Who to contact
The receipt or the sheet the shop gave you names the refund company, usually next to the QR code you used to register. That company holds your registration and pays the refund.
Customs only confirms that the goods leave Japan; it does not pay refunds and cannot see their status. The Japan Tourism Agency also tells travellers to ask the shop or the refund company. The shop can tell you which refund company it uses.
No official waiting time has been published. Media reported about a week for refunds to a credit card, and PIE VAT says it normally pays within 15 business days.
How to check your refund status, by company
| Refund company | Where to check | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Global Blue | Global Blue app (Shop Tax Free) | The app’s store listing says it shows refund status in real time. |
| Global Tax Free-Planet | Track my refund: enter the tax-free form or barcode number | The page does not mention Japan, so purchases under the new system may not show up; if not, use the customer services form. |
| PIE VAT | Pie VAT app | PIE VAT says you can track the refund in the app at any time. |
| J&J Tax Free (J-TaxRefund) | No public status page found | Ask by email (see the contact table below). |
| Smart Detax (JPrefund) | No public status page found | Ask through the support page or by phone. |
| Ocean Tax Refund | No public status page found | Ask in the LINE or WeChat mini app you registered with. |
Official contact channels for travellers (checked 2 November 2026)
| Refund company | How to contact | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| J&J Tax Free (J-TaxRefund) | Email support-jtaxrefund@jjtf.jp | Listed by Cash Japan as J&J’s traveller support. J&J’s own contact form is for businesses; its office line is 03-3500-1692 (weekdays 9:45–18:00). |
| Global Blue | Help centre: request form and web chat | The Global Blue app (Shop Tax Free) shows the refund status. |
| Smart Detax (JPrefund) | Support page; phone 050-8896-1190, weekdays 10:00–17:00 | The contact form on the JPrefund website is in Japanese and asks for a company name. |
| PIE VAT | Support in the Pie VAT app, or email support@piesystems.io | The app shows the refund status. Attach a screenshot of any error. Refunds are normally paid within 15 business days. |
| Ocean Tax Refund | The LINE or WeChat mini app you registered with | We found no public email for travellers; the official website is for shops. If you cannot reach them, ask the shop. |
| Global Tax Free-Planet | Customer services form or chat | Replies usually take 3–5 business days. |
| Self Tax Refund machines (Haneda, Narita, Naha) | Contact form | Only for cash paid by the machine. Have the Refund ID from the machine’s receipt; the first reply comes within 24 hours. |
| Questions about the rules (Japan Tourism Agency) | Phone 0570-00-5901, weekdays 8:30–17:00 | For the tax-free system in general, not for a particular refund. Languages are not stated. |
Japanese inquiry email generator
Choose the refund company printed on your receipt and what went wrong, fill in what you know, then copy the Japanese email and send it through the channel shown. Leave a field empty if you do not have it.
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What the email says (English)
Everything stays in your browser: nothing you type is sent to us. Never send your full card number, card security code or a password by email.
Useful before you fly
Airport transfer when you have a lot of shopping bags
Luggage storage in Tokyo for the hours before an evening flight
Have this ready
- The receipt, or a photo of it, with the receipt or transaction number
- Your name as in your passport
- The email address or app account you registered with
- The purchase date and the shop
- Your departure date and airport
- A screenshot of any error message
Only use official channels
Search results and social media can show look-alike websites. Use the link or QR code from your receipt, or the channels in the table above. Never send your full card number, card security code or a password by email.