One of the favorite activities for people planning a trip to Japan is, without a doubt, getting lost for hours in tech stores, cosmetics shops, or those famous Don Quijote branches. On top of that, the tax refund (Tax Free) benefit offered to tourists made these shopping trips even more appealing. But if you are planning to go to Japan soon, there is a very critical change you need to know: as of November 1, the tax refund system in Japan is changing completely.

If you do not want to face a bad surprise at the airport, let’s go through how the new system will work step by step.

How Was It Before?

The best part of shopping in Japan for tourists used to be how practical it was. Let’s say you walked into a store and liked a product that cost 110,000 Yen including tax. When you went to the cashier and showed your passport, the 10% tax was deducted instantly, and you could leave the store paying only 100,000 Yen. There was no need to fill out extra paperwork or wait in long lines at the airport.

What Awaits Us After November 1?

With the new regulation, that era of instant discount is unfortunately ending. From now on, you will have to pay the full tax-included price while shopping. So how will we get our tax refund back?

Here are the new steps you need to pay attention to:

• Full payment at the register: Even if you show your passport, you will pay the tax-included price at the store (the 110,000 Yen in our example).
• Refund process at the airport: You will need to wait until the day you leave the country to get your refund. When you arrive at the airport, you must go to the tax refund points, scan your passport, and get your spending records approved.
• Watch the pre-check-in control! This is the most critical point. Officials may want to see the products you purchased and claimed a tax refund for in person. So you must definitely complete your tax refund procedures before handing your luggage over at the check-in counter. If the products go into checked baggage, you may not be able to get your refund.
• Payment methods: After approval, your tax refund will be sent to a credit card or bank account you specify, or in some special cases it will be given to you directly in cash at the airport.

Don’t Leave Your Trip to Chance

In a country like Japan, where rules are applied strictly and the transportation networks are huge, you need a solid plan so you can make time for procedures like the new tax system. To spend your trip stress-free and full, and to get rid of the “Where should we go today?” headache, you can download myRota, the app I developed, to your phone. (Since the app is my own project, let’s drop a little #Ad note here 😊).

Inside myRota, ready-made 14-day travel programs that are planned hour by hour await you, covering Japan’s most popular cities such as Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, and Tokyo. From within the app you can find your way easily with Google Maps integration, buy event tickets, and instantly see places where you can find halal food.

To avoid trouble in Japan, don’t forget to share this post with the friends you’ll travel with, and after November 1, stop by the refund point before you check in your luggage!