What to say at the cash register in the convenience store

Question

I just came back from Japan, it is my first time, so I found myself in the situations, that I wasn't prepared for.

At the convenience store I noticed natives tend not to say much to the staff at all, but I just want to confirm that I understand it right.

First when I come in everyone shouts いらっしゃいませ - I know I'm not supposed to answer, but I still throw some こんにちは, since I just feel strange not to answer.

I walk around and workers occasionally say いらっしゃいませ again and bow, so I say こんにちは and bow too, but native buyers seem to ignore いらっしゃいませ + bow combo. Is this fine and polite?

Then I bring products to the cash register and say こんにちは again and I really want to say something more, but can't find words and keep silent. I get some polite phrases thrown at me and presented with a number to pay. I say ちょっと待っててね and look for coins. So my coins are lying on the plate and I want to say "that's it", "I'm done", "please take my money" or something, but I really can't find the words and I just make some gestures waving the wallet and hands...

I can go on, but in short I really felt I'm not following some predefined step-by-step actions and not using common phrases, I say too much hellos and bow all the time. When I leave any form of "Goodbye" seem not appropriate, looks like past-tense "Thank you" is what natives say or not saying anything and just silently walking out is good. In your answer I would like to see an example of a common dialog, tips when to bow and when to say nothing. よろしくお願いします。

Answer 1

It sounds like much of what you are facing is a cultural more than syntactic problem. A コンビニ is not a bodega; there's no chummy socialization that happens there.

All of the language I use in the convenience store is transactional:

If you need to ask them to check out:

お[会計]{かいけい}お[願]{ねが}いします。

To indicate the method of payment:

~~で[払]{はら}います。

This seems to be the only specific question you asked but if you need to ferret about for small change:

1) ちょっと待ってください.

and then when you've put the change you want down

2) それからお願いします

They will ask if you want it heated (for items where that makes some sense -- and some where to me it doesn't [like おにぎり]):

店員: 「[温]{あたた}めますか」
私:「はい、お願いします」.

They may ask if you want a bag if you ordered something small:

テープでよろしいですか。

And if unnecessary, I will answer:

[袋]{ふくろ}はいらないです。

I don't normally greet them or say good bye (though as a white foreigner I sometimes do).

And that's all that's expected. No one says anything like "hello" or "goodbye" to them.