Editor's note: The State Taxation Administration of the People's Republic of China has recently announced the nationwide rollout of what it called the "refund upon purchase" service, expanding it beyond its initial pilot cities.

Unlike the traditional departure tax refund process, this new model allows overseas visitors to receive their value-added tax, or VAT refunds on the spot at the time of purchase, making the savings more immediate and tangible. This is said to encourage visitors to reinvest their refunded amount during their trip.

Note: The list of "Centralized refund locations in Shanghai" was updated as of the end of May 2025.