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When asking for something I seem to hear sentences end in both ください (kudasai)
and お願いします (onegaishimasu). Is there a difference and how do I know when to
use which?
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word-choice politeness
When to use ください (kudasai) or お願いします (onegaishimasu) in requests?
[Here](http://japanese.about.com/library/blqow15.htm) there's a nice
explanation, but I'll quote it here for easy reference, with some additional
info:

ください and お願いします are both used when making a request.

  * ください (kudasai) is used:

>   1. After the particle "o" を, for example when ordering food: "水をください" (
> _Mizu o kudasai - Please, water._ );
>   2. When asking something that involves an action, along with the verb in
> the `-te` form, like: "ちょっと待ってください" ( _Chotto matte kudasai - Please, wait._
> ). **Note** : do not use _onegaishimasu_ here.
>

  * お願いします (onegaishimasu) is used:

>   1. Also when ordering food, but in this case "を" is not necessary. Just
> say: "水お願いします" ( _Mizu onegaishimasu_ ); **Note** : Onegaishimasu is more
> polite/formal than kudasai.
>   2. When calling for someone's attention; for example, a waiter/waitress to
> your table.
>   3. Use onegaishimasu when requesting a service that you cannot fulfill
> yourself: "東京駅までお願いします。" ( _Tokyo eki made onegaishimasu. - Tokyo Station,
> please_ [to the taxi driver]) **Note** : do not use kudasai here.
>   4. Use onegaishimasu when asking for someone over the phone: 和子さんお願いします (
> _Kazuko-san onegaishimasu. - May I speak to Kazuko?_ ) **Note** : do not use
> kudasai here.
>
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The main difference is that onegaishimasu assume some action/favor by the
other person. It's also a meaning of "I trust this to you".

ください Kudasai (and the more familiar chodai ちょうだい) it's used when you did a
request you are entitled to do. You want something or you want someone of
same/lower status to do something for you (verb-te+kudasai).
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I just asked my sensei only this evening at my Japanese converstaion class. He
explain me that ください is less formal and used with '-て' verbs, but お願いします
implies favour involved (and is more formal).
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To add to the answers, it's also a directional thing.

[下さい is 尊敬語 for くれる](http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/leaf/jn2/61762/m0u/), you are
asking someone to do something in an honorific way. This is oriented to be
polite toward the person you are asking to do something.

[お願いします is 謙譲語 for
願う](http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/leaf/jn2/169770/m0u/%E9%A1%98%E3%81%86/), you
are humbly making a request for yourself. This is oriented to be humble about
the request you are making.

"More polite" is determined entirely by the situation. [This
article](http://www.bunka.go.jp/kokugo_nihongo/keigo/chapter4/detail.html)
gives some crazy examples of how mucked up this can all get. If you are
working in a shop, using ください is more polite than お～します, and whatever you do
don't use 謙譲語 to refer to a customer's actions (that's just bad form).

> 【1】受付の人に，「担当者に伺ってください。」と言われたけれど，客に対する言い方としては，何だか妙な感じがしました。どこが変なのでしょうか。
>
> 【解説１】 「担当者に伺ってください」の「伺う」は謙譲語Ⅰです。したがって，客の動作に用いる敬語ではありません。
> **客を立てるためには，尊敬語を用いる必要があります。この場合は，「担当者にお聞きください。」あるいは「担当者にお尋ねください。」とすれば良いでしょう。**
>
>
> 「伺う」は謙譲語Ⅰであって，「聞く・尋ねる」という動作の＜向かう先＞を立てる敬語です。したがって，「受付の人」側の人物である担当者を立ててしまうことになり，尋ねた客を立てる敬語とはなりません。
> **同様に，「お聞きする」「お尋ねする」といった敬語も，「伺う」と同じ謙譲語Ⅰです。したがって，「担当者にお聞きしてください。」「担当者にお尋ねしてください。」なども「伺う」と同様に，客の動作に対しては用いることができません。**

(Emphasis mine)

If someone offers to do something for you, using お願いします to accept is the
proper response. Otherwise they are (generally) interchangeable for day-to-day
life.
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I am not good at english just think about casually yourself

Japanese people are called manners important virtue . It expresses in words .
i think you knows, two expressions of differences to the through next view

==== VIEW ====

WHEN USING kudasai CASE, (when ordering your friends; a close acquaintanceship
)

## SIMILAR expression in enligsh : Water please

Onegaisimasu case, (when ordering not your friends and the others; stranger or
one's elder)

SIMILAR expression in enligsh : Would you Give me a cup of water please.

# I think that two case of differences is politeness level are different.
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