# Spendlo: Travel Tax Refund — Scan receipts, track refunds

> Scan receipts, track refunds (iPhone/iPad app by YICHIN TENG.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spendlo-travel-tax-refund/id6790820199 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [YICHIN TENG](https://appshunter.io/developer/6789793162)
- Category: Travel, Finance
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 15.0 · 32 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2026-07-23
- Data updated: 2026-10-31

## What is Spendlo?

Shopping in Japan or Korea? Read your receipts, estimate refunds and keep track of payments with Spendlo.

Your trip at a glance
See pending refunds, recorded payments and receipts needing confirmation. Tap a summary to open its filter, or search store names and original or translated item names.

Understand your receipts
Take a photo or choose receipt images from your library. AI reads Japanese and Korean store names, dates, items and amounts, and translates item names. Review photos before recognition. Save up to 5 images for one long receipt and correct results while comparing the original photo.

Separate tax from your expected payout
Estimates use the purchase country, date, printed tax rate and refund status. Manually record total fees, payout method and the refund amount quoted on your voucher. Unknown fees are flagged. Voucher quotes are not charged fees twice.

Follow up by refund provider
Record J-TaxRefund, PIE VAT, Smart Detax, Global Blue, or another or unconfirmed provider. Track shop registration separately from your payout registration. Save a refund reference, an HTTPS entry link and an expected payment date. Tasks are grouped by provider and currency, and refund references are searchable. With Pro, turn on a local notification for the expected payment date. Confirm the provider and link on your shop voucher; update progress manually.

Keep a refund record
Track store registration, customs export confirmation and completed payment separately. Record the amount and date received. Filter unreceived refunds and view recorded received totals in each trip. You update these records manually.

Japan’s new refund system
For eligible purchases from November 1, 2026, pay the tax-inclusive price first. After departure customs confirms export, the store or its provider handles the refund. The guide explains confirmation before checking bags, carrying goods out and payment steps. Estimates distinguish the old and new systems by purchase date. Some shops also offer cash refunds downtown; customs confirmation at departure is still required, and Japan receipts from November 1 can be recorded as paid downtown.

Korea’s refund options
The guide distinguishes in-store instant refunds, downtown general refunds and airport refunds. Payments already deducted at checkout or received downtown are excluded from pending refunds. Downtown advance payments still require export confirmation. Follow the voucher amount and provider instructions.

Trip reminders and spending records
Set your Japan/Korea trip and return dates. With notifications enabled, reminders are scheduled three days before your trip, on the evening before your return and on return morning. Return reminders use Japan/Korea local time. Organize receipts by trip, review spending categories and see reference currency conversions.

Free and Pro
The free version includes ads and a total allowance of 30 successful scans. A one-time Pro purchase unlocks payment-date reminders and trip export (text summary or CSV), removes ads and raises the total allowance to 3,000 scans; it does not add 3,000 extra scans. Reminders turned on before this update keep working. Your App Store displays the price. AI scanning and exchange-rate queries require internet and are subject to service usage limits.

Eligibility, fees, payout methods and timing depend on shops, customs and refund providers. Spendlo offers estimates and manual tracking. It does not process refunds or automatically check bank payments. Receipt photos do not replace your passport, original vouchers or goods.

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Spendlo Pro | $4.99 | one-time |


## Is Spendlo safe?

Not enough ratings yet to assess Spendlo.

## Is Spendlo legit?

Spendlo: Travel Tax Refund appears legitimate, with a few gaps. The AppsHunter Legitimacy Score for Spendlo is 65 out of 100 points across 7 verification signals from App Store and developer data.


## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.3.0 — 2026-10-30

Japan's new system starts November 1: the guide now covers downtown cash refunds offered by some shops, and Japan receipts from November 1 can be recorded as paid downtown with customs pending.
New: export trip records as a text summary or CSV (Pro).
Expected payment-date reminders are now a Pro feature; reminders turned on before this update keep working.
A new Pro page with a simpler purchase flow. In the free version, full-screen ads now appear every second scan, and the refund guide no longer shows banner ads.
Home shows your remaining free scans when you are close to the limit.

### 1.2.1 — 2026-10-28

Choose Japanese yen or Korean won as your home currency, with defaults based on app language. The Japan tax refund guide now includes Visit Japan Web setup and airport procedure steps.

### 1.2.0 — 2026-10-22

New refund provider records and tasks grouped by provider and currency.
Track shop registration separately from your payout registration so you can see the next step.
Save and search refund references, and record HTTPS payout links and expected payment dates.
Optional reminders help you follow up on expected payment dates.
Updated receipt editing, refund cards and home tasks. Existing records are retained, and unknown providers stay unconfirmed.
Refund progress is recorded manually. Follow your shop and provider instructions for the actual process.

### 1.1.0 — 2026-10-14

A redesigned trip ledger with pending refunds, received payments and next steps.
Search stores and items, and filter receipts by refund status.
Review photos before recognition; use up to 5 photos for one long receipt.
Separate refund, item and original-photo views with full-page editing.
Guides follow Japan purchase dates and Korea refund routes.
Record fees, voucher quotes and payments, with return-eve and return-morning reminders.
Updated Japan departure guide: confirmation before baggage drop, green/red results and VJW’s dedicated Wi-Fi requirement.
Fixed the trip date separator on the home screen.

### 1.0.4 — 2026-09-26

- Fixed receipt scanning failures
- Updated refund estimates and the airport guide for Japan's new tax-free system starting 1 November 2026 (purchases before and after are handled separately)
- Added Japan's ¥5,000 same-shop, same-day threshold (before tax) and Korea's ₩15,000 per-purchase threshold
- Refund status now shows shop registration, instant refund, customs confirmation and refund completed
- Refund amounts are consistent across screens, with a note when a receipt isn't counted

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| [Enjoy Japan](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/enjoy-japan/id6762119396) | — | Free | Travel |
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## More apps by YICHIN TENG

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- [RoadGuard: Dashcam Evidence](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roadguard-dashcam-evidence/id6790757795)

All apps by YICHIN TENG: https://appshunter.io/developer/6789793162

## Related topics

[travel tax](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/travel-tax)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-10-31.*