Trusted by 575,000+ travelers since 2006. Just chat on WhatsApp. Snap your passport, invoices and boarding pass. We prepare your IVA refund and deposit it straight to your card. No app. No cash desk. No lines. Trusted by 575,000+ travelers since 2006. Send your passport, invoices and boarding pass on WhatsApp. We prepare the refund and deposit it to your card.
Get 9% of your purchases back. On average, we return more than $300 USD to our clients. Start now.
A real person replies in minutes. No payment, no commitment — we just check if you qualify.
Flying home soon? Don't leave your tax money in Mexico — start your claim before you fly. Start before you fly — finish at the airport.
Message us on WhatsApp and send photos of your passport, store invoices (CFDI), boarding pass and the card to refund.
We read and validate everything, confirm you qualify, and prepare your claim — we tell you exactly what to do, step by step.
Your refund lands on your foreign card — up to ~9% of your shopping — in up to ~40 business days. One quick check at the airport on the day you fly, and we message you at every step.
A real person replies in minutes. No payment, no commitment.
Up to ~9% of your Mexico shopping back — to your own card. Just send 4 photos on WhatsApp; we do all the paperwork.
Prepared and submitted for you. Others charge you AND make you do the work.
A real agent guides you in your language, on the phone you already have — no app, no account.
We read your passport, invoices (CFDI), boarding pass and card the moment you send them and flag anything missing BEFORE it costs you the refund.
We tell you if you qualify before you lift a finger.
Exact counter, everything pre-prepared — a 2-minute formality.
No cash desk, no checks to mail, no queue — plus human-backed support until the money lands.
Mexico's IVA is 16%. After processing you keep up to ~9% of your purchase, paid to your card. You see the exact amount before we file — no hidden charges, and we'll never promise more than you'll actually receive.
Worried about sharing your passport? Smart traveler.
Tax Free is operated by EDUNIC, S.A.P.I. de C.V. (RFC EDU2403151A3), Mexico City — running this program since 2006.
Your passport proves you're a tourist — the law requires it. Your card is only so we send YOUR money to the right place.
Encrypted, used only to prepare your refund, never sold or shared. We never charge your card.
Deleted once your claim is complete. You can also ask us to delete it any time.
In short: we ask for your passport only to prove you're a tourist (the law requires it) and your card only to send YOUR money to the right place — we never charge it.
A real, legal refund under Article 31 of Mexico's Ley del IVA.No hidden fees. We show your exact fee before you send a single photo — and no one will ambush you with a commission at the airport.
No refund, no fee. You only pay when the money hits your card.
A real person answers on WhatsApp — before, during, and after your refund.
We don't take everyone. If you don't qualify under Article 31 — wrong card, under 1,200 MXN per store, or goods not leaving with you — we'll tell you straight and won't waste your time. We'd rather lose a customer than promise money that isn't coming.
For a tourist, the real question is not "can I save tax?" It's "can I trust a stranger with passport photos before a flight?" These are the moments travelers remember.
I almost skipped the refund because it sounded like paperwork. The WhatsApp check made it simple, and at the airport I already knew exactly where to go.
The honest 9% explanation made me trust it more than sites promising the full 16%. I knew the net amount before I started.
I was nervous about sending passport photos. They explained why it was needed, what would happen next, and stayed in the chat until everything was submitted.
No app, no line, no guessing. I sent the invoices, got the airport instructions, and the payment timeline was clear.
We only earn when you get paid — if your eligible claim doesn't result in a refund to your card, you owe us nothing.
Send us one photo on WhatsApp and we'll tell you in under a minute whether you qualify — free, no commitment, no card details needed yet. If you don't like the answer, just close the chat.
We show your exact fee before you send a single photo — and no one will surprise you with a commission at the airport.
A real person answers on WhatsApp — before, during, and after your refund.
If our agent approves your documents and a fixable error on OUR side delays or kills your refund, we re-file at no cost and make it right. You're never penalized for trusting our check.
