This is why you shouldn’t let airport shops scan your boarding pass anymore

This is new information.

One of the most irritating things when you're in an airport is producing your boarding pass every time you want to buy something. It actually turns out that you're not legally obliged to show your flight ticket at the checkout. A report in the Independent UK has revealed that airport shops are using information on boarding cards to claim back millions in VAT with very little savings actually going to passengers. The shops are saving so much money because they can avoid paying VAT on any sales to people who are travelling outside of the European Union. The report says "the majority of these stores are passing little if any of the savings to customers, and instead are using the tax rebate to boost the profits of their airport franchises." Just a heads-up if you're asked to produce your pass the next time you're flying. Hat-tip to Independent UK.