Conta vs. fatura
While both words relate to payments, conta generally refers to the calculation or total sum (the check), whereas fatura usually implies a formal detailed invoice or statement. The usage varies significantly between Brazil and Portugal, particularly regarding restaurants and household utilities.
Conta
A1In both Brazil and Portugal, conta is the most common way to ask for the check or bill at a restaurant or bar to see how much you owe. In Brazil, it is also used for monthly household utility bills (like water or light), whereas Portugal often uses fatura for those.
Garçom, pode trazer a conta, por favor?
(Waiter, can you bring the check, please?)
Nós vamos dividir a conta meio a meio.
(We are going to split the bill fifty-fifty.)
Eu esqueci de pagar a conta de luz este mês.
(I forgot to pay the electricity bill this month (Common usage in Brazil).)
A conta ficou mais cara do que esperávamos.
(The bill ended up being more expensive than we expected.)
Fatura
A2This word translates to invoice. In Brazil, fatura is almost exclusively used for credit card statements or commercial business invoices, not restaurant checks. In Portugal, fatura is used for utility bills (water, gas) and, crucially, in restaurants when requesting a formal receipt with a tax identification number.
A fatura do meu cartão de crédito vence amanhã.
(My credit card statement is due tomorrow (Standard usage in Brazil).)
Queria pedir a fatura com número de contribuinte.
(I would like to ask for the invoice with the tax ID number (Standard usage in Portugal).)
A empresa enviou a fatura comercial por e-mail.
(The company sent the commercial invoice via email.)
Já recebeste a fatura da água?
(Have you received the water bill yet? (Standard usage in Portugal).)
Summary
Use conta when asking for the check at a restaurant in any country, or for utility bills in Brazil. Use fatura for credit card statements in Brazil, or for utility bills and formal tax receipts in Portugal.