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Ask For Tax Free / Digital brandbook
Strategy
01Where we are
A system built to make Tax Free actually work.
Ask For Tax Free enables non-EU residents to reclaim VAT paid on eligible purchases in Romania.
Founded in 2012, the business made a pre-existing legal VAT refund right work in practice.
It connects the shopper, retailer, customs and fiscal authorities through a partner retail network and physical VAT refund / document points.
What we stand for
Responsibility
A reliable intermediary between shoppers, retailers, and the state.
Education
Helping shoppers and store staff understand how Tax Free works.
Adaptability
Rebuilding the process as rules and reality change.
Involvement
Hands-on support at every stage of the process.
How we communicate today.
online
- Website
- Blog
- YouTube
offline
- Owned locations
- Hotels / restaurants
- Concierge networks
- In-store stickers and information
Current communication has historically been mainly educational and intermediary-driven rather than consumer-led.
Where the gaps are
- Little or no meaningful paid-media ecosystem
- No strong creator / influencer layer
- No TikTok-native strategy
- Limited multilingual push beyond Romanian / English
02The context
The market changed. The opportunity changed with it.
- Standard VAT rate
- 21%
- After the 2025 increase.
- Tourism arrivals
- ~14.3M
- Total arrivals in Romania in 2024.
- Foreign visitor share
- 18–19%
- Approximate share of total arrivals.
- International growth
- +5.5%
- Relevant international / non-EU arrivals in H1 2025, compared with +0.1% domestic growth.
The important part is not the total number of tourists. It is who can actually use Tax Free.
03Who we talk to
One service. Two very different travel behaviours.
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Air travelers
Israel · USA · UK · China
- Leisure / business travel
- Classic tax-free behaviour
- Fashion, electronics, gifts
- Airport-driven journey
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Land-border shoppers
Moldova · Ukraine · Serbia · Turkey to a lesser extent
- Frequent road crossing
- Repetitive shopping
- Lower-ticket, frequency-driven behaviour
- Family / community influence
- Border-location driven
These audiences should not be treated as one homogeneous customer group.
The opportunity is already measurable.
TAM
~870,000
people / year
Total addressable market
Non-EU visitors across the relevant markets.
SAM
~11,300
people / year
Serviceable addressable market
A realistic conversion opportunity based on proven Ask For Tax Free performance.
SOM
6,562
people
Current actual customers
The customers already captured in this segment.
There is room to grow.
1,900–4,700
Additional buyers / year
Conservative
Underperforming markets double their current, near-zero conversion rates.
Aggressive
Underperforming markets close the gap to Israel’s proven conversion rate.
USA / UK
Large arrival volume, very low current conversion.
China
Smaller current base, structurally changing market opportunity.
USA and UK are conversion opportunities. China is a market-development opportunity.
The four audience segments.
01UkraineThe Frequent CrosserHigh-frequency land-border shopper.Protect and retain.
- Who they are
- Frequent land-border shoppers crossing primarily at Siret, with an almost weekly refund pattern rather than occasional tourism. These are established, highly loyal customers. Disruption to Ukrainian retail supply, currency instability, and access to well-stocked Romanian stores are plausible drivers of the behavior, rather than confirmed explanations for every shopper.
- What they buy
- Predominantly LIDL discount groceries and household goods, with an emphasis on bulk and value shopping. Individual transactions are smaller than in the other segments, but repeat visits generate substantial total value. The pattern suggests practical sourcing of everyday goods, rather than the fashion, technology, or leisure purchases associated with classic tax-free tourism.
- What they want
- Speed, reliability, and minimal friction at a crossing they use repeatedly. The refund should feel like a predictable part of a familiar routine: a transaction they can complete efficiently. Consistent handling and the capacity to serve frequent visits matter more here than turning the process into a new shopping experience.
- Strategic implication
- Protect reliability and capacity at Siret; this relationship is already close to saturation. Plan for three possibilities: demand fades as wartime disruption eases, persists through price differences and established habits, or shifts toward construction and household goods during reconstruction. These are scenarios, not forecasts. Diversify toward Proven Shoppers and Untapped Travelers rather than treating this volume as a guaranteed baseline.
02Israel / Moldova / TurkeyThe Proven ShopperAlready converting well, with higher basket values.Understand and replicate.
- Who they are
- Travelers from Israel, Moldova, and Turkey making roughly one to three visits a year, rather than habitual weekly crossings. They are the closest fit to the brand’s dynamic, connected traveler profile and already convert well. Land-border proximity may help explain performance in Moldova and Turkey, so the reasons for conversion should be understood market by market.
- What they buy
- Higher-value fashion, technology, beauty, sports, and luxury purchases. The retail mix includes Altex and Media Galaxy for electronics, Peek & Cloppenburg, Sephora, Decathlon, and Swarovski, Tissot, and Breitling. These are purchases such as a laptop or designer bag, with basket values above the overall average, rather than routine grocery shopping.
