What does “bancomat” mean in Italian?

In Italy, when someone asks “Contanti o bancomat?” they mean “Cash or card?” The same word, bancomat, names two things: the machine in the wall where you take out money, and the everyday way to say you’ll pay by debit card. You may hear bancomat for a debit card or a card payment, though carta is also a normal word for card — at the till you can simply say you’ll pay col bancomat. It started as a bank brand name and slid into normal speech, which is why a shop or bar uses it without a second thought.

At a till you’ll hear “Contanti o bancomat?” and can answer “Pago col bancomat” (I’ll pay by card) or, as in this bar exchange, “Bene, sono sei euro. Contanti o bancomat? Pago in contanti” — cash. The word is a blend of banca (bank) and an old short form of automatico (automatic). It’s a trademark the Italian banking association registered, but people use it for any debit card or any cash machine. Related: prelevare al bancomat means to withdraw money from the ATM, and lo scontrino (heard right after) is your receipt.