1.    We have been appointed by the Federal Tax Authority as the operator of the Tax Refund Scheme for Tourists (TRS) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to operate a service that allows overseas tourists to obtain a VAT refund (Refund) in respect of the goods purchased by them during their stay in the UAE in accordance with the laws of the UAE. We gather and process personal information in order to provide this service. As part of the service, you may choose to use our online “Shopper Portal” or “Planet Tax Free ME Mobile Application” which allows you to track your Refund, understand where you are in the process and what to do next, request a tax refund for successfully validated transactions, access list of Planet’s validation locations, etc. By choosing to use the Shopper Portal or Planet Tax Free ME Mobile Application, you are consenting to us storing and processing your personal information for subsequent Refunds. You may withdraw this consent at any time by contacting data.protection@weareplanet.com.

 

2.    We ask for your personal information because it is necessary in order to facilitate your Refund. We may share your information for legal and regulatory reasons, with our group companies, the retailer, government departments and/or tax and customs authorities in order to facilitate your VAT refund and perform the service. As part of the service the Federal Tax Authority has mandated that government departments and /or tax and customs authorities may contact you to obtain your feedback on your VAT refund experience.

 

3.    Your privacy rights are fully explained on our website and include the right to request a copy of information we hold about you and to have inaccuracies corrected. Please visit https://planetpayment.ae/merchants/privacy-policy/ for more information.

 

Your obligations:

 

1.    You agree to comply with all rules and regulations applicable to the TRS of the UAE and as described by us (further information can be found at https://planetpayment.ae/merchants/local-rules/), and you acknowledge that by using our service you are agreeing to these terms and conditions.

 

2.    You acknowledge that, the ability to obtain a Refund is subject to your compliance with the TRS rules and regulations as mandated by the Federal Tax Authority (the Authority) of the UAE, and you are solely responsible for:

 

2.1.    Obtaining approval at Planet’s manned validation counters located at all major UAE exit points by completing the export validation process (exporting the goods within 90 days from the purchase date, including inspection of goods by Planet staff, wherever applicable). Further information can be found at https://planetpayment.ae/merchants/local-rules/.

 

2.2.    Leaving the UAE within 6 hours of completing the validation process. You acknowledge that failure to do so will result in your Refund being cancelled, and you will be required to restart the validation process.

 

2.3.    Initiating a request for tax free transactions that may have been export validated before the current trip as long as such a refund request is initiated within 12 months from the date of export. 

 

3.    You acknowledge that a Refund may not be made where the retailer does not comply with the Authority’s rules or its contractual obligations to Planet. In such instances, you may contact the retailer directly for a resolution of your query.

 

4.    You acknowledge that:

 

4.1.    You cannot receive a VAT refund unless the tax invoice is digitally linked to a unique tax free transaction ID registered in Planet’s system, received from a retailer registered with Planet, and is successfully export validated. You are solely responsible for obtaining such export validation;

 

4.2.    If documentation is lost, it is your responsibility to contact the relevant retailer to provide any replacements necessary before visiting Planet’s manned validation counters at the time of your departure from the country.

 

5.    We endeavour to process your Refund as soon as possible; however, delays may occur if additional information/ confirmation is required from the relevant retailer who issued a tax free transaction to you.

 

6.    You may choose to use our online “Shopper Portal” or “Planet Tax Free ME Mobile Application” to track your tax free transactions as soon as they are issued to you.

 

7.    You acknowledge that you must be eligible to use the TRS in accordance with the applicable rules in the UAE including your visa status of that of a tourist as per the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security. There are significant penalties for false declarations. You must confirm to us that your details are correct. We may require additional information to support the claim in certain circumstances. Where we suspect that a fraud or attempted fraud is being perpetrated, we reserve the right to decline the Refund claim.

 

8.    Should you have any issue with the goods you have purchased, you acknowledge that you must raise this issue directly with the retailer. Their policies in relation to returning goods will apply to you. However, if you have already initiated the export validation process for a tax free transaction, you acknowledge that returns are not permitted as per the current rules of TRS in the UAE.

