How it works
When you buy tax-free, the shop gives you a way to register your refund details: an app, a website reached through a QR code on the receipt or a sign, or a terminal in the shop. You choose how to receive the money, for example a credit card, a bank account or an e-wallet. After customs confirms the goods when you leave, the refund company pays you.
The Japan Tax-free Shop Association publishes a list of eleven companies that plan to handle refunds from 1 November 2026. The list is based on what the companies themselves declared.
Refund companies and how they work (as of 18 October 2026)
| Company | App or website | Refund methods they mention | Fee to you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global Blue | App: Global Blue – Shop Tax Free | Payment method added in the app; also Global Blue refund offices | Not published |
| PIE VAT | App: scan a QR code or enter a claim code | Chosen in the app; paid in 5 to 10 working days | A service fee is deducted; it varies by shop |
| J&J Tax Free (J-TaxRefund) | Website, no app: QR code on the receipt or a sign | Credit card, bank transfer, QR-code payment apps | Not published |
| SmartDetax (JPrefund) | You register your passport and refund method | Card, e-wallet, bank; cash at the airport | Remittance fee set by the bank or payment service |
| Ocean (Ocean Tax Refund) | App, website, WeChat and LINE mini-apps | Bank, credit card, WeChat Pay, Alipay, PayPal; yen cash at the airport | 1.55% of the tax-free sale (system usage fee) |
| SAMURAI TAX (Tax Refund Japan) | Not stated | Credit card, bank, mobile wallet, cash | Taken out of the refund; rate not published |
Don Quijote
Don Quijote has announced that refunds will be free of charge from 1 November 2026, except cash at the airport, where the refund company charges its own fee. It has not said which refund company or app it uses.
Ask before you pay
- Which refund company does the shop use, and how do you register: app, website or in the shop?
- Which refund methods are offered, and is there a fee?
- If you shop at several stores, expect to register separately with each refund company.
- Keep your receipts and any registration code until the money arrives.
Cash at the airport
Some refund companies pay cash in yen at the airport after the customs check. Where it is offered, it may cost a fee even when other methods are free: Don Quijote charges a fee only for airport cash, and media reports say the same of Bic Camera.