JAPAN. Global Blue, provider of tax-free shopping and refund services for international travellers and retailers, has established Cash Japan to provide tax refund services at six major Japanese airports.
The move comes as Japan’s revised tax-free shopping system gives airports a greater role in the international shopping journey.
Japan’s reform took effect yesterday (1 November), replacing tax exemption at the point of purchase with a refund model.
International visitors now pay consumption tax upfront and receive a refund after Customs confirms their purchases are being taken out of Japan.
Cash Japan has been selected to operate at Chubu Centrair, Fukuoka, Kansai, Kobe, Narita and New Chitose airports, with services rolling out progressively from 1 November.
Its platform brings together transactions from multiple participating tax-free shopping operators, allowing eligible travellers to complete their refunds through a single process.
Travellers must obtain that confirmation within 90 days of purchase.
For airport retailers and food & beverage operators, cash refunds create an opportunity to capture additional spending before departure.
Eligible travellers can collect Japanese Yen at Cash Japan’s self-service terminals or customer service counters, making the refunded money available for purchases within the airport.
Passport authentication automatically matches eligible transactions across participating operators.
Cash Japan said it expects the procedure to take approximately one minute and ten seconds in most cases, with self-service terminals supporting 12 languages.
Global Blue APAC Chief Operating Officer and Group Chief Marketing Officer Virginie Alem highlighted the speed of the project in a LinkedIn post, saying the business had completed six tenders, established the new entity, assembled a team and set up operations across six airports in eight months.
Cash Japan Managing Director Shuichi Kameyama said, “We believe that the launch of Cash Japan’s consumption tax refund services at airports will be a major turning point for Japan’s tax-free market.
“By making the consumption tax refund process simpler and easier to use, we will contribute to greater convenience for inbound travellers.
“We will also help build the foundation for Japan to achieve further growth as one of the world’s leading travel and shopping destinations.” ✈
