pay for

You place the item or service after the word for. For example, you pay for dinner or pay for a taxi. You can also put the amount of money before the phrase. You might say, "I paid ten dollars for this coffee." (Though hopefully, your coffee is cheaper than that!)

Use it every single day. Use it at the grocery store check-out. Use it when booking a flight online. Use it when you are arguing with friends about who buys the next round of drinks. It works for physical objects and abstract services like education or insurance.

Don't use it for people directly. You pay a person, but you pay for a thing. If you say "I paid for the waiter," it sounds like you are buying the human being! Instead, say "I paid the waiter for the meal." Also, avoid it for punishments; we usually use pay the price for that.

In many English-speaking cultures, talking about money is a bit awkward. However, the phrase pay for is very neutral. In the US, there is a big culture of "splitting the bill." You might hear someone say, "Let's each pay for what we ordered." It’s a way to keep things fair and avoid debt stress among friends.

You will often hear pay for used figuratively. If someone makes a mistake, a friend might say, "You'll pay for that later!" This usually means they will get teased or have to do a favor in return. It’s not always about actual dollar bills.