Where Foreigners Get Stuck at Olive Young — How to Check Sale Dates, Instant Tax Refunds, Payment, and the Membership Wall

On the last day of your trip, you fill your basket and step up to the counter, and the staff member asks to see your passport. You left it in the safe at your accommodation. In the end, you miss out on the instant tax refund, where the tax is taken off right there as you pay. You open the Olive Young app hoping to at least get a coupon, but you can't get past the identity verification screen for sign-up. The places where foreigners get stuck at Olive Young are usually moments like these at the counter.

CJ Olive Young announced that the share of purchases by foreign customers in its offline store sales grew from 2% in 2022 to 33% as of August 2026. The stores are changing to suit foreign customers, but sale date announcements and the sign-up structure are still built around the Korean language and residents of Korea.

This article doesn't cover what to buy. It goes through, in order, only the points where people get lost in the store: where to check sale dates, the conditions for instant tax refunds, payment methods, the membership sign-up wall, the difference between the Global Mall and stores in Korea, and reading price tags.

Stores Popular with Tourists Are Different, Starting with the Guidance

Not every Olive Young store serves foreigners at the same level. CJ Olive Young analyzes the number of foreign customers and their share of sales to designate certain stores as 'Global Tourist Area' (글로벌관광상권) stores, and it announced that as of August 2026 there were 151 of them nationwide, at least 10% of all its stores.

CJ Olive Young says these stores are the first to get staff who speak foreign languages such as English, Japanese, and Chinese, and that they have multilingual guidance signs. In a July 2025 announcement, it also said tourist-area stores were showing product names and promotion information in English alongside Korean. Put the other way around, neighborhood stores that aren't designated as tourist-area stores may have price tags and promotion labels only in Korean.

The 8 languages of the AI shopping assistant are Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese, German, Russian, Thai, and Indonesian. If you're stuck for words, first ask the staff whether they have an interpretation device.

Stores that CJ Olive Young press releases name as examples of foreign-visitor hubs or tourist-area stores include Myeongdong Town (명동 타운), Olive Young N Seongsu (올리브영N 성수), Hongdae Town (홍대 타운), the Gyeongju Hwangnam store (경주황남점), and the Jeju Hamdeok store (제주함덕점). These aren't rankings or recommendations, just examples that appeared in the announcements, and store operations can change. Opening hours also differ by store. The official Myeongdong Town page lists 10:00–22:30 daily (subject to change depending on store conditions), but that's the figure for that one store, and we couldn't confirm the opening hours of other stores.

Olive Young Sale Dates Came Out 1–2 Days Before the Start in Every Edition We Checked

The Olive Young Sale (올영세일) is a regular discount event that CJ Olive Young holds every year in March, June, September, and December, four times a year. You can know which months it runs in, but it's hard to know the exact dates in advance. For the editions we've checked so far, the official period only became known through a press release or news coverage 1–2 days before the start, and in this research we couldn't find a primary source that lets you confirm the official dates weeks ahead.

Even for the same edition, the dates move from year to year. The September edition started on August 29 in 2025 and on August 30 in 2026. That's why the 'complete annual sale schedule' posts going around online may list dates guessed before the official announcement. Both 2026 editions we checked ran for 7 days, but there's no guarantee the next one will be the same length.

Checking the dates in this order is the quickest.

1. CJ Olive Young corporate site news and CJ Newsroom: The official period is posted in press releases (corp.oliveyoung.com, cjnews.cj.net). They're in Korean, so turn on your browser's translation feature to read them.
2. Store staff and official online mall notices: If you're already traveling, the simplest way is to ask at a store you drop by whether the next sale schedule has come out.
3. Official Instagram: There are @oliveyoung_official and @oliveyoung_global accounts, but we couldn't confirm whether they announce the domestic Olive Young Sale in foreign languages.

