Japan Tax Refund Fee: What Is Deducted From Your Refund (From Nov 2026)

2026년 10월 29일

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Key points: Refund fees are set by each store or refund operator, not by law, and the Japanese government does not charge for the refund procedure. Under Japan's Refund Method (purchases from November 1, 2026), the refund is based on the consumption tax on the goods you buy. Before it reaches you, a refund fee is deducted, and your bank or card issuer may apply its own charges or exchange rate.

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. There is no separate handling fee on top of this refund fee.
Exchange rates, bank transfer charges and card conversion are separate from the refund fee and are set by your own bank or card issuer.
Formula: refund = price excluding tax × tax rate × (1 − fee rate).

Before any fee: when there is no refund to deduct from

A fee only matters if a refund exists. In these cases the refund is zero, whatever the fee:

You do not pass the customs check within 90 days of the purchase date. The 90 days are counted from the day after purchase: for a purchase on November 1, 2026, the last day is January 30, 2027.
You check in luggage containing your purchases before the customs check. You cannot do the check after your bags are checked in.
Even one item on the same receipt is not with you at the check. Then none of the items on that receipt can be confirmed.
You eat, drink or use up any consumable, such as food or cosmetics, in Japan.
Your purchases at one shop on one day total less than ¥5,000 excluding tax.
The item is gold or platinum bullion, a gold or platinum coin, or a product not subject to consumption tax.

The new rules apply to goods handed over to you from November 1, 2026. The date of purchase decides it, not the date you leave Japan.

Source: National Tax Agency, Q&A on the Refund Method (Overview Edition), Q8 and Q19; National Tax Agency, Q&A on the Refund Method (Detailed Edition), Q37; National Tax Agency, Refund Method pamphlet; Japan Tourism Agency, page for travelers on the Refund Method

What is deducted between the tax amount and your account

Two kinds of cost can come off the consumption tax amount before it reaches you: the refund fee, and your own bank or card charges.

Table 1: Costs between checkout and your refund
Cost	How it affects you	Who sets it
Refund fee	Deducted from the consumption tax amount before it is paid to you	The shop or the company that handles its refunds. On TaxFreeOnline.jp: 15% of the consumption tax amount plus consumption tax on the fee, 16.5% in total (purchases from Nov 1, 2026)
Exchange rate, bank and card charges	Can change what arrives in your account in your own currency	Your bank, any bank in between, or your card issuer
Fees charged by the government	None	The government does not charge a fee for the refund procedure

Keep these apart when you compare options. A refund fee is a share of the tax amount. Bank and card charges depend on how and where the refund is paid.

Source: Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for tax-free shops on the Refund Method, Q17

The refund fee: not set by law, so it varies

Refund fees are set by each store or its refund operator; there is no fixed national rate. The Japan Tourism Agency explains that there is no rule on whether the traveler or the shop pays the fee charged by a refund company. It also states that the government does not charge any fee for the refund procedure.

The law does not set how refunds are paid either. The National Tax Agency gives examples: bank transfer, refund to a credit card, transfer through an app, or cash at the departure port after the customs check. A shop may handle refunds itself or ask a refund company to do it. So ask at checkout two things: which refund method applies, and what fee is deducted.

On TaxFreeOnline.jp. 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. There is no separate handling fee in addition to this refund fee. You pay for your order when you place it.

Source: Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for tax-free shops on the Refund Method, Q17; National Tax Agency, Q&A on the Refund Method (Detailed Edition), Q57 and Q58; National Tax Agency, Refund Method special page

Exchange rates, bank charges and card conversion

These costs are separate from the refund fee. They are set by your own bank, card issuer or app, and official materials do not set them. What to check depends on how your refund is paid:

Refund to a card. The refund is an amount in yen. The exchange rate and any charges are set by your card issuer. Check your card terms.
Bank transfer to an account outside Japan. Charges for receiving an international transfer and the exchange rate are set by your bank. Ask your bank before you travel.
App transfer. The app's own conversion and charges apply.
Cash in yen at the departure port. No conversion is involved, but you can only use this if the shop's refund company offers it.

Because of this, the amount you see in your own currency may differ from the yen refund. Neither the shop nor this guide can tell you your bank's exchange rate in advance.

Source: National Tax Agency, Q&A on the Refund Method (Detailed Edition), Q57; Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for travelers on the Refund Method

Calculate it yourself: the formula and a fill-in worksheet

Your refund is the consumption tax amount minus the refund fee. In one line:

Refund = price excluding tax × tax rate × (1 − fee rate)

The tax rate is 10% for most goods and 8% for items at the reduced rate, such as food. Your receipt shows which rate applies. If you only know the tax-inclusive price, the consumption tax amount is that price × 10/110 for 10% items, or × 8/108 for 8% items.

Table 2: Worked example, up to the consumption tax amount (before the fee)
Item	Price excl. tax	Tax rate	You pay (incl. tax)	Consumption tax amount (before fee)
Snacks	¥3,000	8%	¥3,240	¥240
Cosmetics	¥4,000	10%	¥4,400	¥400
Total (one shop, one day)	¥7,000	—	¥7,640	¥640

The refund fee is then deducted from the ¥640. On TaxFreeOnline.jp, that fee is 16.5% of the ¥640 (a 15% fee plus consumption tax on the fee), which is about ¥106, so about ¥534 is refunded. To work out your own amount, use the worksheet below.

Table 3: Fill-in worksheet (write in your own numbers)
Step	What to write	Your numbers
A	Price excluding tax of the goods	¥______
B	Tax rate (10% or 8%)	______%
C	Consumption tax amount = A × B	¥______
D	Refund fee rate that applies to you	______%
E	Refund fee = C × D	¥______
F	Refund in yen = C − E	¥______
G	Amount in your currency: F after your bank's or card issuer's conversion and charges	______

If items have different tax rates, work out C for each item and add them together. Shops round the tax amount on receipts, so your result may differ by a few yen.

Source: National Tax Agency, Refund Method pamphlet (tax rates 10% and 8%); Japan Tourism Agency, page for travelers on the Refund Method (purchase at the tax-inclusive price). Figures are our calculation.

FAQ

What is deducted from my Japan tax refund?

The refund fee set by the shop or its refund company is deducted from the consumption tax amount. On TaxFreeOnline.jp, for purchases from November 1, 2026, that fee is 15% of the consumption tax amount plus consumption tax on the fee (16.5% in total). Your bank or card issuer may also convert the amount or charge fees on its side.

Does the Japanese government take a fee from my refund?

No. The Japan Tourism Agency states that the government does not charge a fee for the refund procedure. Any fee comes from the shop or the company that handles its refunds.

Is there another fee on top of the refund fee on TaxFreeOnline.jp?

No. For purchases from November 1, 2026, there is no separate handling fee in addition to the refund fee. Bank, card and exchange charges set by your own bank or card issuer are outside TaxFreeOnline.jp's fee.

Why is the amount in my currency different from the yen refund?

The refund is calculated in yen. Your card issuer or bank converts it at its own rate and may charge fees, so the amount in your currency can differ.

Sources

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