The Logic Group and Global Refund Join Forces to Deliver Fully-Integrated Tax Free Shopping

(Retail Solutions, ExCel London – Stands D6 and C19)

Fleet, 25th June 2008 – The Logic Group, specialists in the secure management of information and transactions across Europe, and Global Refund, the market-leading provider of tax free shopping in the UK, today launch a fully-integrated, real-time Tax Free Shopping service designed to enable retailers to enhance the speed of tax refund transactions for non-EU consumers shopping in the UK.

Travellers across the globe are required to pay tax on purchases regardless of their intent to export the goods on returning home.  With the Retail Export Schemes, item taxes can be redeemed upon leaving the EU with the goods.  Unfortunately, the current process can be an arduous one and certainly does not optimize the customer experience.  Detection rates are not as good as they could be and the indirect cost of additional training, administration and support can often outweigh the potential financial rewards. Shoppers and retailers alike continue to miss out on the valuable opportunities Tax Free Shopping can present.

The new service introduced by The Logic Group and Global Refund enables an integrated and streamlined management of the Tax Free Shopping process, dramatically increasing detection and completion rates to deliver tangible financial returns both for the retailer and the consumer.  By automatically detecting eligibility for Tax Free Shopping through instantaneous card verification, the service provides a hassle-free and rewarding experience for both retailers and consumers.

Where applicable, the service produces the forms automatically on behalf of both parties at the point of sale, speeding the whole process up and enabling the retailer to proactively alert consumers to their entitlement for a VAT refund and engender increased customer satisfaction.  The implementation of a faster Tax Free Shopping process at the point of sale can also help to increase customer footfall, provide up-sell opportunities and increase completion rates.

On completion of each tax refund form, the consumer is likely to receive approximately a 10% refund. With the introduction of the new service the opportunities for retailers to up-sell to consumers are multiplied through improved detection and completion rates coupled with an easy and positive consumer experience.  The new service is secure and adheres to the existing PCI:DSS regulations.

Mark Carpenter, Product Marketing Manager for The Logic Group, says: “The partnership between two market leaders such as The Logic Group and Global Refund has delivered a step-change in the level of Payment and Tax Free Shopping integration available today.  It is a compelling proposition which removes many of the headaches associated with Tax Free Shopping for the consumer and opens up a number of new revenue opportunities for the retailer.”

Nigel Dasler, Vice President Sales Global Refund, confirms: “The Logic Group’s unparalleled knowledge of transaction processing has contributed to the creation of a more effective and more profitable Tax Free Shopping experience.  Consumers can receive their tax refund more easily, without the need to complete time-consuming forms; businesses have the opportunity to increase value-spend by highlighting the significant return to the shopper.  The simplicity and integration of the solution translates into increased revenue and improved profit for the retailer whilst providing a better opportunity to delight the customer.”

The Logic Group and Global Refund Tax Free Shopping service can be integrated into a retailer’s existing systems through a simple extension to their secure payments infrastructure.