Before you buy anything, spend ten minutes planning your money and your paperwork. A little prep now means no surprises at the register.
Do this before you shop
- Set aside extra cash or credit for the 10% consumption tax. From November 1, 2026, you pay full price at checkout, tax included, and get the refund later. A reduced 8% rate applies to food and drink, but most other goods are taxed at 10%.
- Decide which card you’ll use to pay. Refunds are often returned the same way you paid, but this depends on the store’s refund operator — ask the store which options they support before you buy.
- Plan to shop at one store per day when possible. You need at least ¥5,000 (before tax) in purchases per store, per day, to qualify. If you’re buying smaller items, ask the store whether they can combine same-day purchases toward that minimum.
- Put your physical passport where you can reach it. You’ll need to show it at checkout, not a photo or a copy. See what happens at the store for the full checkout steps.
- Check that you’re eligible. This refund is for non-residents who entered Japan on Temporary Visitor status — the standard tourist entry. If you live or work in Japan, or entered on a work or study visa, you don’t qualify no matter how the purchase is made — see who qualifies for details.
- Get a rough sense of which stores and items qualify before you head out. Not every shop and not every product is eligible, and gold bullion and similar items are excluded outright, so a few minutes of research now can save you a surprise at the register.
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】
これから免税対象の買い物を予定している旅行者です。
【お願い】
免税手続きに必要なもの(パスポート等)を教えていただけますか。
【公式情報】
Why budgeting matters this time
Under the old system, tax-free shopping meant an instant discount at the register — you simply paid less. Under the new refund system, you pay the same price as a resident would, in full, and the refund arrives days or weeks later. For a big-ticket purchase, that means your money is tied up for anywhere from one to four weeks before it comes back.
This isn’t a reason to avoid shopping — it’s a reason to plan for it. If you’re budgeting a trip tightly, treat the tax portion of any large purchase as temporarily unavailable rather than assuming it’s back in your pocket by the time you check your next statement.
One detail worth thinking through ahead of time: the money you front is affected by which card you pay with and how that card or account handles foreign currency, since the refund typically returns through the same channel and converts back at whatever rate applies then.