ESTONIA. Tallink Group recently launched the Global Blue Fast Refund service onboard its Tallinn-Helsinki route for shoppers from non-EU countries. It is the first company in Estonia, and claims to be the first shipping company in the world, to offer this service onboard.
The move comes amid a recent surge in high-spending Asian travellers on Baltic sea cruise ferry routes. The service is initially available for non-EU passengers on Tallink’s Star and Megastar vessels.
The Global Blue Fast Refund service triggers a credit card or digital wallet refund to travellers even before they leave the store. Global Blue refunds the travellers onto credit cards within two days after purchase or instantly onto their Alipay account. This service is available for Chinese shoppers having an Alipay app with both an Alipay balance account (similar to a debit card) and a Huabei account (similar to a credit card). The shopper must validate the tax free forms at Customs and return them to Global Blue using the postage-paid envelope.
Tallink Duty Free Head of Business Development and e-Commerce Sven-Erik Veimer said that bringing the Fast Refund service onboard was a logical step as the company’s Asian passenger numbers continue to grow.
“We are always on the look-out for solutions and systems to make our customers’ lives easier. For our non-EU passengers the focus has been on bringing the various payment solutions they are used to onboard, which we did last year when we rolled out AliPay and WeChat Pay across our fleet and now also making the tax refund process easier for them,“ said Veimer.
He added: “Working together with our partners at Global Blue we have managed to bring the Fast Refund service onboard for the first time globally, so our passengers can be the first to enjoy the benefits of this service while shopping on the sea.”
Global Blue Estonia Country Manager Kati Aru said: “Digital wallet is the preferred Chinese payment option. By providing Tallink with the Fast Refund service onboard, we help them to meet Chinese shoppers’ needs and offer them a seamless journey.”
