Shop in Japan Without Carrying It Around: Order Online, Pick Up on Your Trip

October 29, 2026

Buying souvenirs is easy. Carrying them is the hard part

Bulky electronics, boxes of snacks and bottles of drink add up quickly, and you may not have room in your suitcase. Liquids in carry-on bags on international flights are also limited by volume, so check your airline's and departure airport's rules (TaxFreeOnline.jp, Tax-Free Eligibility page).

Under the Refund Method, carrying matters even more:

You must have every item with you when you leave Japan. If even one item from a purchase record (generally one transaction on one receipt) is missing, none of the items in that record can be refunded (Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for travelers).
Sealed special packaging is no longer required. Do not eat or use up any consumables, and do not separate items from their boxes or bags or throw away packaging that shows a model number, or customs may not be able to confirm them (National Tax Agency, Q&A detailed edition, Q39). If you eat or use up any part of a consumable such as food or cosmetics, it can no longer go through the customs check (Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for travelers).
You must complete the customs check before you check in your luggage. Checked luggage cannot be taken back for the check (Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for travelers).
The option for travelers to send tax-free goods abroad themselves by post ended on March 31, 2025 (Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for travelers).

Collecting your shopping close to departure means fewer days of carrying it and less chance of losing or using up an item before the check. You still carry the items out of Japan yourself.

How it works: from ordering to your refund

TaxFreeOnline.jp is an online shopping service that works within Japan's consumption tax-free system for travelers. Tax-free and duty-free are different systems, and TaxFreeOnline.jp is not a duty-free shop (TaxFreeOnline.jp, FAQ). Here are the steps for pickups on or after November 1, 2026.

Table 1: Steps with TaxFreeOnline.jp under the Refund Method

Step	What you do	Based on
1. Set your pickup point and date	Choose where and when you will collect. Available items change with the pickup point and date, so set these first.	TaxFreeOnline.jp, top page and FAQ
2. Order online	Order before or during your trip. Under the Refund Method, prices include consumption tax. From November 1, 2026, you pay when you place your order.	TaxFreeOnline.jp, service introduction page; National Tax Agency, pamphlet
3. Collect in person	At the pickup point, show your original passport and the QR code from your order email, and complete the tax-free procedure on your smartphone.	TaxFreeOnline.jp, FAQ
4. Keep everything with you	Do not eat or use up any consumables. Keep the items and their packaging together.	Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for travelers; National Tax Agency, Q&A detailed edition, Q39
5. Customs check at departure	Within 90 days of your pickup day (counted from the next day), scan your passport at a terminal for tax-free procedures at the airport or seaport before checking in your luggage. Green means done. Red means you show the goods to customs.	Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for travelers and leaflet; National Tax Agency, Q&A detailed edition, Q36
6. Refund	After the customs check, the tax-free shop, or a business handling refunds on its behalf, pays the refund. Official materials do not set the number of days until the refund.	Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for travelers

Your pickup day is your purchase date. The new rules apply to goods sold on or after November 1, 2026 (National Tax Agency, pamphlet, p. 2), and the National Tax Agency says the tax-free procedure takes place when the shop hands the goods over to you (Q&A detailed edition, Q19). With TaxFreeOnline.jp that happens at the pickup point. With TaxFreeOnline.jp, the 90-day period for the customs check is counted from the day after your pickup day, and the pickup day also decides whether the Refund Method applies. If you order in October and pick up on or after November 1, 2026, the Refund Method applies.

Under the Refund Method, the tax-free shop explains at the time of purchase how to register your refund details (Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for travelers). For the full rules, see our guide to the Refund Method.

Where you can pick up: airports, stations and hotels

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

Table 2: Types of pickup points (as of October 9, 2026)

Type	Examples shown on the pickup location page	Good for
Airports	Haneda Airport, Narita Airport, Kansai International Airport	Collecting on your departure day
Near major stations	Tourist information centers near Ikebukuro, Shinjuku, Shibuya and Harajuku stations (Tokyo)	Collecting while sightseeing
Hotels and other facilities	Hotels in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Fukuoka; convenience stores and a lounge in Okinawa; a golf club in Kagoshima	Collecting mid-trip

You can choose a hotel as your pickup point even if you are not staying there (TaxFreeOnline.jp, FAQ).
Pickup hours differ by location. Check each location's details before you choose a date.
You cannot change the pickup point after the order is complete. To change it, cancel and order again (TaxFreeOnline.jp, FAQ).

Collecting at the airport on your departure day? Check that the pickup point is in the same terminal you depart from. Collect your order first, then go to the terminal for tax-free procedures, and only then check in your luggage. Customs checks the goods before they go into checked luggage, and checked luggage cannot be taken back (Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for travelers). Allow time for pickup, the customs check and check-in.

You can see the current list and each location's details on the pickup location page.

