Starting from June 1, 2026, Henan Province will fully implement the outbound tax refund “buy now, refund now” mechanism 2.0 version, covering 12 key ports of entry and exit including Luoyang, Zhengzhou, and Kaifeng. Foreign tourists can complete tax refunds on site by scanning the code after a single purchase of RMB 500 at cooperating merchants, and funds can be credited directly to their European Union SEPA bank accounts within 30 minutes, with support for real-time euro settlement. For merchants, payment service providers, cultural and tourism retail businesses, and overseas distribution chains, this is not only a change in the tax refund process, but also a new execution signal for cross-border consumption settlement, compliant retention, and product bundling models.

Henan's Outbound Tax Refund Enters the Instant Refund Stage

The core of this change is that Henan Province will fully implement the outbound tax refund “buy now, refund now” 2.0 version starting from June 1, 2026. According to confirmed information, the relevant arrangements cover 12 key ports of entry and exit including Luoyang, Zhengzhou, and Kaifeng. After foreign tourists make a single purchase of RMB 500 at cooperating merchants, they can apply for a tax refund by scanning the code on site. Funds can be credited to their European Union SEPA bank accounts within 30 minutes, and euro real-time settlement is supported. The mechanism has passed joint certification by China UnionPay and the European Payments Association (EPA), and is being used to design compliant fund closed-loop guarantees for overseas distribution merchants’ “shopping + cultural tourism” bundled products.

From the information itself, this change is not merely about improving service efficiency, but about connecting tax refund, payment, settlement, and cross-border fund pathways into a more complete execution chain. The key links involved include merchant access, on-site code-scanning processing, cross-border settlement rules, and the fund return path of EU SEPA accounts.

Which Links Will Feel the Change First

Cooperating Merchants and Retail Terminals

For cooperating merchants, the impact is first reflected in the connection between cash register settlement, tax refund processing, and tourist reception procedures. A single purchase of RMB 500 can be handled on site, which means stores need to process merchandise identification, transaction retention, and tax refund trigger conditions more clearly to avoid inconsistencies in the settlement process. For stores mainly engaged in tourism consumption, tax-free substitute consumption, and cultural tourism retail, such rules more directly affect front-desk operating efficiency and order compliance.

Payment Services and Cross-Border Settlement Pathways

Alipay, WeChat directly connected to EU SEPA accounts, as well as funds credited within 30 minutes and support for real-time euro settlement, indicate that payment and tax refunds are no longer merely ancillary actions after local transactions, but a key pathway into cross-border fund return. For payment service providers, clearing partners, and related technical integration parties, the focus is not on “whether refunds are possible,” but on whether transaction data, settlement routes, and account verification can stably match established rules.

Cultural and Tourism Bundled Products and Overseas Distribution

This rule will also affect how overseas distributors design “shopping + cultural tourism” products. Because the tax refund fund closed loop is clearer, related products are more easily standardized in settlement arrangements, tourist experience, and compliance descriptions, but the prerequisites remain that cooperating merchants, port coverage, and fund arrival routes are consistent. For distribution chains, the most important thing to watch is that there can be no deviation between product promotion and actual tax refund rules, otherwise it will directly affect delivery experience and compliance review.

What Details Businesses Should Focus on Now

First Verify Access Qualifications, Then Discuss Volume Expansion

For merchants and service providers planning to participate, the first step is not to expand customer traffic, but to confirm whether they fall within the scope of cooperating merchants, whether the relevant ports are covered, and whether the on-site code-scanning tax refund operating conditions are already clear. If the implementation details have not yet been fully disclosed, it is more appropriate to regard this as a signal that the rules have landed, rather than as a universal solution that can be directly copied to all stores and all customer segments.

Align Vouchers, Accounts, and Processes in Advance

For all business links involving tax refunds, settlement, and EU SEPA accounts, it is advisable to sort out voucher retention, account information verification, transaction record preservation, and customer notification text in advance. For supply chain service providers, channel merchants, and retail operators, the issues most likely to arise are usually not policy direction, but operational deviations caused by inconsistencies in detailed pathways. If official statements are further refined later, companies will need to update internal SOPs and front-end training content accordingly.

Pay Attention to Certification Pathways and the Boundaries of Subsequent Implementation

The joint certification information from China UnionPay and the European Payments Association (EPA) shows that the mechanism already has a certain foundation for cross-border payment cooperation. However, depending on different merchant types, different product categories, and different account pathways, there may still be differences in execution boundaries in the future. What is more worthy of attention right now is whether the certification pathway, applicable scope, and on-site processing procedures will be made clearer, rather than prematurely concluding how broadly it covers all cross-border retail scenarios.

This Looks More Like a Landing Signal Than a Final Answer

From an industry perspective, this piece of information is better understood as a rule change that has already entered the implementation stage, and at the same time as an important signal for observing whether subsequent pathways are stable and whether processes are smooth. It shows that outbound tax refunds are moving from traditional post-event handling toward a direction that emphasizes instant settlement, cross-border receipt, and product integration. However, in terms of specific merchant access, port coverage, payment pathways, and business adaptation, it is still necessary to continue monitoring official details and market feedback.

For enterprises, the most realistic judgment at this stage is not to pursue rapid volume growth, but to confirm as soon as possible whether they have the conditions to participate, whether they can meet compliance retention requirements, and whether they need to redesign reception and settlement processes for foreign tourists. Only when these basic conditions are clear can the so-called “buy now, refund now” truly be transformed into executable business capability.

Scope of Public Information Referenced in This Article

This article is generated based on the title, event time, and event summary provided by the user. Common source types related to such events include official announcements, releases from regulatory authorities, information from customs or trade authorities, industry association information, standard organization documents, and reports from authoritative media. Since no specific official source link was provided in the input, this article does not cite external links; subsequent verification of policy details, certification execution pathways, cooperating merchant scope, on-site processing procedures, and enterprise implementation feedback is still required.