1. These terms and conditions set out the rules for you, as a foreign traveller (“you” or “your”), to claim back your VAT/GST refund (“Refund”) from Global Blue (“we” or “us”) using a paper or digital Global Blue tax free form (“TFS Form”) in relation to the goods that you have purchased.
2. You must ensure all mandatory fields on your TFS Form have been correctly completed. Before your departure, you are responsible for ensuring that your completed TFS Form has been export validated by Customs (either physically or electronically). If you need to get any additional Customs approval to claim your Refund, you will be responsible for seeking this approval.
3. If your TFS Form has been physically stamped by Customs, you must post your TFS Form, showing the Customs stamp to us in a Global Blue envelope OR deposit your TFS Form at the central Global Blue refund counter if there is one located at the departure terminal a list of which can be found here. Global Blue reserves the right, in exceptional circumstances, to choose an appropriate refund method at its reasonable discretion. We will not be responsible for any TFS Forms or other documentation which is lost prior to receipt by Global Blue.
4. At all times any Refund granted will be at the local Customs and/or tax authorities’ sole discretion and we will not be responsible for any unsuccessful Refund claims.
5. You acknowledge and agree that a Refund may be rejected by Global Blue and/or the local Customs and/or tax authority where:
a. information provided by you is false, inaccurate, incorrect, insufficient, incomplete or misleading in any way or Global Blue suspects any illegal act, including fraud;
b. you have received or have applied for another tax refund in relation to the same goods described in the TFS Form;
c. the goods you have purchased have been wholly or partly used in the country in which you purchased the goods;
d. the retailer has breached its contract towards Global Blue; or
e. Global Blue and/or local Customs/tax authority is of the opinion that you are not entitled to the Refund.
6. If you have been offered and chosen for the full VAT amount or refund amount to be deducted or provided in advance of obtaining Customs approval, you are responsible for obtaining the Customs approval and, if your TFS Form has been physically stamped by Customs, sending the TFS Form to Global Blue. You authorise Global Blue to debit your credit card with the full VAT amount or refund amount (or deduct such amount from a future Global Blue refund/payment), as applicable, plus a debit fee if you don’t get the TFS Form validated by Customs and the stamped TFS Form is not received by Global Blue within 21 days (15 days for refunds paid to UnionPay cards) from the purchase date. The debit fee will be 5% of the full VAT amount or 15% of the refund amount, as applicable.
7. The goods described on the TFS Form must match the goods that you have purchased and which will be exported out of the country of purchase. If you have any issues in relation to the goods, you must contact the retailer. Any applicable statutory consumer rights that apply to the goods you have purchased remain unaffected by these terms and conditions.
8. In some countries, you will acquire the goods from us. Where this is the case it will be clear on the TFS Form. For these purchases, we assign our legal rights in the goods to you. You agree not to take any action or in any way hold us liable for any loss or damage due to any defect in the goods, however, your legal rights will not be affected.
9. The amount that you will receive as your Refund is equal to the amount of VAT/GST that you paid for the goods purchased, less the Global Blue service fee (which is stated on the TFS Form). In addition, if your Refund is:
a. in cash or paid to a digital wallet, a cash/digital wallet fee may be deducted from your Refund. Please ask at the Global Blue refund point for further details as to whether a cash fee applies;
b. paid to a Visa card or Mastercard, an amount up to €1.00 will be deducted from the tax refund;
c. a non-cash refund in a currency different to the currency in which the TFS Form is issued then we will apply the current Global Blue ”we sell” rate (based on the “we sell” rate of a recognized European Retail Bank) plus 3 to 5 %, for the currency conversion. Accounts will always be credited in the billing currency of your account (except for payments to Amex or UPI credit cards which will be credited in USD);
d. paid in connection with obtaining the validation of your TFS Form at Vienna Airport (Austria) by DEV Digital Export Validation (working on behalf of Austrian Customs), an amount of €3.00 will be deducted from the tax refund or your provided payment method.
10. By agreeing to be issued with a TFS Form, you accept and expressly authorise that these fees are deducted by Global Blue from the VAT/GST amount refundable.
11. We will gather information about you in connection with processing your Refund which will be used and shared in accordance with the Global Blue Privacy Policy.
12. The right to receive a refund and/or the rights and obligations detailed in a Tax Free Form cannot be assigned to another tax refund service provider.
13. These terms are to be read with all local applicable laws and regulations. You are responsible for complying with these rules. Please refer to the ‘Local Rules’.
14. We have the right to amend and update these terms and conditions at any time.