尾款

• Pinyin: wěi kuǎn
• Hanzi breakdown: 尾 (tail / final part) + 款 (payment) -> final balance payment.

Meaning

The remaining balance due after a deposit or preorder. It is especially associated with Chinese shopping festivals and pre-sale campaigns.

尾款 can be stressful because shoppers pay deposits first and settle the rest later. 尾款人 jokingly refers to people waiting to pay those balances.

Examples

1. 双十一预售付了定金，明天补尾款。 I paid the deposit for the Double Eleven pre-sale, and I'll pay the remaining balance tomorrow.
2. 尾款别忘了，不然定金可能退不了。 Don't forget the remaining balance, or you might not get your deposit back.
3. 她算完尾款，决定退掉两件衣服。 After checking the remaining balance, she decided to return two of the dresses.

Usage Guide

Context: e-commerce, preorders, shopping festivals

Tone: practical, sometimes anxious

Do Say

• 双十一预售付了定金，明天补尾款。
• Check payment windows for presale 尾款.

Don't Say

• Do not call the first deposit 尾款.

Common Mistakes

• Confusing 定金 with 尾款; 定金 is paid first, 尾款 later.

Origin & History

Commercial term for final payment, popularized online by presale shopping events.

Cultural Context

Era: 2010s-2020s

Generation: E-commerce shoppers

Social background: Common among online consumers

Regional notes: Closely tied to Mainland shopping festivals like 双十一.