Shopping, souvenirs and GST refunds

Question 1

Do all shops in Singapore give tourists a GST refund?

Accepted Answer

No, the Tourist Refund Scheme is voluntary, and only shops that join it can issue a refund. Shops tied to Global Blue or Global Tax Free display that company's sign. At the till, ask for a tourist refund and show your original passport in person, since photocopies and photos are refused. Leave with the original receipt and the eTRS transaction, the electronic record the airport kiosk reads, because the kiosk can only claim what the shop recorded.

Question 2

How much of the GST do I get back as a tourist?

Accepted Answer

Less than the 9% you paid, because the retailer, the central refund agency or the cash-counter operator deducts a handling fee. The S$100 minimum counts GST, so a S$100 purchase carries about S$8 of tax before that fee comes off. Register on the eTRS site or app, which lists the transactions each shop recorded under your passport and the status of every refund.

Question 3

Can I add up receipts to reach the GST refund minimum?

Accepted Answer

Only within one shop: you can combine up to three same-day receipts from retailers with the same GST registration number and shop name to reach S$100, GST included. Receipts from another shop, or from the same shop on another day, fall outside that rule. If you're close, ask the cashier to ring everything up together, since one receipt is the simplest to claim.

Question 4

How is my GST refund paid: card, cash or Alipay?

Accepted Answer

You choose at the eTRS kiosk: credit card, Alipay or cash at Changi, while Seletar has no cash counter and pays by non-cash methods only. A card refund arrives within 10 days, on any card in your own name, and Alipay pays straight away. Cash comes in Singapore dollars from the GST Cash Refund Counter in the transit lounge, which is open 24 hours every day.

Question 5

How long do I have to collect my GST refund?

Accepted Answer

You must leave Singapore within 12 hours of the kiosk approving your claim, and collect the money within two months of that approval. The goods also have to leave with you within two months of the purchase date. If you chose cash and flew without collecting it, the refund helpdesk can switch you to a card or cheque refund while the two months last.

Question 6

Will Customs check my shopping before I get a GST refund?

Accepted Answer

Sometimes: if the kiosk prompts you, go to the Customs Inspection Counter with the goods, original receipts or invoices, passport and boarding pass or ticket. Customs may inspect goods before approving a claim, so keep new purchases unused and claim before checking your bags in. After approval, keep the goods with you and don't hand them to anyone else.

Question 7

What can't I claim a GST refund on in Singapore?

Accepted Answer

Services, hotel and hostel stays, goods used up or partly used in Singapore, goods you ship by freight and business purchases are all excluded. Singapore Customs gives car rental, entertainment and dry cleaning as examples of services. Everything else that carries GST counts, so clothes, bags and souvenirs you carry out unused are the usual claims.

Question 8

What time do Singapore's main shopping areas open and close?

Accepted Answer

ION Orchard opens daily from 10am to 10pm, Chinatown Street Market runs from 9.30am to 10pm, and Mustafa Centre stays open around the clock. Hours change, so check the shop's own page before a special trip. We'd match the place to the hour: ION Orchard for a hot afternoon, Chinatown for the evening and Mustafa Centre for the small hours.

Question 9

Where should I shop in Singapore: Orchard, Bugis or Chinatown?

Accepted Answer

Pick by what you want to carry home. Orchard Road holds the big malls, Bugis Street is a street market for knick-knacks, shirts and shoes, and Chinatown Street Market stocks the souvenirs. We'd spend a hot afternoon on Orchard, then give Bugis Street Market one evening and Chinatown another, since the street markets are mostly open-air.

Question 10

Where should I buy souvenirs in Singapore?

Accepted Answer

For one stop, Chinatown Street Market has everything from fridge magnets to qipaos, and the stalls around Temple Street carry knots and mahjong sets for something less generic. Cash is still the norm there. For a gift with a story, try Jamal Kazura Aromatics in Kampong Gelam, a perfumery since 1933, then wander Haji Lane for indie boutiques.

Question 11

Which food gifts from Singapore travel well in a suitcase?

Accepted Answer

Tea and bak kwa are the easy ones. Pek Sin Choon blends and roasts Chinese tea in Chinatown and hand-packs every pack in the shop, and Lim Chee Guan on New Bridge Road sells bak kwa, the barbecued meat slices. We'd buy the tea, since a tin packs flat. Check what your destination lets in before you pack any meat.