# vatfree.com > App to claim VAT refunds on EU shopping for international travelers. (iPhone/iPad app by VATfree NL B.V..) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vatfreecom/id1141738494 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [VATfree NL B.V.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1141738493) - Category: Travel, Shopping - Price: Free - Rating: 4.71/5 from 887 App Store ratings · 49 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 17+ - Requires: iOS 12.0 · 38 MB - Languages: English - Released: 2016-10-31 - Data updated: 2026-08-12 - Monetization: free with in-app purchases - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vatfreecom/id1141738494/reviews.md ## What is vatfree.com? Thanks to a special EU-regulation, international travelers can claim the Value Added Tax paid over goods they have bought in the EU. We will help you get a VAT refund on your shopping in the European Union, even if you shop online. We make it easy, we ensure you get the highest refund possible and are here to help you claim what’s yours. We think it’s a shame that millions of euro are left unclaimed each year. Money which could be reinvested in yourself, in others or in the world. Why Vatfree.com? The Highest Refund Keep your receipts and save up to 25% on your shopping made in the EU. Rates differ per country. Refund of VAT is only possible when shopping at partner- and participating shops as EU regulation does not legally obligate shops to participate. Find a full list of participating stores in our taxfree shopping guide or in the vatfree.com mobile app. The Most Transparent We offer an inclusive service, every merchant or shop is welcome to join. Offering our tax-free shopping service next to other refund partners will give you more choice as we are the fastest growing mobile option with the highest refund guaranteed to the most diverse traveler groups. The most common feedback we get from travelers is that they feel uncomfortable being subjected to high fees for claiming back Value Added Tax they are entitled to. Especially after having to go through so much effort to arrange the refund. We get that. The regulation states that when exporting goods to a non-EU country, you do not have to pay VAT. For travelers to claim back the initial paid VAT, they have to stand in line at Customs, before flying back home, to get proof of the export. Quite stressful, time-consuming and sometimes leads to missing out if queues are long and you have to catch a plane. Once the stamp is collected, the only way to claim back VAT is to contact the shop. If the shop is unwilling to cooperate, charges high fees (with or without a tax-free partner) or just takes a long time to process it all, disappointing to say at least. Traditional tax-free companies charge fees varying from 35% to 60% of the VAT amount and are only an option if shops are affiliated. We decided to use modern technology to create an open platform for all shops to easily join, without necessary contracts, and to minimize costs so that we can continue to offer the highest possible refund. Our service fee starts at €2,50 per receipt with a maximum of €80. With this, we help travelers ánd stores as we believe a happy customer is a customer for life. Our mission is to help travelers easily shop tax-free at stores and brands that love them back. The Best in Mobile With airports requesting travelers to show up at least three hours before their flight, and safety procedures taking up a lot of time, most travelers have little time left to arrange to get a Customs validation stamp on their receipts. Standing in line at Customs may take up to half an hour or more. Being required to then stand in line at a desk for a cash refund, can increase the time of this entire process to an hour or more. Time is sparse so we built the first-ever tax-free shopping app in 2016, so travelers can finalize refund claims once they find a spare moment, on the plane home or in the comfort of their own house. The Most Diverse We are the first and only tax-free shopping service founded by travelers, specifically for travelers, with the main focus on travelers’ needs. Our service, therefore, ranges from helping a range of travelers from tourists, cruise passengers, military staff, expats and international students. We also are able to help travelers get back VAT over shopping made online, offline, cross-border, over purchases charged with low as well as high VAT rates at shops that are either listed in our shopping guide as well as not listed and new to us. ## Key features - Claim VAT refunds on EU shopping - Maximize refund amount - Simplified refund process - Online shopping VAT refund - Tax-free shopping guide ## What do users think of vatfree.com? Overall sentiment: neutral **Pros** - 🚀 Easy and intuitive - 🚀 Hassle-free process - 🚀 Faster than alternatives - 🚀 Convenient for international travelers **Cons** - 🐛 App crashes or doesn't open - 💰 High fees and commissions - ⏱️ Slow processing times - 🔒 Privacy concerns with ID uploads - 🤔 Complicated procedures **Commonly reported bugs** - App crashes when trying to upload photos - Receipts get rejected for minor issues - Unable to complete the refund process **Most requested features** - Debit/credit card refund option - Improved app stability and performance - Faster processing and payout times - More transparent fee structure ## Recent user reviews (10 of 49) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vatfreecom/id1141738494/reviews.md ### 1/5 — App Open *2026-03-08, version 4.1.9* The app doesn't even open, it auto closes when trying to use it. The website doesn't even have all the options for submitting that the app does. ### 5/5 — Herşey çok kolay *2025-11-19, version 4.1.6* Global Blue’daki postalama veya kiosk gitme zorunluluğunu kaldırıldığı için süper bir uygulama olmuş. Daha fazla yaygınlaşması dileğiyle… ### 1/5 — Total rip off *2025-10-27, version 4.1.6* VatFree takes 25% of the refund amount. I