set of floor mats since we were buying the car at full price.
A) turn down
B) figure out
C) hold back
D) throw in
ANSWER & MEANING
The correct answer is D) throw in.
THROW IN
phrasal verb
to include something for free
If you sign a one-year lease, the landlord said he’ll throw in free parking.
The phone itself is a bit pricey, but they’re throwing in a free case and screen protector.
We asked about the delivery fee, and the manager agreed to throw it in if we ordered today.
ADVERTISEMENT
10.
If you book the service this week, you can _____ a lower rate before prices go up next month. A lot of people are signing up early just to make sure they don’t miss out.
A) turn away
B) cut back
C) lock in
D) look over
ANSWER & MEANING
The correct answer is C) lock in.
LOCK IN (A PRICE)
phrasal verb
to secure a price that won’t change
We signed the contract early to lock in last year’s pricing.
If you renew now, you can lock in the current rate for another twelve months.
They’re offering a discount for customers who lock in a plan before the end of the quarter.
Ready for more? Choose a lesson to keep going: Essential Business English Idioms for Negotiations and Deadlines (+ Quiz) 6 Common Business English Phrases for Problems and Delays at Work 7 Phrasal Verbs to Describe Achievements in Business English Business English Quiz: Useful Phrases to Talk About Delays at Work (With Examples and Quiz)
11.
Sales were slower than expected, so the manager decided to _____ several items to boost weekend traffic.
A) lock out
B) carry out
C) mark down
D) hold off
ANSWER & MEANING
The correct answer is C) mark down.
MARK DOWN
phrasal verb
lower the price
They marked down all the summer clothes because the season was almost over.
The manager agreed to mark down the price after noticing a small scratch on the item.
Electronics usually get marked down right before the new models are released.
Talking about prices doesn’t have to be stressful. Once you know these simple expressions, it becomes much easier to understand offers, compare plans, and ask the right questions. Keep practicing them whenever you shop, book services, or talk about budgets at work — they’ll start to feel natural very quickly. And if you want to keep building your Business English, feel free to explore the other lessons on the site.
You’re making great progress, so keep going!
Erin West is a Business English educator, writer, and founder of RealBusinessEnglish.com. She creates practical lessons, quizzes, and learning materials that help professionals use clear, natural, and confident English at work — with just the right amount of fun.
Comments