Short answer: Mexico charges 16% VAT — called IVA — on most shopping. Foreign tourists who buy goods and leave by air or sea can claim part of it back: in practice up to about 9% of your purchase, not the full 16%. Here's exactly how it works, what you need, and where you do it.
| VAT (IVA) rate in Mexico | 16% on most goods (8% only in the northern border zone) |
|---|---|
| What you actually get back | Up to ~9% of your purchase (net, after the fee) — not the full 16% |
| Minimum purchase | 1,200 MXN per store, on a valid CFDI (factura) |
| Who qualifies | Foreign tourists leaving Mexico by air or sea (not by land border) |
| What qualifies | Goods you take home — not hotels, meals or other services |
| Where you claim it | At the refund module in the airport or seaport when you depart |
| How you're paid | To your foreign card; cash is limited under SAT rules |
| How long it takes | Up to ~40 business days to your card |
| Legal basis | Article 31, Ley del IVA (SAT tourist-refund program) |
Mexico's standard VAT rate is 16%. It's called IVA (Impuesto al Valor Agregado), it's already included in the price you pay, and it's itemized on your invoice (CFDI). A reduced 8% rate applies only in the northern border region, and a few goods are zero-rated or exempt — but in tourist destinations like Cancún, Los Cabos and Mexico City, you pay 16%.
Yes. Foreign tourists can reclaim part of the IVA on goods they buy in Mexico and take home, as long as they leave the country by air or sea. It's a real federal program under Article 31 of the Ley del IVA, administered by the SAT through authorized operators. It does not apply to land-border exits, or to services like hotels and restaurants.
This is where most websites mislead you. The IVA is 16%, but you don't get all of it back: the operator keeps a processing commission, so in practice you get back up to about 9% of your purchase, paid to your card. Anyone advertising "get your full 16% back" is over-promising. We show you the exact net amount before you commit — and we never promise more than you'll actually receive.
You need four things:
Each store purchase must be at least 1,200 MXN to qualify.
Four photos on WhatsApp, and we handle the rest:
Refund modules currently operate at major tourist exit points including Cancún (CUN), Mexico City (MEX), Los Cabos (SJD), Guadalajara (GDL), Puerto Vallarta (PVR) and Monterrey (MTY), plus cruise seaports such as Cozumel and Cabo San Lucas. Coverage changes over time, so confirm the module at your departure point before you fly — and that's exactly what we do for you on WhatsApp.
Plan for up to about 40 business days for the refund to land on your foreign card after your departure is validated. We message you at every step, so you're never left wondering.
Yes — it's a legitimate refund under Article 31 of Mexico's Ley del IVA, part of the SAT's tourist VAT-refund program run through authorized operators. Tax Free is operated in Mexico by EDUNIC, S.A.P.I. de C.V. under authorization from YVESAM, owner of the Tax Free brand.
To qualify, your shopping should be paid with a foreign-issued card, and your refund is deposited to that card. Cash refunds are capped under SAT rules (a portion at the airport, the rest to your card). The refund is calculated in Mexican pesos and converted by your card network.
The program itself is real and federal — but tourists do get burned by surprise commissions, slow payouts and operators who stop replying. That's exactly why we exist: a 20-year operator with 575,000+ travelers refunded, a real person on WhatsApp before, during and after, your exact fee shown up front, and no fee unless your money actually lands. If you don't qualify, we tell you straight.
Either way your refund runs through the same official program and nets you about the same ~9% — the difference isn't the percentage, it's who handles the paperwork and carries the risk on departure day.
| On your own at the airport | With Refund Agent by Tax Free | |
|---|---|---|
| Paperwork | You request and assemble each CFDI, form and stamp yourself. | We prepare and double-check every document for you. |
| When you do it | All on departure day, in the airport queue. | Start anytime on WhatsApp before you fly. |
| Language & help | Spanish forms, on the spot, no guidance. | Guided by a real person in English or Spanish. |
| If a document is wrong | You can lose the refund at the gate. | We catch it before it costs you the refund. |
| How you're paid | Sorted out at the desk on the day. | To your foreign card, tracked at every step. |
| Net you receive | Up to ~9% (same federal program). | Up to ~9% (same federal program). |
The net percentage is the same either way — it's the same federal program. What changes is the hassle, the risk of a rejected document, and whether someone has your back. We compete on trust, not on a bigger number.
Last reviewed June 2026 · General information about Mexico's tourist VAT (IVA) refund program, not tax advice. Program rules (minimums, caps, participating exit points) are set by the SAT and can change.
A real person replies in minutes. No payment, no commitment.
We're a Mexico City team that's helped travelers reclaim their tax for years. The service is operated by EDUNIC, S.A.P.I. de C.V. under authorization from YVESAM, the owner of the Tax Free brand. Questions? contacto@grupopandal.com
Legal operator: EDUNIC, S.A.P.I. de C.V. · RFC EDU2403151A3 · Mexico City · contacto@grupopandal.com
No refund, no fee. It's free unless you get your money back.
A real person replies in minutes. No payment, no commitment.
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