Beijing – For international travelers in China, a welcome new perk is making shopping trips significantly more rewarding. The number of shops offering "instant tax refund" services to overseas visitors has skyrocketed past 8,000, more than doubling from just a year ago when the initiative was launched, according to the latest data from the State Taxation Administration.
The innovative policy, designed to boost consumption by foreign tourists, allows eligible visitors in participating regions to receive value-added tax rebates on the spot. At designated stores, shoppers can complete a simple agreement and a credit card pre-authorization, and then walk away with a cash refund in Chinese yuan equivalent to the tax amount, eliminating the need for lengthy post-purchase refund procedures at airports.
The impact of this convenience has been dramatic. Recent figures show the number of processed refund claims nationwide surged nearly 13 times year-on-year. Both the total sales value of tax-refunded goods and the overall rebate amount paid out soared more than ninefold, painting a clear picture of robust growth in spending by international visitors.
This retail-friendly measure is part of a broader suite of policies rolled out over the past year aimed at smoothing the experience for foreign tourists in China. Other notable initiatives include allowing international bank cards to be linked to popular domestic mobile payment apps and enabling the use of select overseas digital wallets within the Chinese mainland.
The efforts appear to be paying dividends for the inbound tourism sector. According to Minister of Culture and Tourism Sun Yeli, tourist trips to China exceeded 150 million in 2025, marking a 17% increase from the previous year. Spending by these visitors topped $130 billion, signaling a strong post-pandemic recovery and growing global appeal.
For businesses, the expanding network of tax-refund stores offers a direct avenue to attract high-spending international clientele. For travelers, it simplifies the shopping calculus and enhances the overall visitor experience. As the infrastructure continues to grow, the policy is poised to further cement China's position as a premier destination for both leisure and business travelers from around the world.
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China's instant tax refund stores top 8,000, doubling year on year
cgtn.com
