Euro coins and notes
European currency has 8 coins and several notes. Here are the ones you meet most often at school:
The coins
The notes
"c" stands for cent: 100 cents make 1 euro, exactly like 100 centimetres make 1 metre. That's still base-10 place value at work!
Working out a total
To find the total price of several items, you add up their prices one by one. Tip: start with the highest prices, then group the small coins together to make whole euros as soon as you can — it's faster than adding them up in order.
Example: an item at €3.50 and another at €2.20. Add the euros first (3 + 2 = 5), then the cents (50 c + 20 c = 70 c) → total €5.70.
Giving change
Giving change means working out the difference between what the customer handed over and the price to pay. You could do a column subtraction, but there's a much quicker, more natural method: the complement method (or "counting on").
- I start from the price to pay.
- I add coins or notes, always choosing the largest value possible without going over the amount the customer gave.
- I stop when I've reached exactly the amount given.
- The change to give back is all the coins and notes I've added.
A full worked example
An item costs €7.30. The customer hands over a €10 note. How much change is owed?
- I start from €7.30. I add 20 cents to reach €7.50.
- I add 50 cents to reach €8.00 (a round number, easier to work with).
- I add €2 to reach €10.00 — I've reached the amount given.
The change to give back is therefore: 20 c + 50 c + €2, which comes to €2.70 in total. You can check with a subtraction: 10 − 7.30 = €2.70 ✓.
Mistakes to avoid
- Mixing up cents and euros by adding the digits directly without lining up the decimal point (see column addition).
- Forgetting a coin when the amount doesn't land neatly on a round number.
- Adding values that are too small one by one instead of choosing the largest coin possible at each step (it still works, but it's slower and more error-prone).
Worked exercises
A toy costs €4.50. How many 50-cent coins are needed to pay for it exactly?
An item costs €6. The customer hands over a €10 note. What change should be given?
Add €2.40 and €1.80
Now it's your turn!
On EasyMaths, your child practises counting sums and giving change with a range of exercises. The first exercises are free.
Start the exercises →Frequently asked questions
What are the euro coins and notes?
The coins: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 cents, then 1 euro and 2 euros. The notes commonly used at primary level: 5, 10, 20 and 50 euros (100, 200 and 500 euro notes also exist).
How do you give change easily?
You start from the price paid and add coins or notes until you reach the amount given, always choosing the largest coin or note possible without going over. This is the complement method, simpler than a column subtraction.
At what age do children learn to give change?
Recognising coins and notes starts around age 6, working out a total around age 7, and giving change with the complement method is learned around age 8.