GCash has launched Digital Tax Refund, a feature that lets outbound Filipino travelers receive eligible tax refunds instantly and directly in Philippine pesos through the app.

The service is powered by Alipay+ and Global Blue, GCash’s global tax refund partner.

The feature is initially available across 16 countries: Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Argentina, Austria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Saudi Arabia, Latvia, Norway, Portugal, Sweden and Switzerland, with more countries expected to follow.

To use it, travelers need a fully verified GCash account.

Travelers still go through the usual airport tax refund process, presenting their passport, flight ticket, refund form, shopping receipt and unused purchased goods to customs for validation.

Once validated, they open the Tax Refund feature in the GCash app and generate a personal QR code.

The counter agent scans the code and credits the refund instantly to the traveler’s GCash wallet in pesos, with no extra fees.

“Through Digital Tax Refund, we are giving Filipino travelers a faster and more convenient way to receive the money they are entitled to, directly in Philippine pesos through the GCash app they already use every day,” said Carlos Bauza, Vice President for International Payments at GCash International.

Traditionally, travelers claiming tax refunds abroad have had to choose between cash in foreign currency, which can be hard to use once they’re home, or a wait of one to four weeks or longer for the refund to reach their bank or card, often reduced further by currency conversion fees.

GCash designed Digital Tax Refund to fit directly into the existing airport process rather than requiring a separate one.

Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Philippines based on an image by thanyakij-12 via Magnific.