If you're traveling in March, June, September, or December, rather than trying to match the dates before you leave, it's more realistic to open the channels above every few days while you're in Korea. Separate from the Olive Young Sale, there's also the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's Korea Grand Sale; the 2026 event ran from December 17, 2025 to February 22, 2026, and the official information is on its English site (en.koreagrandsale.co.kr). We couldn't confirm the next schedule or whether Olive Young takes part.

Sale Benefits That Reach Tourists, and Ones That Are Hard to Reach

Not every benefit during the sale period reaches tourists equally. The biggest difference comes from how you get coupons.

Olive Young Sale coupons are set up to be downloaded from the online mall. Coupon packs and first-come, first-served coupons are downloaded from the benefits page of Olive Young's official online mall, and in the June 2025 edition, the first-come, first-served coupons were released every day at 00:00, 12:00, and 18:00. But the online mall is set up for members to use as CJ ONE integrated members, so because of the sign-up requirements covered in the membership section below, short-term travelers find it hard to get these coupons.

We couldn't confirm whether in-store special prices apply to non-members at the same price. Public sources also didn't confirm whether stores hand out a separate coupon pack, or, if they do, whether non-members can get one. If the price on the tag and the amount you're charged differ at checkout, ask right there whether it's a member-only price.

There have also been promotions aimed at tourists. CJ Olive Young announced that in the June and September 2025 editions and the March 2026 edition, stores in areas with heavy foreign foot traffic, such as Myeongdong and Hongdae, ran a 'Bu￥ No￦' special promotion gathering sheet masks, essences, makeup setting sprays (fixers), and more. Whether it runs, and at which stores, can differ by edition, so check the in-store notices. Payment method discounts announced alongside the sale are covered separately in the payment section below.

Instant Tax Refunds Start with Your Physical Passport and Checking the Store

An instant tax refund lets a foreign tourist who has their passport on them (a non-resident under the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act, as we'll see below) pay the price with the tax already taken off when buying 15,000 KRW or more. CJ Olive Young has said it offers this service at its 'major stores'. It doesn't work at every store. The most recent store count we found is 121, from June 2025, when the company was running a joint promotion with the Korea Tourism Organization; we couldn't confirm how many stores offer it now or how to find them.

Check the following before you head to the counter.

• Your physical passport: The law requires the seller to check your passport when selling with an instant refund (Special Regulations, Article 8(4)), and Myeongdong Town's English guidance lists showing a physical passport as a condition. The same guidance says that if you don't have your physical passport, you should get a refund slip and claim the money back at the airport refund counter when you leave Korea, but that's that one store's guidance. At the stage of issuing the slip, what the law requires is an identity check by 'a passport, etc.' (Article 8(1)), so stores may handle this differently, and we couldn't confirm whether other stores issue refund slips based on a copy or photo of your passport. On shopping days, bring your physical passport.
• Amount per payment: To qualify for post-purchase tax exemption, a single payment must be 15,000 KRW or more (Enforcement Rule, Article 2(1)).
• How much you get back: It isn't the full 10% VAT. When giving an instant refund, the seller can deduct, as refund costs, an amount that the refund counter operator has had approved by the Commissioner of the National Tax Service (Special Regulations, Article 6(3); the basis for that approval is Article 10-2(2)). Myeongdong Town's English guidance gives the refund as 5–8% of the purchase amount and says refunds are calculated in units of 1,000 KRW, and because the money comes back in brackets, the rate can drop below 5% at the higher end of a bracket.
• Store signs: Stores taking part in post-purchase tax exemption can be recognized by 'Tax Free' and 'Tax Refund' signs and the logos of refund operators such as Global Blue, GLOBAL TAX FREE, Easy Tax Refund, and CubeRefund. Even if there's a sign, ask at the counter whether instant refunds are available too.
• Type of checkout: We couldn't confirm whether instant refunds can be processed at self-checkout machines. The discount coupon from the 2025 joint promotion with the Korea Tourism Organization mentioned above required showing your physical passport at a staffed counter, so it's safer to ask a staff member first.

