Discount Contacts, or DiscountContacts.com, is an online retailer with a wide selection of brands. They claim to be easier on the wallet than their competitors in the online contact lens space.
Find out more about their offerings and the pros and cons of ordering your lenses from them.
What is Discount Contacts?
This online retailer offers over 40 brands of contact lenses and a large range of solutions, cases, vitamins, supplements, and dry eye treatments.
The company claims to have lower prices and more transparent overall pricing compared with other sites.
Discount Contacts pros and cons
Pros of Discount Contacts
- wide range of contact brand options
- transparent pricing
- simple and easy-to-navigate site
- generous return policy and straightforward returns process
Cons of Discount Contacts
- have to spend $99 to get free shipping
- no offering for eyeglasses
- doesn’t take insurance
Who is Discount Contacts for?
Discount Contacts is a good option if you’re looking for inexpensive contacts from various brands. Their website is straightforward and easy to use, perfect for those that value simple navigation. Additionally, their return policy is excellent for those that want flexibility.
Shipping is also free, which is a selling point for many prospective customers. Discount Contacts does not offer eyeglasses, though. So if you want a one-stop shop for contacts and glasses, you should look elsewhere. Insurance is also not accepted, a potential dealbreaker if you prefer to go through your insurance.
What’s available from Discount Contacts?
Customers with a valid prescription of any strength can browse a variety of brands and contact lens types, including Acuvue, Bausch & Lomb, and CooperVision.
In addition to the usual selection of disposable lenses, including dailies, weeklies, and monthlies, Discount Contacts offers specialty lenses, such as:
- colored lenses
- toric lenses for astigmatism
- conventional or vial contacts
- multifocal lenses for presbyopia
- rigid gas permeable (RGP) custom lenses
In the site’s “Eye Care” section, they offer red eye and dry eye treatments, skin care, solutions, and other eye care products.
Though they don’t offer eyeglasses, they provide a link to their sister site, DiscountGlasses.com.
How much does using Discount Contacts cost?
Price depends on both the brand and the type of contact lenses you need.
Dailies are typically higher than monthlies, but that doesn’t take the cost of solution and storage cases into account. A typical box of dailies (which includes 30 lenses) can range from $30 to $45. Some specialty lenses can run even higher than that.
They have a policy of showing the prices at the top of the page without any hidden fees. They offer free shipping on all orders over $99, so it pays to order in bulk.
Does Discount Contacts take insurance?
Discount Contacts is an out-of-network provider for most insurance plans, but you can fill out the provided reimbursement form to submit to your insurance.
Remember that if you have one, you can use your flexible spending account (FSA) or health savings account (HSA) to purchase your contacts.
How Discount Contacts works
Before you search online, you’ll want to visit your doctor or eye care professional to get an updated prescription and to find the best contact lens fit for your eyes.
Discount Contacts has straightforward navigation that you can use to drill down to the brand and type of lens you’re looking for. Each product page has a description of the product, plus reviews and ratings from customers.
You can choose how much supply you want — a 1-, 3-, or 6-month supply — before flowing through their checkout. You can add your prescription or ask them to contact your doctor for your prescription on your behalf.
What you’ll need before ordering
A physical copy of your prescription can speed up the ordering process but isn’t entirely necessary. The customer service team can contact your doctor for you, but you’ll need to have that contact information handy.
By law, you will have to order the brand of contact lenses that your doctor wrote on your prescription, but if that brand has a generic alternative, the Discount Contacts customer service team may help you locate it.
You’ll also want to visit your doctor or eye care professional regularly to maintain the health of your eyes and keep your prescription current.
Getting your order
According to the company, 98 percent of all U.S. orders arrive within 7 to 10 days. You can track the status of your order by logging into your account dashboard. Most customers reported a quick, reliable shipping experience.
Discount Contacts return policy
DiscountContactLenses.com claims one of the friendliest return policies in the online optical industry, and customer reviews on the site back this up.
Customers can return items up to 365 days from the ship date.
Contact the customer service team, who will issue a free return shipping label. Within 5 days of receiving, they’ll credit the original account or send a replacement, depending on your needs.
Many customers reported quick returns with no questions asked.
Company reputation
Generally, the company has a strong reputation with solid customer reviews. Though the reviews on the site should be taken with a grain of salt, the people who left them had very positive things to say. The company’s Trustpilot rating was not quite as glowing, sitting at just 2.1.
On the positive end, customers reported lower prices than quoted at their eye doctor, fast delivery, and great customer service. On the negative side, some reviewers felt they had been sent defective contacts due to poor product performance.
Alternatives to Discount Contacts
From well-known retailers with a huge selection, such as 1-800 Contacts, to newcomers with proprietary brands such as Warby Parker, there are other retail options for ordering contacts online.
And of course, you can always order contacts through your eye doctor. You can also have these contacts delivered to you via mail on a subscription basis, too.
| Company | Free standard shipping | Glass or contacts | Accepts vision insurance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discount Contacts | orders over $99 | contacts | no |
| Warby Parker | yes | both | yes |
| 1-800 Contacts | yes | contacts | yes |
| Lens.com | no | contacts | no |
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to buy contact lenses online?
Yes. However,
Can cheap contacts damage your eyes?
Wearing cheap contacts can
Is it OK to wear contacts every day?
Yes. Regardless of what type of contacts you choose, you can wear them daily. However, some exceptions do apply and should be taken into consideration. For example, if you:
- notice general eye redness, dryness, or irritation
- experience an allergy to your contact lenses
- have an eye infection
It’s also important to clean your contacts according to the brand’s instructions and not to wear them for longer than recommended. For example, you can throw away daily contacts every night, but you can wear monthly contacts daily for a month.
Is it worth it?
Generally, Discount Contacts is a comprehensive, no-fuss source for your contact lenses. If you’re looking for better, more transparent pricing and don’t care much about free shipping or working with your vision insurance, then DiscountContactLenses.com could be a good way to go.
When ordering contact lenses online from any retailer, check that the product you receive is the right prescription and type. You’ll also want to check the expiration date and be sure the packaging is intact.