Walling Hotel - Jiefangbei Hongyadong, Chongqing
Tourist Assistant
Departure Tax Refund
Spend CNY 200 in one store on one day to get about 11% back — with instant refunds paid on the spot at some 14,000 stores nationwide.
Services
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Features
- ✓ Low threshold: spend CNY 200 or more in the same tax-free store on the same day (lowered from CNY 500 in April 2025).
- ✓ Two refund rates: goods taxed at 13% VAT refund 11%; goods at 9% VAT (e.g. food, books) refund 8% — minus a small service fee.
- ✓ Instant refund on the spot: at stores with the 'instant refund' sign, a quick credit-card pre-authorisation lets you collect the cash right after purchase.
- ✓ Cross-city recognition: from July 2026 instant refunds are recognised nationwide — buy in city A and depart from city B.
- ✓ Wide coverage: about 14,000 registered tax-refund stores nationwide (as of May 2026), in major shopping streets, department stores and airports.
- ✓ Flexible payout: Alipay, WeChat Pay, bank card or cash; cash refunds are capped at CNY 20,000.
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How to Use
1
Shop at tax-free stores: look for the unified 'Tax Free' departure-refund sign and show your passport when paying.
2
Get the paperwork: ask the store for the tax refund application form together with the sales invoice.
3
Optional instant refund: complete a credit-card pre-authorisation at participating counters and receive the CNY refund immediately.
4
Customs verification on departure: present goods, forms and invoices — the process is now paperless, and purchases under CNY 10,000 are mostly checked at random.
5
Collect at the airport: if you skipped instant refund, collect the money at the refund agency counter in the departure (isolated) area.
6
Allow extra time: customs verification and refund counters can have queues — arrive at the airport early.
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FAQ
Personal items bought at registered tax-refund stores — clothing, electronics, cosmetics, food and more — as long as they are unused and carried out of China. Prohibited or already-used items do not qualify.
Your choice: Alipay, WeChat Pay, bank card or cash. Cash refunds are capped at CNY 20,000 per person — for larger amounts, have it sent to your card.
11% of the invoice amount for goods taxed at 13% VAT, and 8% for goods taxed at 9% VAT, minus a small agency handling fee.
Goods must leave China within 90 days of purchase. If you used instant refund, you must depart within the set window — extended to 28 days from July 2026 — or the card pre-authorisation is charged.
Yes. Refunds support buying locally and departing from another port, and from July 2026 instant refunds are recognised across cities too.
Overseas visitors (including travellers from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan) who have stayed in mainland China for no more than 183 consecutive days.
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Important Notes
Goods must remain unused, in original packaging and accessible — customs may inspect them and can refuse the refund or charge your pre-authorisation.
Keep the original invoices and refund forms; lost paperwork cannot be reissued, and the 90-day departure window is strict.
Rules (random inspection, paperless flow, cross-city rollout) may change — always check the latest official announcements from the tax and customs authorities.
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