Nepedia
Back to Discover
Fluent Reader
📖

Payment

society Maturity 11-13 Next article →

A payment is when one person or company gives something valuable to another. This is done to get goods or services in return. The person making the payment is called the payer. The person receiving the money is called the payee. Sometimes people pay for things they want to do, like a hobby. Other times, they must pay a fine because it is a rule. Once a payee accepts a payment, the debt is finished.

TaiwanMoney card in use in Hi-Life 20051223
TaiwanMoney card in use in Hi-Life 20051223

There are many different ways to make a payment today. One way is exchanging money using physical coins and banknotes. Another way is called provisioning, which moves money between accounts. This often uses a third party to help the process. You might use a cheque or a bank transfer. Electronic methods are very common now. These include smartcards, contactless cards, and even mobile payments on a phone.

TaiwanMoney card in use in Hi-Life 20051223
TaiwanMoney card in use in Hi-Life 20051223

Words for paying have changed over a very long time. The root word comes from the Latin word "pacare." This word meant to pacify or to bring peace. In the Middle Ages, people used the term to mean settling a debt. This helped bring peace to creditors. The word moved into Old French as "paier." Later, it became the Middle English word "payen."

TaiwanMoney card in use in Hi-Life 20051223
TaiwanMoney card in use in Hi-Life 20051223

Many large companies help the world make payments every day. Global providers for credit cards include Visa and MasterCard. Other big names are American Express and Diners Club. For debit cards, people use Maestro or Cirrus. In 2005, about $40 trillion passed through payment systems globally. By 2012, noncash payment systems handled about $377 trillion.

TaiwanMoney card in use in Hi-Life 20051223
TaiwanMoney card in use in Hi-Life 20051223

Payments can also happen in special stages or ways. A down payment is a small amount paid at the very start. Some people use instalment payments to pay for big things in parts. This is often used when building large assets. A person might also receive an invoice or a bill first. After the payment is done, the payee usually gives a receipt. This receipt proves that the payer has met their obligation.

TaiwanMoney card in use in Hi-Life 20051223
TaiwanMoney card in use in Hi-Life 20051223
333 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (1)
File:TaiwanMoney card in use in Hi-Life 20051223.jpg
TaiwanMoney card in use in Hi-Life 20051223.jpg
More to explore

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.