A sign identifying an in-store tax refund merchant is displayed at a shop in Zhejiang province. [Photo/Tide News]

Zhejiang province is accelerating efforts to introduce departure tax refunds on an "in-store" basis, according to a notice jointly issued by seven provincial departments, including the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture, Radio, Television, and Tourism.

Under the new plan, more departure tax refund stores will be converted into "in-store tax refund" outlets, with pilot refund points to be added in major commercial areas in Hangzhou. Once conditions are in place, refund services will also be extended to Zhoushan and Yiwu airports.

The scale of refund stores will be further expanded to cover major tourist sites, commercial hubs, time-honored brands, and leading retailers. Officials said the target is to build a provincewide layout anchored in Hangzhou while driving overall sales growth through tax refund shopping.

Overseas visitors who purchase eligible goods worth at least 200 yuan ($27.88) at a single store on the same day may apply for refunds. The national cap on cash refunds has also been raised to 20,000 yuan.

The reform also calls for streamlined refund procedures, automated invoice data collection, and smarter verification systems. A reservation system for in-store tax refund services will be developed on the "Zhejiang Travel" platform to allow easier booking and guidance.

To encourage wider adoption, agencies are urged to provide hardware such as POS machines and refund signage, as well as to pre-finance refund payments for stores. Local governments are encouraged to introduce supportive policies for equipment upgrades.

Refund agents will be subject to improved evaluation systems and greater competition, while cross-regional operations and partnerships with currency exchange outlets and traveler service centers inside ports of exit will be encouraged.

Authorities said Zhejiang also plans to strengthen training for store staff, optimize multilingual services, and expand promotion of refund policies through airports, airlines, media, and travel platforms. Zhoushan and Yiwu airports will soon add refund counters, while Ningbo Lishe International Airport will introduce integrated processing.

The policy highlights the potential for "second-round consumption", with visitors encouraged to reinvest refunded sums into additional local purchases. Officials added that in-store refunds have been incorporated into Zhejiang's inbound tourism facilitation reform agenda.