Subscribe
Login
Online Travel

Tax-Free Airport Shopping Evaluated by EU Over Antitrust Claims

Sean O'Neill photo
Sean O'Neill
traveler in madrid using global blue help to get a refund for value added tax VAT in europe source global blue

Photo Credit: A traveler in Madrid using Global Blue as a service help to get a refund for value-added tax (VAT) on a European trip. Global Blue

Skift Take

Global Blue helps international travelers handle refund claims for value-added tax (VAT) on purchases in the European Union. It now faces allegations that it doesn't play fair. We hope the regulators' review takes less time than it does to stand in line for a VAT refund at an airport.

Global Blue, which specializes in helping travelers file refund claims for value-added tax on purchases in the European Union, has had a rough year given the decline in international travel during the pandemic. Now the Swiss payments company now appears to face a new headwind. The European Union's antitrust regulator agreed on Tuesday to review a complaint by Global Blue's smaller rival Refundit, who alleges the company has engag

Online travel coverage is exclusive for Skift Pro subscribers.

Subscribe for full access to all Skift coverage for as low as $55 a month.
See the latest online travel headlines.

Apple Pay, Google Pay, Paypal, VISA, Mastercard, Discover, American Express

Already a subscriber? Login