When to order

TaxFreeOnline.jp's top page groups items by delivery speed. Actual delivery times may vary depending on your pickup location and when you order (TaxFreeOnline.jp, top page, checked October 22, 2026).

When you set your pickup point and date, the site shows the items that can reach that point in time. Instead of counting days yourself, set them first and then choose your items.
If you choose the earliest possible date, pickup may only be possible from 18:00. Available times depend on the shop's shipping preparation and the pickup point's working hours (TaxFreeOnline.jp, FAQ).

If your stay is short, the top page suggests ordering early. You can also order before you arrive in Japan.

What to bring to pickup

Checklist (TaxFreeOnline.jp, FAQ and Tax-Free Eligibility page):

Your original passport, the same one used for the order. A copy, a photo of it or another ID document is not accepted, because staff must check your landing date and status of residence.
An entry stamp in your passport. If your passport was not stamped when you entered Japan (for example, because you used an automated gate), ask an immigration officer for a stamp after the gate and before customs (TaxFreeOnline.jp, Tax-Free Eligibility page).
The QR code from the order confirmation email sent by TaxFreeOnline.jp.
A smartphone with an internet connection, because you complete the tax-free procedure on it at the pickup point.

Payment: From November 1, 2026, you pay when you place your order. TaxFreeOnline.jp accepts major credit cards and smartphone payments (see the FAQ for the list). Cash is not accepted, and cards must be in your own name.

You must come in person. Family or friends cannot collect for you, even with your passport and account, because Japanese law requires staff to confirm that the person collecting is the person in the passport photo (TaxFreeOnline.jp, FAQ; National Tax Agency, pamphlet).

With these ready, pickup takes about 10 minutes, depending on your phone and connection (TaxFreeOnline.jp, FAQ).

What it costs: shipping, refund fee and cancellation

Table 3: What you pay and what comes back

Item	Details	Source
Product price	Tax-inclusive price under the Refund Method. From November 1, 2026, you pay when you place your order.	National Tax Agency, pamphlet; TaxFreeOnline.jp
Shipping fee	Varies by shop. Check "+ Shipping fee" in your cart.	TaxFreeOnline.jp, FAQ and Tax-Free Eligibility page
Refund	For purchases from November 1, 2026, TaxFreeOnline.jp deducts a fee of 15% of the consumption tax amount, plus consumption tax on that fee (16.5% in total), from your refund. No separate service fee is charged on top of this refund fee. The refund is paid after the customs check if the conditions are met.	Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for travelers (refund after the customs check)
Cancellation	You can cancel by email until the selected pickup date. If you miss the pickup date without contacting support, the order is canceled the next day and a cancellation fee of ¥3,000 per shop applies.	TaxFreeOnline.jp, Cancellation Policy

Japanese law does not set refund fees; they differ by shop and refund company (National Tax Agency, Q&A detailed edition, Q57). Tax-free treatment requires purchases of ¥5,000 or more excluding tax (National Tax Agency, pamphlet; TaxFreeOnline.jp, FAQ). Consumption tax is charged at 10% or 8% depending on the product (TaxFreeOnline.jp, FAQ), so the consumption tax amount depends on what you buy. For the formula and worked examples, see how much you actually get back.

FAQ

Do I still need the customs check at the airport if I order online?

Yes. You must complete the customs check at departure, the same as for purchases in a physical shop, and the refund is generally paid after that check. Complete it before you check in your luggage.

I ordered in October but will pick up in November. Which system applies?

The Refund Method. The purchase date is the day the goods are handed over to you, which with TaxFreeOnline.jp is your pickup day. Pickups on or before October 31, 2026 follow the current system.

Can you ship my order to my home country?

No. TaxFreeOnline.jp does not offer international shipping, including after pickup. You collect your order at the pickup point you selected. If you post the items out of Japan yourself, you cannot get the refund: the option for travelers to send tax-free goods abroad by post ended on March 31, 2025, and you must have the items with you at the customs check when you leave (Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for travelers).

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

TaxFreeOnline.jp says it will check what happened and cancel the order without a cancellation fee. If you can come on another day, tell support which day suits you.

Can I open the items before I leave Japan?

Sealed special packaging is no longer required. Do not eat or use up any consumables, and do not separate items from their boxes or bags or throw away packaging that shows a model number, or customs may not be able to confirm them (National Tax Agency, Q&A detailed edition, Q39).

Can I use a luggage delivery service for my tax-free items?

Luggage delivery within Japan is a separate service. However you move your items around Japan, every tax-free item must be with you when you scan your passport at the terminal for tax-free procedures, before you check in your luggage. Sending items abroad by post yourself is no longer accepted (Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for travelers).

Sources

By TaxFreeOnline.jp | Sources last checked: October 22, 2026. Pickup points, delivery times and fees may change. We will update this article when they do.