An instant refund only works when a single transaction, including tax, is less than 1,000,000 KRW and the total transaction value on which you've received instant refunds since entering Korea is 5,000,000 KRW or less (Special Regulations, Article 6(2)), and the goods you buy must be taken out of Korea within 3 months of the purchase date (Article 6(1), subparagraph 1). Even if you bought with an instant refund, when you leave Korea you have to present the purchased goods to customs at the port of departure and get them confirmed (Article 9(1)), and customs can select items to inspect whether the sales records match the actual goods (Article 9(4)). Airport refund counters and downtown refund procedures are covered in How to Get a Tax Refund in Korea.

Foreigners who have stayed in Korea for 6 months or longer, and foreigners engaged in business activities in Korea, aren't eligible. The 'foreign tourists' eligible for refunds are non-residents under the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act (Special Regulations, Article 2(1)), and items (a) and (b) of Article 10(1), subparagraph 4 of the Enforcement Decree of the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act treat these two cases as residents. So if you're an international student or a worker who has lived in Korea for 6 months or longer, you won't get a refund even when you buy the same item at the same store. If you've stayed less than 6 months, it depends on whether you're engaged in business activities, so check at the checkout or at a refund counter.

Missing the instant refund doesn't mean it's over. Myeongdong Town's official page says it offers both instant refunds and after-purchase refunds and has a tax refund desk on the 2nd floor. The Seoul Tourism Organization lists four refund methods: refund on departure, downtown refund, instant refund, and mailbox refund. A mailbox refund means dropping a slip that customs has confirmed into a mailbox at the airport and getting the money back on your card.

The Payment Method Listed in Official Store Guidance Is Mobile Payment, and Payment Method Discounts Were Limited to Set Periods and Stores

Some tourist-area stores accept mobile payments such as Alipay and WeChat Pay. The official Myeongdong Town page explicitly lists 'mobile payments (WeChat Pay, Alipay, etc.)' among its payment methods. For the general ways to use the app you used back home here in Korea, see Using Alipay for Payments and Transport in Korea and WeChat Pay in Korea: Where to Use It and How to Get Started.

In this research, we didn't find any document in which Olive Young officially states that its stores accept Visa, Mastercard, or AMEX cards issued overseas. The Myeongdong Town page also lists only mobile payments. That said, the UnionPay and WOWPASS discounts in the February 2026 press release we'll look at below mean that, at least at those 14 stores and during that period, you could pay with those two methods (we couldn't confirm whether paying by UnionPay there was a card authorization or an app/QR payment, or whether it's still accepted). If your foreign card is declined, see When Your Foreign Card Gets Declined in Korea for the causes and what to do.

Extra discounts attached to payment methods were limited to narrow periods and stores. In press releases from August 2025 and February 2026, CJ Olive Young announced extra discounts for paying with Alipay, WeChat Pay, UnionPay, and WOWPASS, but the offer announced on February 2, 2026 applied only at 14 Global Tourist Area stores, including Olive Young N Seongsu, Myeongdong Town, and Hongdae Town. The periods also differed by method: Alipay ran February 5–25, WeChat Pay February 9–March 7, WOWPASS February 15–22, and UnionPay until March 19, and all of them have ended.

The conditions also differed by method. For example, UnionPay gave 10% off payments of 100,000 KRW or more, with a maximum discount of 20,000 KRW, and all four had a minimum payment requirement. Even when you buy the same item at the same store, the final price can differ depending on the payment method and the date, so right before paying, check the counter notice or ask a staff member which payment method discounts apply right now and what the amount conditions are.

Domestic Membership Verification Requires an ID Issued in Korea

Olive Young's domestic app and online mall are the gateway to coupons, points, and membership tiers, but for short-term travelers they're blocked in two layers. The first wall is language. The domestic 'Olive Young' (올리브영) app listed on the App Store (CJ Olive Young Corporation) supports only Korean. In reply to an English-language user review, the developer pointed to the Global Mall (global.oliveyoung.com) as the English version, but as you'll see below, the Global Mall isn't connected to stores in Korea.