was shocked. Fees were only disclosed once I requested my refund. I appreciate that the app provider needs money to operate, but 25% is too much. ### 5/5 — A fast and easy way to deal with VAT refunds when travelling *2025-10-22, version 4.1.6* Great app for dealing with VAT refunds. Basically set up account on app, get a stamp on exiting the EU at border, upload boarding pass and receipt! Refund will be paid into nominated credit card. ### 5/5 — EU Tax Refund *2025-10-11, version 4.1.4* My tax refund was approved in less than 2 weeks. I’m impressed. Awaiting the refund to my credit card now. Everything was done on the App. No need to post the receipts & the stamped tax refund form. Makes tax refunds so much easier for non EU residents! Great App. :-D However, do remember to get your tax refund form stamped at the EU airport before returning to your home country. ### 4/5 — Refund options *2025-10-03, version 4.1.4* Would be good to have a visa/master debit card refund option to avoid the Eur2 charge. ### 1/5 — 45 gun?? *2025-09-21, version 4.1.4* iade icin herseyi tamamlamaniza ragmen alisveris yaptiginiz magazaya onaya gonderiyorlar ve 30gun sure veriyorlar.Magaza tabi ki 30. Gunde ancak onayliyor sonrasinda iadeyi yapmak icin de 15 gun suremiz var diyor vatfree. Oysa ki global blue 2-3 gunde iadeyi hesabiniza yatiriyor. Global blue’ya rakip olmak istiyorsaniz onun yaptigindan fazlasini daha hizli ve ucuza yapabilmeniz gerekir. ### 3/5 — Vat free *2025-09-05, version 4.1.4* First time I ever use this aap for my refund as it takes too long to process and settle payments. ### 3/5 — Complicated procedures for international travelers *2025-09-05, version 4.1.4* A receipt got rejected by VAT because the receipt didn’t state my name and address. I was instructed to return to the country of purchase (sure, it’s easy to get on a plane to return to the location abroad). VAT should require that these issues can be resolved online. So much hassle for minimal return. You need to stand in line at customs, get your stamps, upload the invoices to then be told that you need to return to the store for your name and address to be added. I don’t know what more proof of purchase the government wants. ### 1/5 — …. *2025-08-02, version 4.1.4* Global Blue iş the best. You are waste of time and money ## Frequently asked questions about vatfree.com ### What does this app do? This app helps international travelers claim Value Added Tax (VAT) refunds on goods purchased within the European Union. It simplifies the process of getting your money back on eligible purchases, even those made online. ### How do I get a VAT refund using this app? You can claim VAT refunds by keeping your receipts from partner and participating shops in the EU. The app guides you through the process, aiming to ensure you receive the highest possible refund. It's designed to be a modern, efficient alternative to traditional, often cumbersome, refund methods. ### Is there a cost to use this app? The app itself is free to use, but there is a service fee for processing each receipt. This fee starts at €2.50 per receipt with a maximum charge of €80. This model is designed to minimize costs for users and offer the highest possible refund. ### Which shops are participating? VAT refunds are only possible when shopping at partner and participating shops, as EU regulations do not legally obligate all shops to participate. You can find a comprehensive list of participating stores within the app's tax-free shopping guide. ### Can I claim VAT on online purchases? Yes, this app can help you get a VAT refund on your shopping in the European Union, even if you shop online. The goal is to make the process accessible and beneficial for a diverse range of travelers. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 5.0.5 — 2026-07-07 Fixes a bug with enabling push notifications. ### 5.0.4 — 2026-06-22 Bug fixes and performance improvements. ### 5.0.3 — 2026-05-28 Bug fixes and performance enhancements: - Fixed a bug that would block passports from being submitted. ### 5.0.2 — 2026-04-22 Bug fix for passport photo upload ### 5.0.1 — 2026-04-12 Bug fixes and performance improvements ## Apps similar to vatfree.com | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [GVB reis app](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gvb-reis-app/id1544439867) | 4.7 (2,381) | Free | Travel | | [Schiphol Amsterdam Airport](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/schiphol-amsterdam-airport/id409161665) | 4.9 (1,127) | Free | Travel | | [OVpay](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ovpay/id1542164084) | 2.1 (35) | Free | Travel | | [Global Blue - Shop Tax Free](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/global-blue-shop-tax-free/id693120896) | 3.3 (884) | Free | Travel | | [Zapptax — Shop Tax Free](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zapptax-shop-tax-free/id1254346990) | 3.2 (35) | Free | Travel | | [NL Customs VAT](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nl-customs-vat/id1592523001) | 1.0 (1) | Free | Travel | ## More apps by VATfree NL B.V. - [VF retail](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vf-retail/id1483764046) All apps by VATfree NL B.V.: https://appshunter.io/developer/1141738493 ## Related topics [pie vat](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/pie-vat) · [nl customs vat](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/nl-customs-vat) · [planet tax free](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/planet-tax-free) · [netherlands vat](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/netherlands-vat) · [planet tax free me](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/planet-tax-free-me) · [vat refund](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/vat-refund) · [mooij verf productscanner](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/mooij-verf-productscanner) --- *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 2026-08-12.*