How to Buy Contact Lenses: What to Know Before You Order

Updated

To buy contact lenses, you need a current, valid prescription — even if you plan to order online. That prescription must include the lens brand and specific measurements (base curve, diameter, and power), not just your glasses prescription. Once you have it, you can compare replacement schedules, materials, and total cost, then order from a retailer like Target Optical or elsewhere. The sections below cover what to confirm before you buy and how to compare your options.

Start With a Valid Contact Lens Prescription

A glasses prescription and a contact lens prescription are not interchangeable. Contact lenses sit directly on the eye, so they need their own fitting and their own set of numbers.

Before ordering, confirm your prescription includes:

  • Power (sphere) — the same concept as your glasses prescription, but values can differ.
  • Base curve (BC) — the curvature that determines how the lens sits on your eye.
  • Diameter (DIA) — the overall width of the lens.
  • Brand and lens name — prescriptions are typically written for a specific lens.
  • Expiration date — contact lens prescriptions generally expire, so check the date before you order.

If any of these are missing, you don't have a complete contact lens prescription. Ordering lenses that weren't fitted to your eyes is the most common and most avoidable mistake in this category.

Compare Replacement Schedules

Replacement schedule is the single biggest driver of both cost and convenience. It determines how often you open a new pair, how much solution and storage you need, and how much you spend per year.

Schedule Convenience Ongoing cost Best suited for
Daily disposable Highest — no cleaning or storage Highest per lens, but no solution costs Occasional wear, travel, allergy-prone eyes
Biweekly Moderate — requires nightly cleaning Moderate Regular daily wearers
Monthly Lower — more handling and care Lowest per lens Consistent daily wearers comfortable with a routine

A lower price per lens doesn't always mean a lower annual cost. Daily disposables often cost more per lens but eliminate cleaning solution and storage case expenses, which can narrow the gap. Run the math on a full year, not a single box.

Understand Lens Materials

The material affects comfort, oxygen flow to the eye, and how the lens feels over a long day.

  • Soft lenses — the most common type; comfortable immediately and available in the widest range of replacement schedules.
  • Silicone hydrogel — a soft lens material that allows more oxygen through to the eye; often the default for daily and extended wear.
  • Rigid gas permeable (RGP) — smaller, firmer lenses that can provide sharper vision for some prescriptions; they require an adaptation period and more careful handling.

Your eye care professional selects the material during fitting. If you want to switch materials, that generally requires a new fitting rather than a simple reorder.

Ordering Online: What to Check

Target Optical's site describes shopping for contact lenses alongside eyeglasses and prescription sunglasses, with prescription lenses available at a discount and free shipping on all orders. Those are the terms stated on the site — confirm current pricing, promotions, and shipping details at checkout, since offers can change.

When ordering from any online retailer, verify:

  1. Prescription verification — most retailers contact your eye doctor to confirm your prescription. Have your doctor's contact information ready.
  2. Return and exchange policy — unopened boxes are commonly returnable, but opened boxes usually are not. Read the policy before ordering a large quantity.
  3. Order quantity — buying a year's supply can lower per-box cost but locks you in if your prescription changes.

Factor In Insurance and Promotions

Vision insurance often covers a portion of contact lens costs, sometimes as an allowance that you can apply either to glasses or to contacts — but typically not both. Check whether your plan:

  • Covers contact lenses as a benefit, and at what allowance.
  • Requires you to use a specific retailer or allows out-of-network reimbursement.
  • Has a separate contact lens allowance from the frame allowance.

Promotions and discounts can reduce the out-of-pocket cost, but they usually can't be combined with insurance in the same way. Compare the net price under each path before deciding.

A Quick Pre-Order Checklist

  • [ ] Contact lens prescription is current and includes brand, BC, DIA, and power.
  • [ ] Replacement schedule matches how often you actually wear lenses.
  • [ ] Material is appropriate for your comfort and oxygen needs.
  • [ ] Return policy reviewed before buying in bulk.
  • [ ] Insurance allowance and any promotion compared for the best net price.

If your prescription is expired or missing the fitting measurements, the next step is an eye exam and contact lens fitting — not an order. Everything else on this list you can confirm before you check out.