The second wall is identity verification. Olive Young online mall membership is set up to work through CJ ONE integrated membership, and identity verification for CJ ONE sign-up is by mobile phone verification or a joint certificate (공동인증서). Foreigners have to enter the first 7 digits of the registration number and their English name from a foreigner ID issued in Korea (Alien Registration Card, Domestic Residence Report Card for Overseas Koreans, or Permanent Residence Card). Olive Young Myeongdong Town's English guidance also describes the people who can sign up as members to use points as residents of Korea with Korean contact details.

If sign-up is blocked, it's hard to use the sale coupon packs and first-come, first-served coupons downloaded from the online mall, or points. Why Korean services ask for a Korean number and identity verification in the first place is explained in Services You Can Sign Up For and Pay With, No Korean Phone Number Needed.

If you're a resident who has received an Alien Registration Card, the path to sign-up is open. At the verification step, enter your English name exactly as it appears on your ID, matching uppercase and lowercase letters and spaces. The domestic membership 'Olive Members' (올리브 멤버스) assigns tiers based on cumulative purchases over the previous 6 months: Gold (1,000,000 KRW or more), Black (700,000 KRW or more but less than 1,000,000 KRW), Green (400,000 KRW or more but less than 700,000 KRW), Pink (100,000 KRW or more but less than 400,000 KRW), and Baby (less than 100,000 KRW). In April 2026, CJ Olive Young announced it would introduce its own 'Olive Points' (올리브 포인트), usable like cash at stores and the online mall, sometime in May, and said they would be earned on top of existing CJ ONE points. We couldn't confirm when they actually started.

The Global Mall and Korean Stores Are Different Shops That Just Share a Name

OLIVE YOUNG Global (the Global Mall) is an online mall that ships overseas. Because the name is the same, you might expect your account and points to carry over to stores in Korea, but according to its policies, the two aren't connected.

Under Shipping Policy v1.7 (posted 2026-04-24), the Global Mall ships to 60-plus countries via DHL, FedEx, LX Pantos, and EMS, but it doesn't ship to addresses within South Korea. That means you can't order from the Global Mall during your trip and have it delivered to your hotel. The United States (all 50 states and DC) is also excluded from shipping. Most regions get free shipping on orders of US$60 or more (Taiwan US$35, Japan ¥3,900), and import duties and customs clearance fees in the destination country are paid by the recipient. Conditions by country can change, so check the policy page before you order.

The global membership policy defines its scope as customers in the Global Mall's service regions and says it excludes 'Olive Young stores within the Republic of Korea'. Residents of South Korea and the US are also left out of the regions eligible to join. However, Myeongdong Town's English page recommends that foreigners sign up for the Global Mall membership, so whether there are actually any benefits you can get in stores with the global membership needs to be confirmed.

The Global Mall is useful after you've returned home, if your country is on the shipping list. We couldn't confirm whether Global Mall sales run for the same period and at the same prices as the domestic Olive Young Sale. If you want to ship things you bought in Korea yourself, see How to Ship Your Stuff Home from Korea. A hotel delivery service was mentioned in a February 2025 press release as a membership benefit during the Korea Grand Sale, but we couldn't confirm whether it's still running.

Reading Price Tags and 1+1 Labels, Plus a Final Check Before You Pay

The first thing to look for on a price tag is whether English is shown too. In February 2025, CJ Olive Young said it would strengthen foreign-language labeling in stores, including electronic shelf labels that show product names in both Korean and English, and in July 2025 it said tourist-area stores were displaying product names and promotion information in English alongside Korean. If the store has no English, you can point your phone's camera translation at the price tag, or, if a multi-floor store has an AI shopping assistant, look up product descriptions and stock there.

What promotion labels like 1+1 and 2+1 mean is explained in Complete Guide to Korean Convenience Stores. Here, we'll add just one thing. A 1+1 label doesn't automatically mean half price. The Supreme Court judges whether a discount ad like 1+1 is false or exaggerated by whether the 'previous transaction price' (종전거래가격) that the advertised price is compared against was falsely stated, and it held that, absent special circumstances, the main standard for the previous transaction price is the lowest selling price over a period of roughly the past 20 days (under the Korea Fair Trade Commission notice in force at the time) (Supreme Court Decision 2019Du36001, April 28, 2022). This ruling doesn't tell you whether any particular promotion is a good deal, so take it only as a reference for comparing against the pre-promotion price (not legal advice).