- What they want
- A refund experience that feels appropriate to the value of the purchase. Likely priorities are trustworthy information, clear signage in the store, and a straightforward experience at the airport or, for Moldovan shoppers, at Sculeni or Albița. The process should reinforce confidence in a considered purchase; these motivations remain hypotheses to validate with customers.
- Strategic implication
- Understand the mechanics behind conversion, then replicate what is transferable. Investigate the contribution of flight frequency, diaspora connections, and existing tax-free shopping habits, particularly in Israel. Use that learning to shape activation in the USA and UK, while separating repeatable communication and service practices from advantages specific to geography or established travel connections.
03USA / UKThe Untapped TravelerHigh tourism volume, extremely low conversion.Diagnose and activate.
- Who they are
- American and British visitors form large tourism markets, yet only a very small share becomes Ask For Tax Free customers. The opportunity is to activate visitors who already come to Romania. The key unresolved question is why they do not convert: limited awareness, weak in-store visibility, or uncertainty about whether the process is familiar and trustworthy.
- What they buy
- The local purchase mix is still to be confirmed. High-ticket stores are a priority for visibility and shopper research, but that does not establish which products American and British visitors actually buy. Validate the categories through actual buyers before deciding which merchandise to feature in segment-specific communication.
- What they want
- Familiar, recognizable tax-free cues are a working hypothesis. Travelers with experience of services such as Global Blue or Planet elsewhere in Europe may not immediately recognize a Romania-specific brand as offering the same category of service. Clear signage and an explanation of the manual process may help bridge that gap, but the underlying barrier needs customer research.
- Strategic implication
- Connect retailer visibility with traveler awareness: signage in high-ticket stores, pre-trip travel content, hotel concierge information, and airport communication. This offers significant conversion headroom, but the activation plan depends on understanding the barrier. Start with targeted surveys or interviews with actual American and British buyers before committing spend, then use the findings to set priorities.
04ChinaThe Emerging OpportunitySmall today, with a structurally changing market opportunity.Prepare early.
- Who they are
- A small customer base with a stronger conversion rate than the USA and UK, but a much smaller pool of arrivals. The growth opportunity depends on easier direct air access between China and Romania, reducing reliance on connections through Western European hubs. Treat this as a market-development opportunity as access improves, rather than simply optimizing an established visitor flow.
- What they buy
- Luxury and electronics are particularly relevant in Chinese tax-free shopping globally, making them categories to investigate with retail partners. The Romanian purchase mix has not yet been established. Keep the distinction clear: a global category preference can guide preparation, but it does not confirm what this local audience buys or justify assuming the same pattern in every store.
- What they want
- Likely needs include Mandarin-language signage and refund instructions, familiar app-based payment and refund flows, and reassurance from trusted retail environments. Alipay and WeChat Pay are proposed integration opportunities to evaluate. They are not existing service promises. The wider expectation is a process that feels understandable and familiar alongside the manual steps required in Romania.
- Strategic implication
- Prepare early as access expands: develop Mandarin information, assess payment and refund integration options, and explore partnerships with trusted luxury, electronics, and duty-free-adjacent retail environments. The aim is to be ready as the market develops. Validate local shopping behavior and operational feasibility before turning these proposals into customer-facing promises.
The elephant in the room.
The process is manual.
The expectation is increasingly digital.
Trust becomes even more important.
Travelers from important growth markets are increasingly used to digital tax-free experiences, while Romania’s process is still substantially manual.
04The insight
The human insight.
“If there’s a way to get some of my money back, great. But first I need to understand how it works, how much I actually get back, and whether I can trust it.”
- Understand it
- Know what I get
- Trust it
05The brand opportunity
MAKE TAX FREE MAKE SENSE
Ask For Tax Free can become the plainly trustworthy, unmistakably legitimate authority on getting your money back in Romania.
Confusion
Explain
Doubt
Prove
Unnecessary complexity
Guide
You enjoy Romania. We understand the paperwork.
A strategic thought, not a consumer tagline.
06Brand personality
Knows. Helps. Discovers.
Primary
The Sage
Knows.
Clarity · truth · expertise · explanation
Secondary
The Everyman
Helps.
Approachability · humanity · familiarity · no superiority
Disruptor / emotional layer
The Explorer
Discovers.
Travel · curiosity · journey · authentic experience
Together, they become…
The Quiet Expert
The person who did the hard work of understanding the system so you do not have to.
Genuine expertise, without the performance of expertise. Comfortable with complexity and able to explain it simply.
Patient with bureaucracy. Focused on making someone else’s life easier.
“I did the hard work of understanding this system so you don’t have to.”
What we are not.
- Pushy
- Overly salesy
- Artificially enthusiastic
- Condescending
- Vague
- Hidden behind legal jargon
- Dishonest about inconvenient parts of the process
Clear expertise. Offered plainly.
07How we speak
Clear beats clever.
The voice should sound like someone who understands a complicated system completely and can explain it plainly, confidently and without condescension.
