How Many Days Before Departure Should You Order? Count Back from Your Flight Out of Japan

Key points:

• Short answer: the order deadline depends on your pickup point and pickup date. Set both on TaxFreeOnline.jp, and the site shows the items that can arrive in time for that day (TaxFreeOnline.jp, top page).
• Plan in this order: departure date → pickup date → order date.
• Picking up too early can also be a problem. For purchases (handovers) from November 1, 2026, you must complete the customs check when you leave Japan within 90 days of the purchase date, counted from the day after it (National Tax Agency, Q&A overview edition, Q19). This guide treats your pickup day as the purchase date; see the 90-day section for why.
• If you can, pick up at least one day before your flight, so you have room if something goes wrong.

When you can lose out: four timing mistakes

You lose out when your pickup date does not fit your departure: too late, too close to check-in, or too early.

1. Your pickup date is after your flight. TaxFreeOnline.jp does not offer international shipping. You can only receive your order at the pickup point you selected, even if you have to leave Japan without collecting it (TaxFreeOnline.jp, FAQ).
2. You miss the pickup date without telling support. You can cancel without a cancellation fee until the selected pickup date by emailing customer support. If you do not come and do not contact support, the order is canceled the next day and a cancellation fee of ¥3,000 applies (TaxFreeOnline.jp, FAQ).
3. You pick up at the airport but leave no time for the customs check. The customs check must be finished before you check in your luggage, and before boarding procedures close. If you stop the check halfway because you are running late, it does not count as a customs check (Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for travelers; National Tax Agency, Q&A overview edition, note to Q18).
4. You pick up more than 90 days before you leave. If you do not complete the customs check within 90 days of your purchase date, you cannot receive the refund (National Tax Agency, Q&A overview edition, Q19; National Tax Agency, Notice to Foreign Travelers Who Purchase Tax-Free Goods).

Source: TaxFreeOnline.jp FAQ; Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for travelers on the Refund Method; National Tax Agency, Q&A on the Refund Method (overview edition), Q18 and Q19; National Tax Agency, Notice to Foreign Travelers Who Purchase Tax-Free Goods

Count back in three steps: departure, pickup, order

Start from your departure date, fix your pickup date, and only then choose your order date. Each step depends on the one before it.

1. Departure date and airport. Note the day you leave Japan and the airport. If you connect from a domestic flight to an international flight, the customs check takes place at the last airport you leave Japan from (Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for travelers).
2. Pickup date and point. Choose a pickup date on or before your departure date. The pickup point must be somewhere your trip takes you. Airports (Haneda, Narita, Kansai International) let you collect on the day you fly. Hotels and other points let you collect mid-trip.
3. Order date. Set the pickup point and date on TaxFreeOnline.jp. The site then shows the items that can reach that point by that date. Order from those items. Available items vary by pickup point and date (TaxFreeOnline.jp, top page).

The 90-day period is also counted from the day after your pickup date (purchase date). For most short trips the 90 days will not limit you. It matters if you plan a long stay and want to collect early in your trip.

Source: TaxFreeOnline.jp, top page; Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for travelers on the Refund Method

The 90-day rule: why ordering too early also matters

For purchases from November 1, 2026, you must complete the customs check when you leave Japan within 90 days of your purchase date. The 90 days are counted from the day after the purchase date, up to and including the 90th day (National Tax Agency, Q&A overview edition, Q19).

Table 1: Examples of the 90-day period (pickup day = purchase date)

The first row matches the National Tax Agency's own example: a purchase on November 1 has a customs check deadline of January 30 of the next year (National Tax Agency, Refund Method pamphlet).

Counting back the other way: if you leave Japan on February 15, 2027, the earliest pickup date that still keeps your departure within 90 days is November 17, 2026.

Why your pickup day counts. The National Tax Agency says the tax-free sales procedure takes place when the shop hands the goods over to the buyer (Q&A detailed edition, Q19). With TaxFreeOnline.jp, that happens at the pickup point. The new rules apply to sales (handovers) on or after November 1, 2026, with no transition period (National Tax Agency, Refund Method pamphlet). So if you order in October and pick up on or after November 1, 2026, the Refund Method applies.

Source: National Tax Agency, Q&A on the Refund Method (overview edition), Q19; National Tax Agency, Q&A on the Refund Method (detailed edition), Q19; National Tax Agency, Refund Method pamphlet

How to check what arrives in time on TaxFreeOnline.jp

Once you set your pickup point and date, the site shows the items that can arrive in time for that day. TaxFreeOnline.jp recommends setting them first because available items vary by pickup point and date (TaxFreeOnline.jp, top page).

