Can i order contacts online with an expired prescription

You know those crazy zany contacts that are all the rage around Halloween? These nonprescription contacts come in in a wide variety of colors and intriguing effects including cats, vampires, witches, zombies, and spider webs, to name just a few. You may have spotted them at your neighborhood convenience store or beauty salon. Well, guess what? Brick and mortar and online stores that sell these wild and colorful contacts without a prescription are breaking the law.

All Contacts are Medical Devices

Whether decorative or vision-correcting, contacts are classified as medical devices by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. That means you need a valid prescription from a licensed eye care practitioner to buy them. Wearing decorative or vision-correcting contacts without a prescription can damage your site and even cause blindness.

Federal Rules Governing Contact Lenses

In 2004, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission issued guidelines known as the Contact Lens Rule. These guidelines spell out and enforce provisions of the 2003 Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act.

Eye care professionals need to abide by the following guidelines:

  • Provide patients with their prescription at the end of the contact lens fitting — even if they don’t ask for it.
  • Provide or verify the contact lens prescription to any person acting on behalf of the patient, such as contact lens sellers.
  • Correct any inaccuracy in the prescription being verified by the seller and inform the seller if it’s expired or otherwise invalid.

Contact lens sellers need to follow these rules:

  • Only provide contact lenses in accordance with a valid prescription directly presented to them or verified by the contact lens prescriber.
  • Properly verify the order by contacting the prescribing doctor. For example, if a consumer orders contacts online, the seller needs to verify the accuracy of the prescription before filling it.

Order Contacts Online Without Prescription!

Although you need a prescription to legally buy contact lenses, LensDirect makes it easy for you to order. For the fastest service, we recommend uploading your prescription online. You can also email your prescription, fax it to us, or simply provide the name and phone number of your eye doctor and we’ll contact them to fill your prescription. LensDirect also offers a cool new perk — an online vision test you can take from the comfort of your home! Our doctors will review the results and issue a valid contact lens prescription. Of course, you need to keep in mind an online vision test does not replace a comprehensive in-person eye exam.

If you’ve never worn contact lenses and are thinking about doing so, it’s a good idea to learn about all the different types before your eye doctor appointment. That way you can ask your doctor appropriate questions and discuss options during your visit. Then browse our vast selection and choose the best contact lenses for you!

Comments

comments

Yes, you can! Find your brand here.

Having a valid prescription when buying contacts is essential - we just don’t have to verify it. We trust you to be proactive about your eye health and don’t believe in ever compromising between convenience and quality. But hey, if you would like us to verify yours, our experienced eye care team are happy to do that for you.

Bestselling Contacts

How do I order contacts online in the US?

Ordering contacts online without prescription verification on Vision Direct is easy as pie:

Can i order contacts online with an expired prescription

3. It's checkout time

It's checkout time Put your feet up, your contacts will get to you within 5-7 days*

But wait a second - are you legit?

We’re totally legit! As we’re based in Europe and operate under European law, there’s no requirement to submit your prescription when buying contact lenses online. In fact, Vision Direct is Europe's leading online contact lens retailer, helping thousands of happy customers around the globe to purchase high quality, cheap, soft contact lenses by providing a super easy, reliable and affordable service. We don't mean to brag, but we're on call 7 days a week, from 8:00 to 23:59 GMT every day. One might say we are too legit to quit (we couldn't help ourselves). But don't take it from us: here's what our US customers think about us.

Let's get down to business: our prices.

Unlike other contact lens retailers, we've cut out the middleman and buy contact lenses directly from the manufacturer. This means we can keep our prices down and you will never have to overspend on these medical devices! Hooray! We stock all types, including your favourite brands like Acuvue, Dailies, FreshLook colored contacts for events like Halloween, and much more, for the best prices around. Plus, toric contacts for astigmatism, multifocal contacts for presbyopia, and contacts for dry eyes.

Shipping also falls under our hassle-free vibe. We know how important having your contacts when you need them is, so we aim to get them to you as quickly as possible. You can rest easy knowing they will be at your door within 5-7 days* - that's way quicker than most stateside eyecare providers!

Any questions?

