Electronic English

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Almost every society now has a money economy based on coins and paper notes of one kind or another. Money is used for buying or selling goods, for measuring value and for storing wealth. However, this has not always been true. In primitive societies a system of barter direct exchange of goods was used. Somebody could exchange a sheep, for example, for anything in the marketplace that they considered to be of equal value. Most governments now issue paper money in the form of notes. Paper money is easier to handle and much more convenient in the modern world. Cheques, bankers' cards, and credit cards are being used increasingly too.
Sometimes in a shop they ask you: "How do you want to pay?" You can answer: "Cash / By cheque / By credit card". In a bank you usually have a current account, which is one where you pay in your salary and then withdraw money to pay your everyday bills. The bank sends you a regular bank statement telling you how much money is in your account. You may also have a savings account where you deposit any extra money that you have and only take money out when you want to spend it on something special. Sometimes the bank may lend you money - this is called a bank loan. The first example of it is a mortgage. It is money the bank lends you for buying a house.
When you buy something in a shop, you usually pay for it outright but sometimes you buy on credit. Sometimes you may be offered a discount or a reduction on something you buy at a shop. It is not usual to haggle about prices in a British shop, as it is in a Turkish market. If you want to return something which you have bought to a shop, you may be given a refund, i.e. your money will be returned, provided you have a receipt. So the second type of money payment is fee. That is money that you pay for services, e.g. to a school or a lawyer; the money paid for a journey is a fare.
The government collects money from citizens through taxes. Income tax is the tax collected on wages and salaries. Inheritance tax is collected on what people inherit from others. Customs duties have to be paid on goods imported from other countries. VAT or value-added tax is a tax paid on most foods and services when they are bought or purchased. Companies pay corporation tax on their profits.
The government also sometimes pays out money to people in need, e.g. unemployment benefit (also known informally as the dole) disability allowances and student grants (to help pay for studying). Recipients draw a pension.
Every country has its own special currency. Every day the rates of exchange are published and you can discover, for example, how many dollars there are currently to the pound sterling.