Fnac VAT refund: how to get tax back on online purchases?
Shopping at Fnac during your trip to Europe? If you live outside the European Union, you may be eligible for a Fnac VAT refund and recover part of the VAT paid on your purchases.
With Zapptax, the process is simple: use the correct billing details when placing your order, retrieve your final invoice and upload it to the app. From there, Zapptax prepares you the tax-free documents you need before leaving the EU. Here’s how to claim your VAT refund on a Fnac online purchase, step by step.
Want to shop tax-free online beyond Fnac? Discover how VAT refunds work for online purchases
Key takeaways
- Eligible non-EU travelers can claim a Fnac VAT refund with Zapptax.
- Your online order must be delivered in France or Belgium during your stay, for example to your hotel, a friend’s address or through Click & Collect.
- Use the Zapptax billing address corresponding to the country where your order is delivered.
- Download your final Fnac invoice, upload it to Zapptax and validate your tax-free form with Customs before leaving the EU.
Can you get a VAT refund from Fnac?
Yes. Eligible travelers can claim a Fnac VAT refund on purchases made through fnac.com with Zapptax.
For online orders, the main condition is that you have the goods delivered in France or Belgium while you are there. You don’t need to have a permanent address: delivery to a hotel, a temporary accommodation, a friend or family member, or Click & Collect can work.
The Zapptax billing address you use at checkout must correspond to the country where the goods are delivered.
How to get a tax refund on your online purchases from Fnac?
Get a tax refund on your online purchases! To do so, simply have your order delivered to an address in France or Belgium. On Fnac, be sure to update the billing address to Zapptax.
Want to estimate your savings? Try our VAT refund France calculator.
Before completing your purchase, set Zapptax as your billing address
Currently, the Fnac website is not available in English. Here is the procedure with French captions.
Step 1:
Once you’ve selected your items, go to My cart.
Step 2:
Confirm your cart and proceed to step 2 - Delivery.
Choose your preferred delivery method. Then, in the Billing section, click Change address. Your order must be delivered in France or Belgium during your stay. You can have it sent to your hotel, temporary accommodation, a friend or family member’s address, or choose Click & Collect if available. Just make sure you personally receive the goods and take them with you when leaving the EU.
Step 3:
Add a new billing address and fill in the required fields with Zapptax’s address:
- France: Zapptax - 23, rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 75001 Paris
- Belgium: Zapptax - Rue du Boulet 42, 1000 Brussels - VAT number: 0670 776 774
Click Add this address.
Your billing details are now correctly set up. Once your order is completed, the next step is to retrieve your final invoice.
How to retrieve your invoice after placing your order?
Once your order is complete, you can find your invoice in your Fnac account.
Step 1:
Go to your account (your name) at the top right of the main page. Then, click on My orders.
Step 2:
Select the relevant order, click on Order details.
Step 3:
Click on Download your invoice.
That’s it! Now simply upload your invoice to the Zapptax app.
With Zapptax, reclaiming VAT on your purchases in France and Belgium has never been easier. Thanks to its user-friendly app, turn your online shopping into extra savings—hassle-free. Manage your tax refund effortlessly and receive your refund quickly via bank transfer or PayPal.
Make sure you upload the final Fnac invoice
Once your invoice is available, download the final VAT invoice and upload it to the Zapptax app.
An order confirmation or payment confirmation is not enough for the VAT refund process. Make sure you use the invoice issued for the completed order and check that the correct Zapptax billing details appear on it.
What is the minimum purchase amount for a VAT refund?
The minimum amount depends on the country where your purchases are made:
- France: at least €100.01 including VAT.
- Belgium: at least €125.01 including VAT.
With Zapptax, your Fnac order does not have to reach this amount on its own. You can combine eligible purchases from different stores and different days, as long as they were made in the same country.
For example, a Fnac purchase below €100.01 can be combined with other French purchases to reach the French threshold. Purchases made in France and Belgium cannot, however, be combined on the same tax-free form.
What happens after you upload your Fnac invoice to Zapptax?
Once you have added your purchases to Zapptax and reached the required threshold, you can generate your tax-free form in the app. The form must then be validated by Customs when you leave the European Union.
If you leave the EU directly from France, you can usually validate your tax-free form by scanning its barcode at a PABLO kiosk. If Customs needs to inspect your purchase, keep the goods accessible until the validation is complete.
If your final EU departure point is outside France, follow the Customs procedure in the country where you leave the European Union.
Once your tax-free form has been successfully validated, Zapptax can process your VAT refund.
Shopping for electronics in France? Check out our guide to getting a VAT refund at Darty
FAQ about Fnac VAT refund
Does using Zapptax affect my Fnac product warranty?
No. Using Zapptax does not affect your product warranty or after-sales rights. If you want, your first and last name can also appear on the invoice alongside the Zapptax billing details.
What if my Fnac purchase costs more than €1,000?
For purchases over €1,000, Zapptax may require additional proof of payment. This can be a payment receipt, a bank or credit card statement, or, for an online purchase, the order confirmation. Keep these documents until your VAT refund has been completed.
Can I claim VAT back on a product sold by a Fnac Marketplace seller?
Potentially, but pay close attention to the invoice. Marketplace products are sold by third-party sellers, so the invoicing process may differ from products sold directly by Fnac. Before ordering, make sure the seller can issue a compliant VAT invoice with the billing details required by Zapptax.
What happens if my Fnac order arrives after I have left France or Belgium?
The goods need to be delivered during your stay so that you can personally take them out of the EU. If your order arrives after you have already left, you won’t be able to export the goods with you as required for the VAT refund process.
When will I receive my VAT refund?
Once your tax-free form has been successfully validated by Customs, you will generally receive your VAT refund within a few weeks. The exact timing can vary depending on the payment method and processing time.
Can I keep the warranty invoice in my own name?
Your name can appear alongside Zapptax’s details on the invoice if needed for warranty or insurance purposes. However, the required Zapptax billing information must still be present for the VAT refund process.
