Shanghai's Jing'an district has introduced a new self-service tax refund machine at the Plaza 66 shopping mall — offering international tourists a faster and more convenient way to claim tax refunds on their purchases.

Located on the B2 level, the machine is the city's first centralized refund point for the instant "refund-upon-purchase" service inside a shopping mall.

After shopping at designated tax refund stores within Plaza 66, overseas visitors can now use the self-service machine to complete the process in just a few simple steps: scan their passport, upload purchase information, print the refund application and choose a payment method.

Compared with traditional refund counters, the new machine offers several smart features — including automatic document verifications, multilingual support, multiple refund options and real-time tax calculations. The entire process takes as little as five minutes.

In addition to cash refunds, the machine also supports digital refunds via Alipay, by simply scanning a QR code.

Beyond Plaza 66, Jing'an district is spreading the use of the smart refund terminals to other major shopping areas along West Nanjing Road, including Zhangyuan and HKRI Taikoo Hui.

Source: Official WeChat account of Shanghai Jing'an Media Center