Compare · VAT-Free or VAT-Refund

0% VAT at the checkout or a VAT refund: which is better for diplomats?

Two ways to avoid VAT in Belgium. With one you never pay the VAT, with the other you pay it first and get it back months later. What each route means for your money, your time and your paperwork.

Never pay the VAT

0% at the checkout in 550+ connected stores and at MediaMarkt.be.

Get it back

VAT-Refund on the invoice of any other store in Belgium.

Both in one app

The only mobile app of a VAT service for diplomats in Belgium.

Two routes, one card

0% at the checkout, or a refund afterwards

In 550+ connected stores you never pay VAT at all: Diplomatic Card is the only service in Belgium where diplomats pay 0% VAT directly at the checkout. VAT-Refund covers every other store.

Connected stores · 550+

0% VAT at the checkout

Show your card or the digital card in the app, confirm with the 4-digit SMS code and pay without VAT. Nothing to upload, nothing to wait for. Also online at MediaMarkt.be.

Find a connected store →

Any other store in Belgium

VAT-Refund

You pay the VAT in the store, ask for an invoice in your name and upload it. We have the exemption validated by FPS Finance and recover the VAT from the store for you.

How VAT-Refund works →

Example

A 1,000 euro purchase, two outcomes

Connected store

0% VAT at the checkout

You pay 1,000 euro, excluding VAT.
No VAT to pre-finance, nothing to upload, nothing to wait for.
The exemption is confirmed on the spot with the 4-digit SMS code.

Any other store

VAT-Refund

You pay 1,210 euro, including 21% VAT.
You upload the invoice; FPS Finance validates the exemption.
The store has two months by law to repay the 210 euro. PRIME pays you at the end of that month, Basic six months later.

The fees of each route are in the prices you receive by e-mail.

Basic or PRIME

When the VAT reaches your account

The payout month depends on when the store repays the VAT, not on the day you upload. Stores have two months by law.

VAT-Refund with Diplomatic Card: PRIME and Basic compared
	PRIME	Basic
When you are paid	At the end of the month in which the store repays the VAT	Six months after the month in which the store repays
Follow-up of slow stores	Yes, we keep chasing until the VAT is repaid	No active follow-up
Works at	Every store in Belgium, for invoices of 125 euro or more excluding VAT
0% VAT at the checkout	Included in both: 550+ connected stores and MediaMarkt.be, the only service in Belgium with 0% VAT directly at the checkout
Mobile app and Client Portal	Included in both
Extras	PRIME discounts and private shopping events	None

Example: you upload an invoice in March and the store repays in May. With PRIME the VAT is on your account at the end of May; with Basic six months later, in November. Our prices are the same for every diplomat; get them by e-mail.

The Diplomatic Card app

Every refund, live in your pocket

Diplomatic Card is the only VAT service for diplomats in Belgium with its own mobile app. Your digital card, the upload of invoices and the status of every refund, in one place.

What you do in the app

Show your digital Diplomatic Card at the checkout
Photograph an invoice and upload it in seconds
Follow each invoice from upload to refund
Receive invitations to PRIME events

The statuses

Processed: checked by Diplomatic Card
Pending approval: with FPS Finance for validation
Approved: exemption confirmed
Pending refund: refund requested from the store
Refunded: the VAT is paid to your account

Available now for iPhone and iPad on the App Store. Google Play follows soon. On a computer, use the Client Portal.

Questions

Questions answered

Is it better to pay 0% VAT at the checkout or to get a VAT refund?

Paying 0% at the checkout is simpler and faster: you never pre-finance the VAT and there is nothing to upload or wait for. A refund is the solution when the store is not connected. With Diplomatic Card you have both, with one card and one app.

Which stores offer 0% VAT at the checkout for diplomats?

550+ connected stores in Belgium and MediaMarkt.be online. Diplomatic Card is the only service in Belgium where diplomats pay 0% VAT directly at the checkout.

Do other providers offer 0% VAT at the checkout?

No. Diplomatic Card is the only service in Belgium where diplomats pay 0% VAT directly at the checkout; with other services you pay the VAT first and claim it back afterwards.

How long do I wait for a VAT refund?

The store has two months by law to repay the VAT. If the store repays in May, PRIME pays you at the end of May and Basic in November.

Can I use both routes?

Yes. The same card and the same app cover 0% at the checkout in connected stores and VAT-Refund for every other store in Belgium.

What about purchases outside Belgium or a car?

Purchases in another EU member state and the purchase of a car follow the Certificate 151 procedure.

Find a store in the store finder, read how VAT-Refund works or see the complete guide.