International visitors now purchase at any of the over 500 tax-free stores across all 11 districts of Guangzhou can now process their Value-Added Tax (VAT) rebates in a single move in the city's first centralized instant tax refunds hub in the Parc Central, provided with a complementary, integrated solution for foreign visitors who want to bypass the traditional, time-consuming airport tax refund queues or previously scattered processes in different stores they shop.
The innovative one-stop service, launched on June 28th at the upscale Parc Central in the Tianhe Central Business District, features "Citywide Refund." It means tourists are no longer restricted to processing refunds only where they bought an item, but can conveniently consolidate their "Immediate Refund" claims at the single, central Parc Central location. This eliminates geographical barriers and significantly enhances flexibility for visitors.
International visitors shopping at the Parc Central in Guangzhou.
The new service represents a major upgrade to Guangzhou's tourist shopping appeal. Foreign travelers, like Tim from Belarus – the first user of the service – experience its remarkable convenience firsthand. After purchasing goods from different stores within the plaza, Tim simply completed a credit card pre-authorization at the dedicated refund counter and walked away with an over 1,000 RMB rebate instantly. "All done in one stop—so convenient!" he exclaimed, giving the service a thumbs-up.
Qualifying for a refund is also easier than before. The minimum single-receipt spending threshold has been substantially reduced to just 200 RMB, making the benefit accessible for a wider range of purchases.
At Parc Central.
Further streamlining the departure process is a complementary pilot program called "One-Bag-Per-Invoice." Implemented at 10 major department stores (including flagship branches of Grandbuy, Guangzhou Friendship, and Teemall), stores provide free, specially sealed bags for tax-refund goods. At customs, officials simply scan a QR code on the sealed bag to verify the items match the refund form, drastically speeding up border clearance for departing tourists.
International shopper trying perfume in Guangzhou.
These reforms, aligning with a national policy push announced on April 27th to boost inbound tourism spending, aim to create a "spend-refund-re-spend" cycle. Early results are highly encouraging: since the policy optimization, tax refund applications in Guangzhou have surged by 203% year-on-year, accompanied by a 129% increase in sales value.
How to get your instant in-store tax refunds while shopping in Guangzhou? Please click: How to get your instant in-store tax refunds while shopping in Guangzhou?
Reporter | Huang Xinyi
Photo | Guangzhou Commerce Bureau
Editor | Hu Nan, James, Shen He