We couldn't confirm Olive Young's own rules on what happens when a promotion's free gifts run out, or whether promotion labels on electronic shelf labels appear in English at stores outside the tourist areas as well. If the gift conditions concern you, ask a staff member before paying.

Before you step up to the counter, keep just three things in mind: your physical passport if you plan to get an instant refund, the conditions of any payment method discount, and your receipt. If you need an exchange or refund, bring the receipt to the store where you bought the item. We couldn't confirm how refunds are handled for items bought with an instant tax refund.

If your shopping bags have multiplied, it's easier to sort out your luggage before moving on. Station lockers and airport luggage delivery are covered in How to Store & Ship Luggage in Korea, and routes from lodging in Myeongdong, Hongdae, and Gangnam to Seoul Station, Suseo Station, and the Express Bus Terminal are in Destination Transport Guide.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1. Can I find out the next Olive Young Sale dates in advance? A. You can know the month, but the dates are hard to know. The Olive Young Sale is held four times a year, in March, June, September, and December, and for the editions we've checked so far, the official period only became known through a press release or news coverage 1–2 days before the start. As of September 2026, the December 2026 edition hasn't been announced yet. While you're traveling, check the CJ Olive Young corporate site news and CJ Newsroom, or ask store staff. Annual schedules on blogs may list dates guessed before the announcement.

Q2. Can I show my passport at any Olive Young store and buy with the tax taken off right away? A. No. CJ Olive Young has said it offers instant tax refunds at its 'major stores', and the last store count we found is 121, as of June 2025. You need your physical passport, and each payment has to be 15,000 KRW or more. What you get back isn't the full 10%. VAT is added on top of the pre-tax amount, so measured against the tax-inclusive price you paid it works out to about 9.1%, and refund costs come out of that as well. Myeongdong Town's English guidance shows the refund as 5–8% of the purchase amount, but it can be lower depending on the amount. For limits and departure procedures, see How to Get a Tax Refund in Korea.

Q3. Can I sign up for the Olive Young app without a Korean phone number and get sale coupons? A. It's hard for short-term travelers. The domestic app supports only Korean, and members sign up as CJ ONE integrated members. CJ ONE identity verification is by mobile phone verification or a joint certificate, and foreigners need the registration number from an Alien Registration Card, Domestic Residence Report Card, or Permanent Residence Card issued in Korea. Myeongdong Town's English guidance also describes membership sign-up for using points as being for residents of Korea with Korean contact details, so we couldn't confirm a route to sign up with a passport and no Korean number. Sale coupon packs and first-come, first-served coupons are downloaded from the online mall, so they're hard to get without signing up.

Q4. Can I order from the Global Mall during my trip and have it delivered to my accommodation in Korea? A. No. The Global Mall's shipping policy (v1.7, posted 2026-04-24) states that it doesn't ship to addresses within South Korea. Global Mall membership points also can't be used at stores in Korea. It makes more sense to buy in stores while you're in Korea and to think of the Global Mall as something to use from a country on the shipping list after you get home.

Q5. I'm an international student and have lived in Korea for a year. Can I get an instant tax refund? A. No, you're not eligible. Refunds are for non-residents under the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act, and foreigners engaged in business activities in Korea, or who have stayed in Korea for 6 months or longer, are treated as residents (Special Regulations, Article 2(1); Enforcement Decree of the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act, Article 10(1), subparagraph 4). If your case is on the borderline, for example if you left Korea and spent 3 months or more abroad before coming back (Enforcement Decree, Article 10(2), subparagraph 6, item (c)), check at the checkout or at a refund counter. If you have an Alien Registration Card, it's more realistic to look into signing up for the domestic membership and getting member benefits.