1. The customer register by it self
The traveler register by themselve by the app or the StampID with:
Email or WeChat account
Passport details
A credit or debit card for the VAT guarantee
2. You search them in the system to create an invoice
To find the user in the system you can search them by:
Stamp ID
Email
Phone number
3. VAT guarantee: what your customer should expect
Stamp places a pre-authorization for the VAT amount on the customer's card. If a customer asks about this at checkout or afterwards, here is what to tell them:
No amount is charged. The funds stay pre-authorized on their card.
Their bank may send them a notification about the pre-authorization. This is expected and not a charge.
It is released automatically once the invoice is approved by Customs.
4. Customs validation: what happens after they leave your store
When the customer leaves the EU, they need to:
Go to the official customs office within 90 days of the purchase.
Make sure their purchases are unused and ready for inspection.
With Stamp, they do not need to go through private refund offices.
If the customer exits the EU from a different country than where they purchased, they will instead need to:
Present the invoice in paper format at customs.
Send Stamp a clear image of the validated invoice.
5. Invoice validation status
Invoice approved: Stamp notifies the customer and the pre-authorization is cancelled.
Invoice rejected: if customs validation is not obtained, the VAT amount is charged to the customer's card.
Good to know
This article covers what your customer experiences from purchase through Customs validation. It does not affect your own payout from Stamp, which follows its own settlement process regardless of the invoice outcome.
Common questions
Do I need to do anything after issuing the form?
No. Once you issue the tax-free form correctly with accurate passport and purchase details, validation and the VAT guarantee are handled between the customer, Customs, and Stamp.
A customer says their bank flagged a pre-authorization. Is something wrong?
No, this is expected. It is only a hold for the VAT amount and is released once Customs approves the invoice, or charged if the export is not validated within 90 days.
A customer is leaving the EU from a country different from where they bought here. What should I tell them?
They need to present the paper invoice at customs there and send Stamp a clear image of the validated invoice, rather than validating electronically.