1. Open TaxFreeOnline.jp and choose Set your pickup point (shown as "Collection Point" in the site menu).
2. Select the pickup point on your route and the pickup date you decided by counting back from your flight.
3. Browse items. The site shows the items available for that pickup point and date.
4. Check the pickup time shown for the date. After you choose a date, the site may show that pickup is only possible after 18:00. Available times are based on the shop's shipping preparation time and the pickup point's working hours (TaxFreeOnline.jp, FAQ). If that time is too close to your flight, choose an earlier pickup date or a pickup point you pass earlier in your trip.
5. Complete the order. You cannot change the pickup point after the order is complete. To change it, cancel and order again (TaxFreeOnline.jp, FAQ). You cannot add items to a completed order. Order them separately (TaxFreeOnline.jp, FAQ).
6. Keep the order confirmation email. You need its QR code, your original passport and a smartphone with an internet connection at pickup, and you must collect in person (TaxFreeOnline.jp, FAQ).

The top page also groups items by delivery speed and notes that delivery times may vary depending on your pickup location and when you order.

Source: TaxFreeOnline.jp, top page; TaxFreeOnline.jp, FAQ

Pickup areas and order deadlines

The order deadline depends on where and when you pick up, so go by the items the site shows after you set your pickup point and date. As of October 22, 2026, TaxFreeOnline.jp's pickup location page lists pickup points in seven prefectures: Tokyo, Chiba, Kyoto, Osaka, Fukuoka, Kagoshima and Okinawa. The airport points are Haneda (Tokyo), Narita (Chiba) and Kansai International (Osaka).

If your trip does not include any of these areas, check the pickup location page before you order.

Source: TaxFreeOnline.jp, pickup locations

Build in a buffer: sample plans

The safest plan is to collect at least one day before your flight, at a point you will pass anyway. If your order is not there on the pickup date, TaxFreeOnline.jp will check what happened and cancel the order without charge, and you can tell support another day that suits you (TaxFreeOnline.jp, FAQ). A day of buffer gives you time to use that option.

Table 2: Three ways to plan your pickup

Whichever plan you choose, keep every item with you. The customs check is done per purchase record (one receipt). If even one item in it is missing, none of the items on that receipt can be confirmed or refunded (Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for travelers). If you eat or use up any part of a consumable, tell a customs officer instead of using the terminal (Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for travelers).

For the departure-day steps at the airport, see our airport guide.

Source: TaxFreeOnline.jp, FAQ; Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for travelers on the Refund Method

If you cannot collect your order

Email customer support before the pickup date. TaxFreeOnline.jp asks you to contact support in advance if you cannot make it on the scheduled date (TaxFreeOnline.jp, FAQ).

• Support email: taxfreeonline_support@ient.co.jp (TaxFreeOnline.jp, FAQ).
• If you leave Japan without collecting, the order cannot be sent to your home country (TaxFreeOnline.jp, FAQ).
• Sending tax-free goods abroad by post yourself ended on March 31, 2025 (Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for travelers).

Source: TaxFreeOnline.jp, FAQ; Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for travelers on the Refund Method

FAQ

Can I pick up at the airport on my departure day?

Yes, at the airport pickup points (Haneda, Narita and Kansai International). Collect first, then complete the customs check at the terminal for tax-free procedures, and only then check in your luggage. Checked luggage cannot be taken back for the check (Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for travelers).

I ordered in October but pick up in November. Which rules apply?

The Refund Method, because the purchase date is the day the goods are handed over to you. Pickups on or before October 31, 2026 follow the current system.

Is there a risk in picking up too early?

Only if you stay in Japan for a long time after pickup. You must complete the customs check within 90 days of your purchase date, counted from the next day (National Tax Agency, Q&A overview edition, Q19).

Can I change the pickup point after ordering?

No. Cancel the order and place it again with the new pickup point (TaxFreeOnline.jp, FAQ).

My order was not at the pickup point. What happens?

TaxFreeOnline.jp will check what happened and cancel the order without charge. If you can come on another day, tell support which day suits you (TaxFreeOnline.jp, FAQ).

Read next

• Shop in Japan Without Carrying It Around: Order Online, Pick Up on Your Trip
• Japan Tax Refund at the Airport: Departure-Day Steps from Nov 2026

Sources

1. TaxFreeOnline.jp, top page
2. TaxFreeOnline.jp, FAQ
3. TaxFreeOnline.jp, pickup locations
4. National Tax Agency, Q&A on the Refund Method, overview edition (revised Apr 2026, Japanese)
5. National Tax Agency, Q&A on the Refund Method, detailed edition (Jul 2026, Japanese)
6. National Tax Agency, Refund Method pamphlet (Japanese)
7. National Tax Agency, Notice to Foreign Travelers Who Purchase Tax-Free Goods (English)
8. Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for travelers on the Refund Method (Japanese)

By TaxFreeOnline.jp | Sources last checked: October 22, 2026