Product design · Self-service Tax Free

Tax Free Self Issuing experience.

What if shoppers could complete Tax Free without relying on store staff?

Role
Product Designer
Partners
Product & Engineering
A row of Tax Free self-service kiosks on a white counter at La Samaritaine

The context

Claiming Tax Free can be confusing.

Rules and requirements vary between countries, and shoppers may not know what they need to do or what happens next.

The problem

In store, this can mean relying on staff for guidance.

Adding another step to the checkout experience.

The solution

Retail Hub Direct was created to move that experience towards self‑service.

Helping shoppers complete their Tax Free form themselves.

Self-service kiosk on its stand showing the welcome screen: Get your Tax Free refund with Planet, select your language

The challenge

Designing self‑service for everyone.

Moving Tax Free to self-service meant designing for people with different languages, abilities and levels of familiarity with the process.

The experience had to be quick, clear and accessible, while giving shoppers enough guidance to move through it independently.

Results

Making Tax Free faster and more independent for shoppers

Reported in the six-week pilot.

50secissuing time, completed by the shopper
97.8%completion rate
4.8/ 5customer satisfaction

Adoption over time

60.0%of latest weekly volume handled through Retail Hub Direct, up from 53.2%

Experience

We are very happy with the use of this self-service solution. The materials are good and the software offers a comfortable user interface and experience.

Impact

The self issuance solution offers a smooth and autonomous experience to our customers. They can manage by their own the issuance of their tax free form and can still count on Planet staff which stay available in case of any needs. This solution allows to welcome a higher number of customers in the dedicated areas.

Louis Ancel, La Samaritaine

Accessibility

Three things that made the product usable for everyone.

Drag the handle, or use the arrow keys, to compare the default and high contrast screens.
  • High contrast

    Shoppers with low vision or colour vision deficiencies can read and use every screen.

    WCAG 1.4.3, 1.4.11 / AA
  • Zoom text

    Text scales up to 200% and layouts reflow, so nothing is cut off.

    WCAG 1.4.4, 1.4.10, 1.4.12 / AA
  • WCAG handoff

    Every feature mapped to success criteria and design tokens, so Engineering could build to the EU Accessibility Act.

    Perceivable / Operable / Understandable / Robust

Beyond the screens

Making complex steps easier to understand

Illustration and motion turn instructions into visual guidance, making each step easier to understand without relying on more text.

View all animations in Jitter (opens in a new tab)

Selected moments

Welcome screen asking the shopper to select their language
Review your purchases screen listing the scanned items and the estimated refund
Confirmation screen: the Tax Free form is ready, with a QR code to track the refund
The Retail Hub Direct experience in video.

On site

The kiosks at La Samaritaine.

A row of Tax Free self-service kiosks on a white counter
Shoppers gathered around the kiosks in the store
A shopper using a kiosk touchscreen
Close view of kiosks showing the Tax Free start screen