JPrefund at a glance (as of 5 November 2026)
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Official website | jprefund.com for travellers. jprefund.jp is the company’s site for shops. |
| Is there an app? | No. It is a website; you can add it to your phone’s home screen. |
| Languages | English, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean and Thai |
| What you register | Your passport with a face check, contact details with your home address, a refund method, and each purchase |
| Refund methods | Card, Alipay+, WeChat Pay, bank transfer through a Wise account, or cash at the airport |
| Deadline | Apply within 200 days of purchase, even after you get home. The customs check when you leave is separate and must be done within 90 days. |
| Cash at the airport | Up to ¥100,000 in total per trip; a refund machine fee is deducted |
How to register
Open the site and sign up
Open jprefund.com from the shop’s QR code or by typing the address, and sign up with an email address. If the confirmation email does not arrive, check your spam folder and allow mail from jprefund.com.
Register your passport
Scan your passport or type the details, then take a photo of your face for the face check. Use the same passport you showed in the shop.
Enter your contact details
Email, phone number and the address of your home country, in letters and numbers. Enter your name in your own language where the form asks for it. Do not enter your hotel in Japan.
Add your purchases
Scan the QR code the shop gave you, or enter the 20-digit transaction number, or the purchase date and the tax-inclusive total of the tax-free items.
Choose a refund method
Card, Alipay+, WeChat Pay, bank transfer or cash at the airport. The card or account must be in your own name, and cards need the issuer’s 3D Secure check.
Do the customs check when you leave
Scan your passport at the customs kiosk before you check in bags, within 90 days of purchase. The refund starts once both the application and the customs check are done.
Enter your home address, not your hotel
JPrefund asks for the address where you live. It warns that if you register an address where you do not live, such as your accommodation in Japan, you may be treated as a resident of Japan and be unable to receive the refund.
Error messages and what to do
- “Passport information does not match”: the passport number and nationality on JPrefund must match the passport you showed in the shop. Correct them under Purchaser Information → Passport Information. A purchase made with a family member’s passport must be claimed by that person.
- “The Transaction Number could not be found”: use the 20-digit number, digits only. Right after you pay, the shop may not have sent the data yet, so try again later or register with the date and amount.
- “Already registered by another user”: you probably have a second JPrefund account with the same passport. Log in with the other email address, and do not open more than one account.
- The face check fails: retake the photo in a bright place without a hat, mask or sunglasses, and check that the passport photo has no glare.
- The card cannot be registered: check the number, expiry date and security code, and finish the 3D Secure check. If the notice does not reach you in Japan, add the card after you get home. JPrefund says the CVV may be asked for twice and is not stored.
- “Please try another refund method”: the money could not be sent, for example because the card does not accept refunds. Open the purchase, go to Transfer Details and choose another method.
Cash at the airport
To take cash, register the purchase, your details and “Cash pickup at airport” as the refund method before the customs check. If you have already chosen a card, wallet or bank, you cannot switch to cash after the customs check. Some shops do not offer airport cash, and the total per trip is limited to ¥100,000.
Cash Japan counters and machines at Narita, Kansai, Kobe, Fukuoka, New Chitose and Chubu, and Glory’s Self Tax Refund machines at Haneda, Narita and Naha, both pay JPrefund refunds. Because of the machine fee, JPrefund notes that other methods pay you more.
Checking your refund
Open the purchase on the home screen. “Refund request received. Processing is underway” means your application is complete. “Complete your identity verification” or “Register using Transaction ID or purchase date and amount” means something is still missing.
JPrefund shows an estimated number of days when you choose a refund method. Some shops take a month or more to prepare the refund, and a refund to a credit card can take about eight weeks to appear on your statement.