Beijing has introduced a new departure tax refund service, allowing eligible outbound travelers to receive their tax refunds instantly via Alipay by tapping their phones, the Beijing Municipal Tax Service said Wednesday. 

In June, three refund locations - China World Shopping Mall, Wangfu Central Plaza, and Seasons Place - began offering instant tax refund services. More recently, the "Tap to Refund" feature was added, enabling real-time transfers of refund amounts to travelers' Alipay e-wallets. 

For example, a traveler from Hong Kong received a 2,700-yuan refund on a 30,000-yuan clothing purchase using the new function. 

To further improve the outbound tax refund process, Beijing tax authorities have rolled out a series of new measures, including launching the country's first centralized refund model. The city has raised the maximum amount eligible for immediate refund per purchase from 50,000 yuan to 220,000 yuan and extended the allowable departure window from 17 to 28 days. 

Additionally, Beijing and Tianjin have introduced mutual recognition of refund services between the two cities.

Since June 1, the number of outbound travelers receiving tax refunds in Beijing has surged 339% year on year. Refund transactions rose 319%, and sales of tax-free goods jumped 93%. 

The city has also added 354 new tax-free stores, bringing the total to over 1,500 - the highest in the country.