Comparison

Shinkansen smartEX App vs Pie VAT

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Shinkansen smartEX App

Easily reserve Shinkansen seats, hotels, and activities. Enjoy discounts for early bookings and flexible changes. Access station and train service information, and use QR tickets or designated IC cards for seamless travel.

Highlights
  • Reserve Shinkansen seats
  • Book hotels and activities
  • Early booking discounts
  • Free reservation changes
  • Select seats from map
  • QR-Ticket and IC card boarding
  • Fingerprint authentication login
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

▼With the EX app, you can: - Reserve Shinkansen seats through the app easily - Discount for early booking - Reserve Shinkansen seats up to 1 year in advance - You can make as many changes as you need, free of charge, before getting on the train - Reserve a set of Shinkansen seats and hotel rooms! - Reserve activities, hotels and car rentals! - Select any seat from the seat map (*reserved seats only) - Information on services available in stations and trains - You can log in quickly by using fingerprint authentication. (only for compatible models) ▼ Main features - Membership registration - Purchase ticket/Reserve seats (time designation, train name designation, easy free seat reservation)) - Confirm reservation - Change and refund reservation (reducing the number of persons) - Display purchase history and receipt - Check, change member information - Display QR-Ticket for boarding - Designate or register IC card for boarding - Service status information (Link) ▼ Notes - Membership registration is required to use this app. For registration, personal information is required, such as member name, date of birth, and a valid credit card, etc. - Ticket purchase (reservation) payment will be taken from the credit card registered on the account. -- You need to register or designate IC card for public transportation (*) to travel ticketless with IC card. (*) Kitaca, PASMO, Suica, manaca, TOICA, PiTaPa, ICOCA, Hayakaken, nimoca, SUGOCA - You need the pickup code to pick up tickets from ticket vending machines, etc., at main stations of Tokaido Sanyo Kyushu Shinkansen, such as Tokyo, Kyoto, Shin-Osaka, Hiroshima, Hakata, Kumamoto etc. - Please do not use this app to make a seat reservation for Japan Rail Pass. - This service is available only in English. - For more details on this service, please see the website. *The email address below is for inquiries about application specifications. Please note that we cannnot answer inquiries about the service.

About

Pie VAT

This app simplifies claiming VAT refunds for travelers. It eliminates paperwork and long waits, allowing users to easily shop tax-free and track their refund status. Enjoy faster and larger refunds with multiple payout options.

Highlights
  • Digital VAT refund claims
  • Find partner stores
  • Track refund status
  • Multiple payout methods
  • In-app live help
  • Secure account protection
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Pie VAT is the next generation tax free solution. It is the first digital tax free shopping app that enables travelers to easily claim their VAT refunds when traveling abroad. We have eliminated excessive paper forms, long waits in line, high fees; all that’s left is a quick and easy way to shop tax free. SHOP AT OUR PARTNER STORES Find, browse, and explore our local partner stores in the app. We have 1000+ PIE partner stores. Find yours today! QUICK AND EASY: Request your VAT Refund in a matter of seconds. Clear and concise directions in our app will guide you every step of the way for your VAT refund. STAY ON TOP OF IT ALL Easily track your refund requests and their status. Keep up with the entire process and where your funds are. BIGGER & FASTER PIE works to get you more of your VAT refund back as fast as possible! We support multiple payout methods, including bank transfers, credit cards, and more. YOUR SECURITY IS OUR PRIORITY Pie VAT makes VAT refunds easy and quick, and we take the protection of your account very seriously. We utilize industry standard security measures to help protect your account information. =================== How Pie VAT works: 1. After you checkout in store, ask to do a refund via PIE. The store will send you your claim information to start our VAT refund process. 2. Claim your refund on the PIE app, follow the easy steps and submit your request. 3. Enjoy your VAT refund - maybe buy some pie. Need help? We’re two taps away via live help in-app!

Screenshots

Shinkansen smartEX App4 screens
Pie VAT4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Pie VAT at 65% against Shinkansen smartEX App's 17%. Pie VAT also leads on rating (4.8 vs 1.7) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, ads, in-app purchases and chart position there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Pie VAT holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 1.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pie VAT has 9K ratings behind it against 607, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 17% of Shinkansen smartEX App's written reviews are positive against 65% of Pie VAT's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Shinkansen smartEX App ships an update monthly, Pie VAT every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Shinkansen smartEX App versus Pie VAT: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShinkansen smartEX AppPie VAT
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.7 (607 ratings)4.8 (9K ratings) — better
Positive reviews16.6% of reviews65.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings6079K — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 6 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#138 — better#190
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS18.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size51 MB118 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCentral Japan Railway CompanyPieSystems

Customer experience

Shinkansen smartEX App

All ratings607 ratings
Positive16.5%
Neutral2.0%
Negative81.5%
Written reviews373 reviews
Positive16.6%
Neutral3.5%
Negative79.9%

Pie VAT

All ratings9,016 ratings
Positive95.6%
Neutral1.3%
Negative3.1%
Written reviews447 reviews
Positive65.3%
Neutral2.9%
Negative31.8%

Bugs and requests

Shinkansen smartEX App

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Pie VAT

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • App crashes when loading documents
  • Issues with photo uploads and login

Requested features

2 requests
  • More transparent fee structure
  • Compatibility with more countries and merchants

In-app purchases

None

Shinkansen smartEX App

No in-app purchases

None

Pie VAT

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Shinkansen smartEX App free?
Shinkansen smartEX App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pie VAT free?
Pie VAT is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Shinkansen smartEX App or Pie VAT?
Pie VAT is rated higher. Shinkansen smartEX App averages 1.7 out of 5 from 607 ratings, while Pie VAT averages 4.8 from 9K ratings.
Do Shinkansen smartEX App or Pie VAT have ads?
Neither Shinkansen smartEX App nor Pie VAT shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Shinkansen smartEX App or Pie VAT?
Shinkansen smartEX App ships an update monthly, and Pie VAT every 6 days. Most recently, Shinkansen smartEX App was updated on November 6, 2026 and Pie VAT on November 8, 2026.
Which is more popular, Shinkansen smartEX App or Pie VAT?
Shinkansen smartEX App currently peaks at #138 in the App Store charts, and Pie VAT at #190. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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