China-based mobile payment platform Alipay is making it
easier for its users to get tax refunds for purchases they make when they travel.
South Korea will be the first country where the facility is available.
Created in partnership with Global Tax Free, Alipay says
its new paperless mobile tax refund function is the first of its kind in the
world.
The system enables Chinese tourists to apply for and claim
tax rebates in the Alipay app, allowing them to skip in-city and airport tax
refund counters.
In order to receive an instant refund in Chinese yuan, the
users must scan their tax refund receipts within 90 days of purchasing products
in the Alipay app.
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“Since 2013, Alipay has continuously explored ways to
expedite tax refunds for Chinese tourists to enhance the outbound travel
experience. Alipay users can already receive tax refunds at more than 80
airports and a growing number of in-city shops globally after processing at a
tax counter,” says Danny Chung, general manager of Alipay Korea.
“With this unique new function, Alipay users can skip the
queue and process tax refunds on their mobiles, without filling out and
submitting any paper work. This will both save time and make it easier to claim
refunds. We look forward to working with our partners and leveraging our
technological capabilities to bring more convenient tax refund solutions to
outbound Alipay users.”
In early 2017, Alipay launched a real-time tax refund service
in Europe, but it still requires users to visit an airport tax counter to scan
their Alipay QR code.