Ah, we love questions! From checking your prescription to discussing any last-minute worries: our award-winning team of friendly, knowledgeable experts is here to help. Yes, they're all actual humans! You can reach them by (1 800 870 0741), email () and live chat. Our online Eye Care Centre is also packed with handy how-to guides to help make life with your contacts a breeze. Plus, you can visit our FAQ page, which covers everything from payment methods and to promotional codes.

How do I find my contact lens prescription?

You can find your prescription on your contact lens box, usually printed on the side or on the back, giving you all the information you need to order contact lenses with us. Always make sure to use a non-expired prescription. If it's the first time you actually get access to it and find all the variables confusing, we've put together a guide to understanding your contact lens prescription. Plus: our amazing customer service is available by phone (US: 1 800 870 0741, email () and online chat.

When should I get an eye test?

Our eye care professionals recommend that adults should get an eye test at least every two years, and children should get one every year or as recommended by their eye care professional. Those over 60 should be tested more frequently. If you’re experiencing any eye or vision problems, you should talk to your eye care professional as soon as you can. It’s possible that your contact lens prescription, like a glasses prescription, can change regularly, making regular eye checkups and contact lens check ups essential.

What our US customers love about us:

Can i order contacts online with an expired prescription

Our US customers are some of our happiest when it comes to buying contact lenses without a prescription, don't believe us? Check out some of their reviews.

“I've been ordering from Vision Direct for a couple of years now. I am super impressed by the pricing, which is much better than what I can get in the US. Also, considering that it's shipping from across the world I'm speechless on how quickly I always receive my orders. The one time that I did have an issue with some of my lenses and had to contact customer support they were friendly and professional and quickly addressed my issue. I highly recommend!!!”
Lynda - March 2022

“It takes less time to receive lenses from this seller than it does from US based sellers, and the price is on par with non-discount shops in the US. Places like Costco, of course, are much less expensive. Order was received within a few days of purchase...less than a week. I will shop here again.”
JS - April 2022

“Perfect service!!! Received my order to the USA 2 days before it was supposed to arrive. And during the COVID-19 pandemic. Definitely will be making all my contact orders from here in the future!”
Adam - July 2021

Can i order contacts online with an expired prescription

* Business days

References

  1. Deborah S.Jacobs, Karen G.Carrasquillo, Paul D.Cottrell, Fernando J.Fernández-Velázquez, Raquel Gil-Cazorla, Isabelle Jalbert, Andrew D.Pucker, Kellen Riccobono, Danielle M.Robertson, Loretta Szczotka-Flynn, Lynne Speedwell, Fiona Stapleton, USA, 2021: Evidence-based contact lens practice https://www.contactlensjournal.com/article/S1367-0484(21)00016-3/fulltext
  2. Padmaja Sankaridurg PhD MIP BOptom, Brien Holden Vision Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 2017: Contact lenses to slow progression of myopia https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cxo.12584
  3. Padmaja Sankaridurg, Ravi C Bakaraju, Thomas Naduvilath, Xiang Chen, Rebecca Weng, Daniel Tilia, Pauline Xu, Wayne Li, Fabian Conrad, Earl L Smith III, Klaus Ehrmann, Brien Holden Vision Institute, Sydney, Australia, 2017: Myopia control with novel central and peripheral plus contact lenses and extended depth of focus contact lenses: 2 year results from a randomised clinical trial https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/opo.12621

Can you order contacts without an updated prescription?

You should always have a current, valid prescription when you order contact lenses. If you have not had a check-up in the last one to two years, you may have problems with your eyes that you are not aware of, or your contact lenses may not correct your vision well.

Where can I get contacts if my prescription is expired?

You cannot buy contacts without a valid prescription. If your prescription expires, you should visit your eye doctor for another exam and a new prescription.

Can I buy contacts with old prescription?

You can't legally order contacts with an expired prescription either. Contact lenses are classified as medical devices in the U.S., so your prescription needs to be current to have it filled.

Does 1800contacts verify your prescription?

You'll get your contacts even faster By law, we have to verify your prescription to make sure the contacts we're sending out are correct. We can contact your eye doctor's office for you, but it can take up to one business day to hear back from them.