The Collector Guide
Hermès in China
How collectors describe pre-spend in mainland China and Hong Kong, what they say counts, the prices and the tax refund for visitors.
Published 2026-10-03 · Reviewed on 2026-10-03 · 5 questions · 3 sources · Updated on 2026-10-03
MyQuotaBag is an independent app and is not affiliated with Hermès International or any of its affiliates. This page summarizes public reports from collectors and publishers. It is not verified fact and states no Hermès rule. Each boutique and country works differently and practices change. These are general observations shared without commitment. We do not claim that pre-spend exists or that any amount is required. Collectors describe bags going to established clients who buy over time, come back and build a relationship with their boutique. No outcome, offer or allocation is predicted or guaranteed.
On this page
- How does pre-spend work in mainland China?
- How much pre-spend is reported in Shanghai and Beijing?
- What counts toward pre-spend in China?
- Can visitors get a tax refund on Hermès purchases in China?
- How does pre-spend work in Hong Kong?
Every answer carries its status. Official: stated by Hermès or by a primary record such as an auction result or a government page. Reported: stated by publishers or collectors, not by Hermès. Conflicting: collector reports give incompatible versions; the page shows them side by side. Unknown: no reliable answer yet.
How does pre-spend work in mainland China?
Collectors visiting mainland China describe an amount stated by the Sales Associate in advance, in yuan, often paid the same day, which is unlike most accounts from the United States.
Details and sources
A Sales Associate reportedly described the amount as moving with demand. Jing Daily reported in 2019 that Hermès China denied that customers need regular purchases before buying a Birkin. Hermès has also said it prohibits making a sale conditional on other purchases, according to Business of Fashion (2024).
How much pre-spend is reported in Shanghai and Beijing?
Visitors to Shanghai and Beijing describe amounts stated in advance of roughly 1.00:1 to 1.50:1 of the price of the bag requested.
Details and sources
Beijing is described as asking more from a visitor without history. A Mini Kelly is described as asking much more than a Birkin 25. A Kelly Elan was reportedly offered for about half its price in purchases. These are a handful of visitor accounts, not a measure.
What counts toward pre-spend in China?
In the accounts read, Small Leather Goods and men's bags counted in mainland China, unlike most reports from the United States.
Details and sources
One collector reports being asked for at least half in Ready-to-Wear and shoes. Another reader says fine jewelry was capped in what counted. Each version comes from one account.
Can visitors get a tax refund on Hermès purchases in China?
Overseas visitors can claim a departure tax refund of about 9% of the invoice on most eligible purchases in mainland China, according to the Shanghai government guide.
Details and sources
The Shanghai guide gives a refund rate of 11% or 8% depending on the goods, minus a 2% handling charge, so about 9% or 6% of the invoice. It applies to non-residents leaving within 183 days of entry and within 90 days of purchase, from 200 yuan spent in one store on one day. Collectors describe Hermès prices in mainland China as higher than in the United States; MyQuotaBag has no dated price from mainland China yet.
How does pre-spend work in Hong Kong?
Collectors describe two ways: some Hong Kong boutiques reportedly state and accept pre-spend from visitors on the spot, while local clients describe spreading purchases and building a relationship.
Details and sources
One visitor reports about 1.30:1 paid the same day; others mention 1.00:1 to 2.00:1. Some local clients report 2.50:1 without an offer. Whether leather goods count in Hong Kong is disputed. One Hong Kong boutique is described as offering one quota bag every six months to the same client.
Where MyQuotaBag fits
MyQuotaBag records each purchase with its currency and date, so purchases made in yuan or in another country stay readable next to the rest of your history. It does not know how a boutique weighs a purchase and does not predict an offer. See the app.
Sources
- Chinese Whispers: Hermès Denies 'Unspoken Rules' of Buying a Birkin Handbag and More
- Hermès Faces Class Action Suit Over Birkin Sales Practices
- Departure tax refund guide for overseas visitors
What collectors report on this page also draws on public collector discussions. Read on Reddit (r/TheHermesGame and related communities), PurseForum, YouTube and collector blogs. Observations are paraphrased and counted. No usernames, personal details or individual purchase histories are published.
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How this page was written
Each section answers one question in its first sentence, then gives the details. Every answer carries its status and its date and the sources are listed with their dates at the end of the page. What collectors report is written as reported, never as an Hermès rule. Collector discussions are counted by platform; a thread is linked only where it supports a specific point and never when it tells one person's story. Figures from MyQuotaBag Data are read from the dataset each time the page is built.
Community insights currently come from public research and community reports, not private MyQuotaBag user data. Any future use of user data will be anonymized, aggregated and controlled through the app's privacy settings. How this data is built