A CENTER offering overseas travelers instant departure tax refunds upon purchase has opened at Hotel Kapok Shenzhen Bay, the first such facility in a Shenzhen hotel.

The center can process tax refund applications for purchases made at participating stores across the city, regardless of where the purchases were made. Travelers can receive refunds through six major international bank card networks as well as third-party payment platforms such as WeChat Pay and Alipay.

“After shopping, I can have all my purchases refunded at once when I return to the hotel and receive the money immediately. It’s so convenient,” said Lu, a Hong Kong traveler visiting Shenzhen on business.

Lu successfully claimed his departure tax refund at the hotel last Tuesday, becoming the first traveler to use Shenzhen’s hotel-based tax refund service.

With the addition of the hotel center, Shenzhen’s tax refund network now covers border checkpoints, commercial districts, exhibition venues, and hotels.

As the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting approaches, Shenzhen is upgrading services for international visitors.

The hotel center is part of a series of measures introduced by the city’s tax authorities to make departure tax refunds more convenient for overseas travelers.

The tax authorities also plan to station tax refund agents at hotels hosting foreign guests attending APEC-related events ahead of the November meeting.

The “instant tax refund” policy is a service that allows eligible visitors to claim their tax refunds on purchased items at participating stores, instead of waiting until they depart. After signing an agreement and pre-authorizing a credit card, eligible visitors can receive a cash prepayment in RMB for the full VAT refund amount.

(Li Jing)