Shanghai's Xuhui district has seen a sharp rise in its tax refund, thanks to a new national policy aimed at boosting inbound consumer spending.

According to the district tax service of the State Taxation Administration, the number of tax refund applications submitted by departing foreign travelers has soared by 275.59 percent year-on-year since the policy took effect in April.

The policy introduced eight new measures — including raising the cash refund cap to 20,000 yuan ($2,784) and lowering the minimum spending threshold from 500 yuan to just 200 yuan.

This allows both high-value purchases and everyday items to qualify for refunds, making the policy more inclusive and attractive to international shoppers.

Xuhui has moved swiftly to implement the changes, launching a network of four "refund-upon-purchase" shopping malls and one centralized refund location.

The four designated malls are:

- Grand Gateway 66

- Orient Shopping Center

- Hui Jin Department Store

- Buynow

The centralized refund location is at:

- First Floor of the North Tower at Grand Gateway 66

At Buynow, a Russian tourist recently purchased a DJI Mavic 4 Pro drone for 17,888 yuan. With the help of staff members, he completed the tax refund process at the service counter and received 1,609 yuan in cash. He later bought a 699-yuan smart speaker and received an additional 62.91 yuan in refunds.

Buynow now hosts nearly 30 participating brands, offering a range of digital products — from computers and smartphones to cameras — with both instant and standard tax refund options.

Click the related story below to view the full list of tax refund stores across Shanghai.

Source: Official WeChat account of Shanghai Xuhui Media Center