Universal Studios Japan vs Pie VAT
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Universal Studios Japan
Plan your visit to a popular theme park with real-time attraction wait times, show schedules, and an interactive map. Secure timed entry eTickets and access park information, including game app details for specific themed areas. Save your favorite attractions and easily purchase park tickets.
- Real-time wait times and show schedules
- Interactive park map with filters
- Timed Entry eTicket acquisition
- Centralized information for themed areas
- Create a favorites list for attractions
- Direct access to ticket purchasing
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KEY FEATURES ・ WAIT TIME/SHOW SCHEDULE Easily find out today's show schedule and see the current wait times for all your favorite attractions. ・ MAP Use the map's filter function to easily find facilities in the Park. ・ TIMED ENTRY eTICKETS Timed Entry eTickets, which allow you to enter areas and experience attractions more smoothly, can now be acquired from anywhere in the Park. ・ My Universal To enjoy SUPER NINTENDO WORLD™ even more, information on the game app, ticket purchases, and more can now be found in one place. ・ CREATE A FAVORITES LIST Attractions and shows you're interested in can be saved as favorites. ・ PURCHASE TICKETS The Official Web Ticket Store button takes you to the site where you can purchase any of the various types of Park tickets. GENERAL APP USAGE • You can check the privacy policy from the main navigation. • Please note that continuous GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. * Images are for illustrative purposes.
Pie VAT
This app simplifies claiming VAT refunds for travelers. It eliminates paper forms and long waits, offering a quick and easy digital solution to shop tax-free. Track your refund requests and receive your money faster through various payout methods.
- Digital VAT refund claims
- Find partner stores
- Quick refund requests
- Track refund status
- Multiple payout options
- In-app live help
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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
Verdict
Universal Studios Japan and Pie VAT both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 65% of Pie VAT's written reviews are positive against 26% of Universal Studios Japan's. Pie VAT also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs monthly) and chart position (#170 vs unranked). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Universal Studios Japan against 4.8 for Pie VAT. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7.6K and 9K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 26% of Universal Studios Japan's written reviews are positive against 65% of Pie VAT's.
Universal Studios Japan ships an update monthly, Pie VAT every 5 days. Both last shipped on November 4, 2026.
| Parameter | Universal Studios Japan | Pie VAT |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (7.6K ratings) | 4.8 (9K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 26.1% of reviews | 65.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 7.6K | 9K — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | #170 — better |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 207 MB | 118 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | NBCUniversal Media, LLC | PieSystems |
Customer experience
Universal Studios Japan
Pie VAT
User reviews
Universal Studios Japan
From 7.6K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Useful tool for trip
- 🗺️ Interactive map and e-ticket capture
- 👍 Great experience
Room to improve
- 🐛 Glitches and technical issues
- 🤔 Confusing and not user-friendly
- 💸 Expensive and oversold
- 🌐 Notifications only in Japanese
- 📱 App crashes and fails to load
Pie VAT
From 9K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Easy and efficient process
- 👍 User-friendly app
- 💰 Quick refund processing
- 🙌 Excellent customer service
- 🏆 Best VAT refund system
Room to improve
- 💰 High service fees
- 🤔 Unclear fee disclosure
- 🐛 App crashes and bugs
- 🔒 Security and privacy concerns
Bugs and requests
Universal Studios Japan
Reported bugs
3 issues- App crashes during ticket purchase
- Inability to register or access tickets
- Inconsistent behavior across iOS and Android
Requested features
4 requests- Add language settings to change to English
- Improve navigation and information display
- Provide more transparency on ticket availability
- Optimize app performance and stability
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
Universal Studios Japan
No in-app purchases
Pie VAT
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Universal Studios Japan free?
Is Pie VAT free?
Which has better reviews, Universal Studios Japan or Pie VAT?
Do Universal Studios Japan or Pie VAT have ads?
Which is updated more often, Universal Studios Japan or Pie VAT?
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