Pie VAT Reviews 212

Trying to reclaim my Norway Tax! What a NIGHTMARE! The website in not understandable! I have sent them an email for advice -11.03.2026 - STILL WAITING for a reply!!! I purchased 3 items NOK 2 098! I have not stopped trying to get my tax refund. This company is BAD!

In japan you get all of your tax refund on the spot. 10%.

But with pie vat, they charge ridiculous 3% on the tax exempt total,

Then they have balls to charge you even again another 200-300 to refund the amount.

On the sheet they say fee of 1.5%.

But it is 3%.

I feel cheated, handling fees should be 3% of the tax refund not on the pre tax amount.

Oh yeh you need download the app and submit your info to them as well.

Tax refunds was a painless before they came to solve the problem for business 'problem'.

If you see pie vat in a shop refuse it and go elsewhere.

The App is awful and no one from their support team ever responds to messages raised in app or via email (raised the issue to their support email address they advise issues to be escalated to)

VAT claim raised on the 23rd Feb 2026. It is now 20th March 2026 and VAT refund still not yet processed after 25 days since raising the claim.

Customer support is shocking and absolutely nonexistent despite advertising refund claims are usually processed within 1 day.

Shocking and awful experience

Excellent customer service agent. No chat bot. Super convenient and efficient refund process providing that all required documents are submitted. A slight inconvenience with not available during weekend, but it is understandable.

Great app. Very simple and intuitive to use. Can claim once you get home rather than rushing it at the airport. Great customer support. Quickly processed and paid too!

This is the worst app ever. Why add yet a third app to the two that already exist. We need less apps not more. This is so very customer unfriendly. Get rid of this please!!!!

The experience with the app is so-so, my experience with the customer service is excellent! The app did not work on my mobile (iOS Version) so I used it on my macbook. I could not upload product pictures due to geolocation error so I contacted the customer service. Terry was very helpful and the issue was resolved immediately. This was a positive surprise! However for a one-time service I find it easier the oldfashioned way (to hand in the receipt with your bank details at the airport) but that's a question of taste...

I made three tax-free purchases during a recent trip to Japan, and two of them went exactly as expected.
At BicCamera, I showed my passport and the sale was automatically processed without tax.
At Muji, I went to the tax-free counter, presented my passport, and again the tax was simply removed at checkout.
Then came Montbell, where things took an ugly—and frankly deceptive—turn.

Montbell had clear signage advertising tax-free shopping. My purchase totaled 30,500¥, well above the tax-free threshold. Yet I was told that my passport “wasn’t valid” for the standard procedure. Instead, I would have to pay the full tax-included price and use an outside service called PieVAT to claim the refund.

So, right there in front of the clerk—while holding up an increasingly annoyed line—I downloaded PieVAT. The app required me to scan my passport (a major red flag given current global data-breach trends) and upload a receipt. And then came the catch: I would not receive the full tax refund. PieVAT keeps 30% of the refund as their fee.

The clerk tried to assure me that I was “only losing 3%.”
Nonsense. I was losing 30% of my refund.
There’s no way to spin that as anything other than a significant and unnecessary loss.

If Montbell advertises tax-free shopping, there should not be a third-party intermediary taking a 30% cut of my legally entitled refund. Whether or not it meets the letter of the law, it certainly violates the spirit of what “tax-free” means to customers.

Now, regarding PieVAT itself: I have no reason to trust that they can adequately safeguard my passport data. I hope they can—but given the constant stream of corporate breaches in the news, that hope is thin. The only positive thing I can say is that they did issue the refund—70% of it—five days later, and the amount was correct.
(Helpful tip: if you do end up stuck using PieVAT, request the refund in the original transaction currency and let your credit-card company handle the conversion.)

If my wife hadn’t really wanted the coat, I would have walked out of Montbell. As it stands, I feel I was robbed of 30% of my rightful refund by PieVAT.

Will I ever use PieVAT again? Absolutely not.
And I strongly recommend shopping only at stores that process truly tax-free purchases at the register—no third-party detours, no commissions, no unpleasant surprises.

You need to GIVE AWAY ALL YOUR PERSONAL DATA in ONE PLACE !! They request : Credit card number, +expiry +verification code, Passport full scan including your own photo, passport number, address, date of birth etc... Full address, email, tel number etc... A complete DATA & IDENTITY THEFT would then be possible for any hacker getting into their system. If you want to erase your data after installing the app: Impossible, in their rules they tell you they will keep your data for 7 years no matter what... and they seem to be incorporated in the State of Delaware (USA) which protects companies very well.
My opinion: Do not use unless the amount of claim is substantial.

You changed the game of tax refund! I love that your process is purely app-based. It removed the most burdensome processes of old set-ups - queuing on long lines and showing the items one by one.

Terry was SO helpful! He made the VAT process very easy and continued to support me as it was my first time using the app. Appreciated his help and was so easy

Best VAT refund experience ever! Terry was super helpful and the app was easy to use.

Great app for processing tax refunds. I used it during a recent trip to Norway. Super convenient to handle everything from home, and I got my refund within a week. Would love if it was available in more countries!

App works and seems to be a new - modern app

BUT
PIE profits from commissions on your tax refund ( 1.5 to 3.0 % )
and on top anothet commission for handling your refund back to your card
Of 0.28-0.36% on the net amount
Despite being on same currency

Without giving you the option to get your tax refund back without these commissions !!

Using the app was so simple, I initially doubted it would work. I’ve tried competitor services and am still waiting for refunds, but Pie VAT deposited my final refund today—less than a week after my return. I had an issue with one receipt, but Pie’s support team quickly resolved it, and I received my refund. I was especially impressed with the support team, particularly Josh.

The app is very useful. Moreover, if you have any questions, they can help you instantly via messaging. Thanks to Josh for my situation.

The store I purchased items from in Denmark were unable to give me a refund claim code. I emailed Pie VAT and I had a response straight away. I used the very user friendly app, let Pie VAT know and had the refund within an hour. Highly reccomend.

This application is very user-friendly. The customer service, Josh, responded promptly and was very enthusiastic, quickly helping me resolve all my issues. I am extremely grateful!

As a frequent traveler to Norway, Pie VAT has completely transformed my tax refund experience! This app makes the refund process incredibly simple—no more waiting in long airport lines or filling out complicated forms. Just scan your receipts with your phone, upload the information, and complete your refund application in minutes. It’s so convenient!

What impressed me even more was Pie VAT’s customer support team. Once, I encountered an issue while uploading a photo, and when I reached out to their support, their response speed was astonishing—I received a reply in less than 5 minutes, and they patiently helped me resolve the problem. This efficient and professional service made me trust and love the app even more. Thank you Josh.

If you’re traveling to Norway, you must download Pie VAT! It not only makes tax refunds quick and easy but also provides thoughtful service that truly caters to travelers. Highly recommended to all tourists—this is an app that genuinely cares about its users!

Buggy, poorly designed UI, system issues. Wasted 30+ mins trying to submit and resubmit passport scans. No indications for submission status. System did not allow a country of residence that is different from passport country. In the end this was a complete waste of time. We specifically asked retailers for the remainder of the trip if they were using PIE VAT. If they did, we opted not to get the tax back. We'd rather contribute tax revenues to the government than to a company that can't get a consistent, stable user experience without wasting the user's time. Far superior experiences lining up for an in person tax refund in Japan (usually under 5 mins) than wasting 30+ mins for a failed tax refund application. Based on my experience, AVOID retailers that use this service, forget trying to get the VAT back, and contribute the VAT to the local economy instead of this company.