At the register, the process only takes an extra minute or two, but skipping a step here can cost you the whole refund later. Here’s exactly what to do while you’re still standing at the counter.
Do this at the register
- Show your physical passport before you pay. A photo or scan on your phone isn’t enough — bring the actual document, and expect the cashier or a staff member to check it against your name on the purchase.
- Confirm the store registers your purchase electronically before you leave the shop. This registration is what makes the purchase eligible for a refund later, so ask the staff to confirm it’s done, not just assumed. If you’re unsure what to say, a simple question about whether your purchase has been registered is enough.
- Keep every receipt, and don’t let it get thrown away. You’ll need proof of purchase again later, both at the airport and if you ever need to follow up on a missing refund. Put receipts somewhere separate from ordinary shopping bags so they don’t get lost. See before the airport for what to do with these receipts next.
- Combine same-store, same-day purchases to reach ¥5,000. The minimum is ¥5,000 before tax, per store, per day — if your items don’t add up on their own, ask the register staff whether smaller purchases from the same visit can be combined into one qualifying total.
- Pay the full price, including tax. There’s no discount at checkout anymore — that part comes later, as a refund, so don’t expect the register total to look any different from what a resident would pay.
Show this in Japanese日本語カードを表示 — hand your phone to the staff
店員・係員のみなさまへ:外国からのお客様がこのカードを提示しています。
【状況】
免税(リファンド方式)での購入を希望している旅行者です。
【お願い】
店を出る前に、購入記録の登録が完了しているか確認をお願いします。
【公式情報】
Why the in-store registration matters
Under the new system, the moment of sale is when the store creates the record that everything else depends on. If the electronic registration doesn’t happen, or happens incorrectly, there’s no paper trail connecting your passport, your purchase, and your eventual refund — and there’s no way to fix that gap once you’ve left the shop.
That’s why confirming registration before you walk out matters more than it might seem. It only takes asking a simple question at the counter, but it’s the one step you can’t undo later at the airport or after you’ve flown home.
Stores that regularly handle refund-eligible sales are used to this question, so don’t hesitate to ask. Staff at larger stores may point you toward a dedicated tax-refund counter, while smaller shops may handle the whole process at the regular register — either way, the confirmation you’re looking for is the same.
If anything about the process feels unclear, check the official pages below rather than guessing. A few extra seconds at the counter now is far easier than trying to reconstruct what happened once you’re already at the airport.