vatfree.com vs Blithe Pins

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.

Blithe Pins — Your Portable Journal for Travel Inspiration Ready for the perfect, tailor-made trip? Blithe Pins is more than just an itinerary planner; it's your smartest, most considerate personal AI travel guide right in your pocket. Whether you're looking for a quiet reading retreat, discovering hidden alleyway cafes, or taking a relaxed road trip with your parents, Blithe Pins understands what you want and guides you to explore this beautiful world. Core Features Inspiration Map & My Pocket Break free from traditional searches! On our interactive map, you can type "Looking for a quiet place to read..." or "Vintage cafes," and our AI will pinpoint the perfect spots that match your vibe. Save them to "My Pocket" with one tap so your inspiration never slips away. Blithe AI Personalized Preferences Everyone travels differently. Set your global preferences in your profile (e.g., no beef, love gardening, slow-paced), or add specific requests for a single trip (e.g., traveling with parents, less walking). Your AI guide will strictly follow these "dos and don'ts" when recommending and scheduling your itinerary for a truly personalized experience. Flexible Trip Planning & Collaboration Easily create multi-day itineraries and drag-and-drop your saved spots into your daily plans. Better yet, invite friends as collaborators to edit the trip together and share the excitement! Live Companion During your trip, open the Live Companion for real-time weather, crowd info, and one-tap navigation for your current stop. No itinerary planned? Tap the AI magic wand at the bottom right, and let Blithe AI instantly recommend local spots based on your location and preferences! On-the-go Travel Journal Every wonderful moment deserves to be recorded. Add notes and photos anytime during your trip to build an exclusive memory wall with your travel buddies. PinCoin Reward System Collect PinCoin virtual tokens by watching ads or completing tasks to unlock advanced AI features and exclusive secret travel spots in the future! Aesthetic Theme Switching Choose from various themes like "Classic Morning" or "Peach Stardust" to match your mood, making the app interface a part of your joyful travel vibe. Download Blithe Pins now, bring your personal AI guide, and make every departure sparkle!