I paid in cash.
'Contanti' — con-TAN-ti. Four syllables.
State this when processing a refund so the shop knows how to pay you back. Cash payments are refunded in cash in Italian shops — they cannot put cash refunds to a card.
'Ho pagato' is passato prossimo of 'pagare'. 'In contanti' is the fixed adverbial phrase for cash payment. Italian shops track payment method for refunds. If you paid by card, they must refund to the same card.
Ho pagato con carta.
I paid by card.
Common alternative — triggers card refund.
Ho pagato con il bancomat.
I paid by debit card.
'Bancomat' is the Italian word for debit card (from the machine brand).
Ho pagato con bonifico.
I paid by bank transfer.
Less common in shops but happens online.
Italian law caps cash transactions at €5,000 for individuals (reduced from €3,000 for businesses). For large purchases paid in cash, a bank transfer refund may be required instead.