Buying Clinique duty-free flying Sydney-Hong Kong-Tel Aviv return

Need to buy Clinique moisturiser for the wife - suggestions on which airport duty free?

Option 1: Buy at Sydney Airport on departure and request the item as a pick up back on your arrival. This way you have it and don't have to worry about it on your trip.

Option 2: Buy at Hong Kong. You will need to change money (HK Dollar), or pay in Australian dollars at duty free with a normally poor exchange rate, or pay via credit/debit card and possible face a international transaction fee depending on your bank (sometime 3% or more).

Option 3: Buy at Tel Aviv Airport. The beauty selection on arrival is limited. More options and a larger range of beauty products are available on departure.

Option 4: Buy landside in Australia and get the tax back at TRS (Tourist Refund Scheme). This way your wife can find the exact type/fragrance etc. (Remember that if it is over 100ml you will need to go to the TRS Desk near check in before going through security and immigration and they will sight the product before you put it in your checked luggage.

In terms of price it really depends on what exact type of Clinique moisturiser you want (e.g. fragrance, size, type etc.) Check online on the duty free website and your wife can select the preferred item. If the price is more than 10% cheaper than the price outside the airport in Australia (i.e. the gst/tax amount you would get back from TRS) buy it from duty free.

You can also see the prices for duty free in HKG and TLV online. Then you can use your preferred credit card issuer website (MasterCard, Visa…) to see what the cost would be in Australian dollar.

Duty free store prices at airports are not always cheaper than buying landside and getting tax back at TRS in Australia. In Israel they also have a programs to get VAT (Value Added Tax) back too (it is currently 17% VAT in Israel). Duty free stores do have “Exclusive Items” that you can't buy outside duty free. Unless it is one of these items I would recommend buying outside the airport and get the GST back. Remember if you bring the item back into Australia it must be included in your duty free allowance.

TRS (Tourist Refund Scheme) basics:

> Spend over $300 at one store;

> have the original paper recept on departure;

> purchased no more than 60 days before departure;

> the items is unused/still in original condition;

> have oversized and restricted goods sighted by ABF Client services before checking in and take the stamped invoices to the TRS Facility on the day of departure;

> finalise transaction at least 30 min before scheduled departure

Your refunds paid to you or another person by: credit card (Amex, Diners, JCB, MasterCard, Union Pay, Visa) or Australian bank account or a mailed cheque

How to calculate the GST refund amount: Total price/11 = refund

Check the TRS website more information.

cheapest is Sydney Duty free. so will preorder for collection on return.