Key points: You receive your refund by the method the shop or its refund company offers, because Japanese law does not set how tax refunds are paid. The National Tax Agency's examples are bank transfer, refund to a credit card, transfer through an app, and cash at the departure port.
- The shop explains how to register where your refund goes at the time of purchase, so ask at checkout.
- Payment starts, in principle, after the customs check at your departure airport or seaport. Official materials do not set how many days it takes.
- A mistake in your refund details, such as a wrong account number, can mean the refund cannot be paid.
- Exchange rates and bank or card charges depend on the method you use, and are separate from the shop's refund fee.
The short answer: the shop decides, and explains it at checkout
Your refund is paid by the method the shop or its refund company offers, and the shop explains how to register your details when you buy. Japan's consumption tax rules do not set any method. The National Tax Agency only lists methods that "could be used," so a given shop may offer one, several, or something else.
The Japan Tourism Agency's FAQ for shops adds that, since there is no rule, a shop may even refund in coupons or points usable only at certain places. If you are in a store now, ask in what form the refund is paid before you pay.
Source: National Tax Agency, Q&A on the Refund Method (Detailed Edition), Q57; National Tax Agency, special page on the move to the Refund Method; Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for tax-free shops on the Refund Method, Q19
The four example methods: what you need and what to watch
Each method needs different details from you and comes with different costs. Use this table at the counter or on the checkout page; what you can actually choose is whatever the shop offers.
| Method | What you need | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Refund to a credit card | The card you want the refund on | The refund is calculated in yen. Any conversion follows your card issuer's rate, and the issuer may add a foreign transaction fee. Whether it can go to the card you paid with depends on the shop or refund company |
| Bank transfer | Account details that can receive an international transfer (ask your bank which details are needed) | The sending bank, a bank in between and your own bank may each take a charge, and any conversion follows your bank's rate. A wrong account number can stop the refund |
| Transfer through an app | An account on the app the shop names, usable in your country | The app's own conversion and charges apply |
| Cash at the departure port | Whatever the shop or refund company asks for; time on departure day | Paid in cash inside the departure airport or seaport, after the customs check. Only possible if the shop or its refund company offers it |
| Other (set by the shop) | As the shop explains | For example coupons or points usable only at certain places. Check before you pay |
Source: National Tax Agency, Q&A on the Refund Method (Detailed Edition), Q57 and Q59; Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for travelers on the Refund Method; Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for tax-free shops on the Refund Method, Q19
No customs check, no refund: what to avoid before you leave
No refund method pays anything unless your purchases pass the customs check when you leave Japan. These are the cases where the refund is lost:
- You miss the 90 days. The period runs from the day after purchase to the 90th day. Buy on November 1, 2026, and the last day is January 30, 2027.
- You check in your bags first. The customs check must be done before you check in luggage. It cannot be done afterwards.
- One item from a purchase record is missing. The check is made per purchase record, basically one sale (usually one receipt). If one item is missing, none of the items in that record can be confirmed.
- You used up a consumable in Japan. If you eat, drink or use any part of food, cosmetics or other consumables, they cannot be confirmed.
- Your refund details are wrong. The National Tax Agency notes that when a refund cannot be paid for a reason on the traveler's side, such as a wrong account number, the parties' agreement may mean it is not paid at all. A shop may also tell you a deadline for claiming.
Source: National Tax Agency, Q&A on the Refund Method (Overview Edition), Q19; National Tax Agency, Q&A on the Refund Method (Detailed Edition), Q37 and Q59; National Tax Agency, Refund Method pamphlet; Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for travelers on the Refund Method
Registering your refund details: what to check at checkout
The shop tells you how to register your refund details when you buy tax-free goods. For anything more, ask the shop or the refund company it names. Before you pay, check four things:
- Which refund methods you can choose.
- Where and when you enter your details: at the counter, on a web page or in an app.
- What refund fee is deducted.
- Whether there is a deadline to register or claim.
Then read back what you entered: the account number, the spelling of your name and the card. The National Tax Agency's own example of a refund that could not be paid is a wrong account number.
On TaxFreeOnline.jp. For purchases from November 1, 2026, you pay for your order when you place it, and there is no separate handling fee in addition to the refund fee.
Source: Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for travelers on the Refund Method; Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for tax-free shops on the Refund Method, Q20; National Tax Agency, Q&A on the Refund Method (Detailed Edition), Q59
When the refund starts, and what is not set
In principle, the shop or its refund company pays the refund after the customs check at your departure port completes the tax-free sale. How many days it then takes is not set by official materials; it differs by shop and refund company, so ask the shop.
The rules do allow a shop to refund before it receives the customs result, but that is at the shop's own risk and its own choice. Do not count on it.
On departure day, the customs check is done at a tax-free kiosk in the departure lobby, where you scan your passport. At seven airports (Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Chubu, Fukuoka, New Chitose and Naha) you can instead use Visit Japan Web inside the designated Wi-Fi area of the international departure lobby, before security. Either way, do it before you check in your bags.
Source: Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for travelers on the Refund Method; Japan Tourism Agency, page for travelers on the Refund Method; National Tax Agency, Q&A on the Refund Method (Detailed Edition), Q57
Why the amount you receive can differ
What reaches you is the consumption tax amount minus the refund fee, then converted and possibly charged by your bank, card issuer or app.
- Refund fee. Not set by law; it differs by shop and refund company. The government does not charge a fee for the refund procedure. TaxFreeOnline.jp's own refund fee is covered in the guide linked below.
- Conversion and charges. The refund is calculated in yen. Your bank, card issuer or app converts it at its own rate and may charge for the transfer or for a foreign transaction. Official materials do not set these.
For the full list of what is deducted and a worksheet to estimate your own refund, see the guide to Japan tax refund fees.
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
FAQ
How will I receive my Japan tax refund?
By the method the shop or its refund company offers. The law does not set one. The National Tax Agency's examples are bank transfer, refund to a credit card, transfer through an app, and cash at the departure port after the customs check.
Can I get my tax refund on my credit card?
It can be: a refund to a credit card is one of the official examples, but only if the shop or its refund company offers it. Ask at checkout whether the refund can go to a card and to which one.
Can I get cash at the airport?
Cash inside the departure port after the customs check is one of the official examples, but only shops or refund companies that offer it can pay that way.
How long does the refund take?
Official materials do not set a number of days. In principle the refund is paid after the customs check, and the timing depends on the shop or refund company.
I entered the wrong account number. What now?
Contact the shop or its refund company as soon as possible. If a refund cannot be paid because of an error on the traveler's side, it may end up not being paid at all.
Read next
- Japan Tax Refund Fee: What Is Deducted From Your Refund (From Nov 2026)
- Japan Tax-Free Rules Change Nov 2026: Refund Method Guide
Sources
- National Tax Agency, Q&A on the Refund Method, Detailed Edition (Jul 2026, Japanese): Q37, Q57, Q59
- National Tax Agency, Q&A on the Refund Method, Overview Edition (revised Apr 2026, Japanese): Q19
- National Tax Agency, special page on the move to the Refund Method (Japanese)
- National Tax Agency, Refund Method pamphlet (Japanese)
- Japan Tourism Agency, page for travelers on the Refund Method (Japanese)
- Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for travelers on the Refund Method (Japanese)
- Japan Tourism Agency, FAQ for tax-free shops on the Refund Method (Japanese): Q17, Q19, Q20
By TaxFreeOnline.jp | Sources last checked: October 22, 2026
