Self-service departure tax refund machines were officially put into operation on March 30 at Luohu Port and Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport, offering overseas travelers a faster and more convenient way to process tax refunds.

The rollout was carried out under the guidance of the Shenzhen Tax Service of the State Taxation Administration and the Shenzhen branch of the People's Bank of China. The machines, independently developed by the Bank of China Shenzhen Branch, are the first of their kind in the city and integrate identity verification, document review and fund settlement into a single automated system.

"The self-service tax refund machines will play an important role during peak travel periods, including holidays," said Wang Haiwei, who led the project's research and development.

A Hong Kong traveler among the first users completed the entire process in just 2 minutes and 23 seconds. "It's really fast and convenient, and the full Cantonese interface is very user-friendly," she said.

In addition to supporting traditional refund methods such as bank card transfers and third-party payments, the machines introduce an innovative option: refunds via digital yuan hardware wallets. After completing the process, travelers can choose to receive their refund in the form of a prepaid digital yuan card of equivalent value, enabling immediate use without the need for change.

The card can be used for on-the-spot purchases, public transportation and other payments within the Chinese mainland, even without an internet connection, through a simple tap function.

According to Shenzhen Customs, the city handled 19,000 tax refund verification cases in the first two months of this year, involving a total value of 310 million yuan, representing year-on-year increases of tenfold and 1.7 times, respectively. A staff member at Luohu Port said authorities have deployed multilingual personnel to provide comprehensive assistance while improving efficiency, with verification for ordinary goods taking about two minutes.

Driven by supportive tax refund policies, Shenzhen's inbound consumption market has continued to grow rapidly. In 2025, the city processed 68,000 tax refund transactions, a 13-fold increase year on year, while total refunds rose 2.4 times. The value of "instant refund upon purchase" surged nearly 40 times, with travelers from more than 160 countries and regions benefiting from the policy.