UnionPay tax refund

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Tax Refund Procedure:

UnionPay tax refund procedure varies slightly from country to country due to each country's tax refund regulations or the user's choice of tax refund method.

① Get the Tax Refund Form upon purchase over a specified minimum amount (inclusive), select UnionPay card (card number starting with 62) to receive the tax refund.

② Pass Customs inspection before departure (get the Tax Refund Form stamped or scanned).

③ Deliver or mail the tax refund forms and invoices (reminder: for future query and retrospection, please record the information, photocopy or photo is preferred, in Tax Refund Form and invoice before delivering or mailing the documents).

If you are using the tax refund service of Planet, you can check the refund points and trace the tax refund transaction on Planet Tax Refund Inquiry.

UnionPay Tax Refund Procedure

Claim tax refund after shopping, fill in tax refund form and select UnionPay card (card number starting with 62) as refund payment method.

Custom validate(manual stamp or scan by the kiosk)

Post tax refund form and invoices

Claim early tax refund with UnionPay Credit Card as guarantee, fill in the tax refund form and get refund in cash at a downtown refund point or have refund amount deducted directly during the sale in store

Custom validate(manual stamp or scan by the kiosk)

Post tax refund form and invoices within the specified time

Claim tax refund after shopping, fill in tax refund form and select UnionPay card (card number starting with 62) as refund payment method.

Custom validate(manual stamp or scan by the kiosk)

After hand-in tax refund form at the refund desk, then show UnionPay card or tax refund QR code on your UnionPay app to get the refund immediately.

Countries and Regions Supporting Overseas Tax Refund

Europe	France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Belgium, Austria, Hungary, Ireland, Portugal, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Slovenia, Russia, Malta,Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Macedonia,Faroe Islands
Asia Pacific region	South Korea, Japan, Singapore,Australia, Taiwan SAR, Turkey, Lebanon, Cyprus
America	Argentina, Uruguay, Bahamas
The Middle East region	The United Arab Emirates,Bahrain
Africa	Morocco

Downtown Refund	Italy, Germany, Spain, Austria, Czech Republic, Switzerland, France, Finland, Netherlands, South Korea, Taiwan SAR, Cyprus, Denmark, Greece, Norway, Portugal, Ireland, Turkey
Self-help Kiosk refund	France, Korea, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan SAR
Mobile Application Tax Refund

Tax Refund FAQ

1.How to claim tax refunds on purchases?

In South Korea, Singapore, Australia, and EU countries, cardholders can claim tax refunds when they have met the minimum purchase for a tax refund required by the nation concerned at merchants with logos of the following tax refund agencies. Cardholders must also fill out tax refund forms (name, passport No., address, etc.) correctly under the clerk’s guidance in order to get refunded.
2.Do tax refund forms need to be stamped by customs?

Goods departing from EU territory shall be examined by customs, and the tax refund forms shall be stamped by EU customs or passed the scanning through self-kiosk. After that can be viewed as completing the tax refund procedure and enjoy tax refund service. It should be noted that the tax refund forms of Switzerland need to be affixed with the stamp of Swiss customs.
3.Can I use my UnionPay card for a tax refund if I haven’t paid with the UnionPay card when shopping at stores?

Yes, you can. A tax refund form issued by a store generally will provide three options for tax refunds, namely, bank cards, cash and cheques. To use a UnionPay card for a tax refund, you only need to fill in your UnionPay card number(see the picture below). You may tell the attendant at the airport’s tax refund counter that you are using a UnionPay card to claim a tax refund.
4.Can both UnionPay debit cards and credit cards be
used for claiming tax refunds on purchases？

Yes. All UnionPay debit cards and credit cards (card number starts with 62) can be used for claiming tax refunds on purchases. Generally, the bank card column on tax refund forms is marked with “Credit Card”. However, no matter this blank is filled with the number of a UnionPay debit card or credit card, the refund will be transferred to the corresponding account.
5.Can UnionPay cards be used for claiming tax refunds if no UnionPay logo or word appears on the tax refund forms？

Yes. Although in some countries, the UnionPay logo or words are not printed on tax refund forms due to system reasons, you can still fill in your UnionPay card number to claim tax refunds on the forms of tax refund agencies cooperating with UnionPay.
6.How can I inquire the processing status of a tax refund after claiming it ?

Currently, there are 2 ways to track your refund status:
• UnionPay International wechat account. Find UnionPay International wechat account by scanning the QRC and enter “Help center->Tax refund->tax refund tracker”.
• UnionPay app. Enter “more->overseas services->overseas tax refund”.
7.Can purchased goods for tax refund be used immediately?

No. Purchased goods cannot be opened or used until they are examined by customs before departing from the territory.
8.Do I need to put all the purchased goods for tax refund
in my hand luggage?

Yes. If the goods are too large to carry on an airplane, you may put them with your checked luggage after the goods are examined by customs. Customs may refuse to stamp or confirm your tax refund information if the goods are not inspected by the customs.

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