Clarity is the job
Every sentence should answer what someone actually needs to know.
“Here’s exactly how.”
Confidence without arrogance
Offer expertise in service of the person. State inconvenient truths plainly.
“You’ll fill out a form by hand.”
Plain language over marketing language
No inflated claims, artificial urgency, or borrowed jargon.
“Bring this to customs.”
Warm, not performative
Let helpfulness carry the warmth, rather than artificial enthusiasm.
“We’ll walk you through it.”
The words we choose.
Lean toward
- Here’s exactly how
- You’ll get back
- Bring this
- At the counter
- In person
- We’ll walk you through it
- Worth it
- Here’s what happens next
Avoid
- Seamless
- Revolutionize
- Unlock
- Hassle-free
- Game-changing
- Empower
- Unnecessary legal jargon
- Artificial urgency
Sentence rhythm: Short and direct. One idea per sentence where possible.
Sounds different when you say it like a human.
Illustrative copy; the refund amount is an example, not a promise.
- 01 / Before
Smart shopping, smart travel. Buy now and get your money back!
- 02 / Before
Unlock your savings.
- 03 / Before
Complete your reimbursement journey.
Tone by context.
Tone
Plain · functional · immediate
Answers how, how much, and whether it is legitimate, in seconds.
Sample line
Bring this to customs.
Tone
Clear · human · reassuring
This is where expertise becomes visible: explain the process in clear steps.
Sample line
Bought something eligible? You may be able to get some of that back before you leave. Here’s how.
Tone
Direct · respectful · numbers-forward
Store owners want proof and process.
Sample line
Here’s what foreign shoppers are actually spending in stores like yours, and here’s exactly what it takes to offer this.
Tone
Patient · human · unhurried
This is where the expert who has seen it before shows up in real life.
Sample line
We’ll walk you through it.
08Positioning
Brand positioning
Come to Romania.
See some things.
Do some shopping.
And get your VAT back.
09Communication
What we talk about.
Explain.
How It Works
- Process
- Eligibility
- Documents
- Amount
- Locations
- FAQs
Prove.
Proof, Not Promises
- Real refunds
- Testimonials
- Partner stories
- Verified numbers
- Customer experiences
Inspire.
Discover Romania
- Travel
- Culture
- Places
- Shopping
- Romanian objects / stories
In Discover Romania, Tax Free appears naturally rather than dominating the story.
The pillars in practice.
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How It Works
Facebook / YouTube
Plain, clear, useful
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Proof, Not Promises
Facebook / YouTube
Credible, human, grounded
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Discover Romania
Instagram / TikTok
Warm, curious, expressive
From discovery to action.
- 01
Discover
Instagram · TikTok · Facebook · Search · Offline
- 02
Learn
Website · YouTube
- 03
Act
Partner Store · Customs · Ask For Tax Free Point
- 04
Refund
All channels should lead toward clear information and action.
Every channel has a role.
FacebookInformation / community / discussion
- Role
- Information / community / discussion
- Primary pillar
- How It Works; supported by Proof, Not Promises
- Type of content
- Plain explainers, community questions, partner spotlights, and real refund stories.
InstagramInspiration
- Role
- Inspiration
- Primary pillar
- Discover Romania
- Type of content
- Travel Reels, cultural stories, shopping experiences, and short explainers routing to deeper information.
YouTubeExplanation / trust-building
- Role
- Explanation / trust-building
- Primary pillar
- How It Works; supported by Proof, Not Promises
- Type of content
- Filmed process walkthroughs, FAQs, traveler stories, and partner conversations.
TikTokDiscovery / short-form visual
- Role
- Discovery / short-form visual
- Primary pillar
- Discover Romania; supported by How It Works
- Type of content
- Repurpose the Instagram Reels library for the platform’s native format and audience.
RedditCommunity / useful answers
- Role
- Community / useful answers
- Primary pillar
- Primary pillar: to be defined.
- Type of content
- Useful, non-promotional answers in existing conversations about travel, Tax Free, and shopping in Romania.
LinkedInB2B credibility / partner communication
- Role
- B2B credibility / partner communication
- Primary pillar
- Primary pillar: to be defined.
- Type of content
- Partner communication; detailed formats to be supplied.
10B2B
Tax Free is good for shoppers. It can be good for stores too.
A small group of partners generates the majority of value, while many partner stores remain underactive.
The first opportunity is not simply adding more stores. It is making the current network work harder.
01
Reactivate the long tail
02
Grow high-value categories
Luxury · jewelry · premium fashion · electronics
Why should a retailer care?
Bigger purchases
Knowing part of the purchase may come back can support higher-value buying decisions.
International trust
Tax Free signals that the retailer is ready to serve international customers.
Additional visibility
Partner visibility through Ask For Tax Free channels can help shoppers discover participating stores.
The more they buy,
the more they get back.
Not every important moment happens on a screen.
Physical documents, stamps and real people are part of the process. Offline communication is a natural part of the brand.
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