 

9.    You agree to pay a percentage of 13% of the VAT amount and a validation fee of AED 4.80 to Planet for each tax free transaction processed by Planet and you expressly authorise us to deduct the fee, together with any other applicable fees and charges as set out in these terms and conditions, from your Refund.

 

10. You acknowledge that:

 

a.    You can claim a cash refund in United Arab Emirates Dirhams (AED) and the maximum value of a Refund in cash cannot exceed AED 35,000.

 

b.    Cash refund operators may apply their own foreign exchange conversion rates when converting a Refund from the local currency to a currency of your choice and this transaction is not part of the services provided by Planet.

 

c.    Refunds processed by Planet to your credit/debit card will normally be credited in your card's currency. Your card issuing company or bank determines the foreign exchange rate to be applied on your VAT refund and Planet has no control over this rate.;

 

d.    Credit card operators/financial institutions charge us for processing Refunds through their network and these charges will be passed on to you by way of a deduction from your Refund (for example Amex charge is GBP1 or equivalent);

 

e.    We may require further verification to process your Refund, we may contact you to confirm the details; 

 

f.      Planet shall process your Refund within 9.25 calendar days after you have exited the UAE, any delays that may occur in reflecting your Refund in your bank account or card statement is beyond our control and you will need to contact your bank or card issuing company for further assistance;

 

g.    You have 20 calendar days from the date you request to get a card refund at a Planet validation counter to raise a dispute with Planet regarding your card refund;

 

h.    Some card companies require the expiry date of the card as well as the card number and cardholder full name to process a Refund. Where you have not supplied the expiry date, card number, and cardholder full name, the Refund may not be successfully processed to your card by your card company. Where this occurs Planet can reprocess your Refund once you have provided us with the necessary data;

 

i.      We may require additional information to support your Refund application and you agree to provide such additional information as soon as practicable;

 

j.      The Refund service and any documentation produced as part of the Refund service cannot be assigned to another service provider and is Planet’s property;

 

k.    Where your Refund transaction is issued through a registered retailer’s online/electronic platform, you are solely responsible for ensuring that:

 

1.    You are physically present in the UAE at the time of initiating a Refund claim on eligible purchases until the time of delivery of goods to the your registered address within the UAE. This includes subsequent returns or exchange requests after the online purchase order has been fulfilled by the retailer;

 

2.    You comply with all rules and regulations applicable to the TRS of the UAE, pertaining to online purchases and as described by us (further information can be found at https://planetpayment.ae/merchants/local-rules/) and you acknowledge that by using our service you are agreeing to these terms and conditions;

 

3.    Your eligibility for a Refund will be obtained from the relevant authorities based on information that you will have to record on the retailer’s electronic platform. You agree to absolve Planet and the retailer of any liability arising from an unsuccessful eligibility confirmation due to inaccurate details, as a result of which a Refund transaction cannot be registered;

 

4.    You are required to present your original travel document ID in person at the time of delivery of items to your registered address if a Refund transaction is successfully registered. If you are not personally present and you do not present the original document, the Refund transaction will be cancelled;

 

5.    You cannot initiate a return or exchange of goods already purchased for which validation processes at the time of departure has been initiated or completed;

 

6.    The name on the tax invoice issued by the retailer’s electronic platform matches the details reflected on your travel document ID (in English);

 

l.      Planet is not responsible for the delivery and/or fulfilment of orders placed on the retailer’s electronic platform, which is solely a matter between you and the retailer;

 

m.   Nothing in this agreement affects your rights as a consumer or your legal or statutory rights in the goods;

 

n.    These terms and conditions and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with them (including in relation to any non-contractual obligations) shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with the laws of the UAE; and

 

o.  All disputes and claims arising out of or relating to these terms and conditions (including in relation to any non-contractual obligations) shall be subject to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Dubai to which you irrevocably submit.