What affects the cost of eye care and eyewear

The quote is higher than you expected

You went in for an eye test, came out with a quote for glasses, and the number is not what you had in mind. Nobody walked you through what each line is for, so it is hard to tell what you actually need from what is optional.

This guide explains what moves the price of an eye appointment and a pair of glasses or contact lenses, so you can ask the right questions. It does not list figures. Our fees are published in full on the consultation fees and spectacles pricing pages, and the exact total for your pair is confirmed at the fitting before anything is ordered.

The appointment itself: exam type and add-on scans

The first cost is the appointment. Our fee page lists different appointment types: an adult eye exam, a child eye exam, an infant eye exam, a short appointment, a driver licence screening, and occupational exams such as the CAA pilot and Police checks. Specialty assessments for dry eye, Ortho-K, myopia control and colour vision are listed separately, because they take longer and use different equipment.

The second cost is any scan added on. A widefield retinal photo is listed as included with an eye exam. OCT, axial length, corneal topography and visual fields are each listed as their own item. They are ordered where there is a clinical reason, for example to track glaucoma, map the cornea in keratoconus, or measure eye growth in a child on myopia control, and they are discussed with you first. If you are not sure why a scan is being suggested, ask what it looks for and what would change if it were skipped.

Glasses: where the money goes

A pair of glasses is priced in two parts: the frame, and the lenses that go in it. The lens price is not included in the frame price, and the two lists are separate on our pricing page. Within the lens price, these are the things that move the total:

• Lens design. A single vision lens corrects one distance. Bifocal, occupational and progressive designs are listed as their own items, because they do more and cost more to make. If you only need glasses for driving or only for reading, you may not need the more complex design. The single vision vs progressive guide walks through who suits what.
• Lens thinning (index). Higher index materials make a lens thinner and lighter for the same prescription. Our pricing page lists aspheric, 1.6, 1.67, 1.74 and 1.8 index glass as separate items. The stronger your prescription, the more a thinner lens changes how the glasses look and feel. For a mild prescription it may make little difference, and we will say so.
• Coatings. A standard antireflective and scratch-resistant coating is listed as part of every pair. A harder finish with a scratch warranty and a blue filter are listed as optional extras. An extra coating is a preference, not a medical need.
• Frame range. Our frames are grouped into ranges with different price points, from the Fundamentals range to fashion and artisan labels. The frames page shows what each range includes. A more expensive frame does not see any better than a cheaper one; you are paying for design, materials and brand.
• Reusing your own frame. If your current frame is sound, new lenses can go into it for the listed reglaze fee instead of buying a new frame.

Contact lenses and specialty fitting

Contact lenses have two costs: the fitting, and the ongoing supply of lenses. Our fee page lists a soft contact lens fitting package for adults and one for under-16s, and both include the eye exam. After that, what you spend depends on the lens type: daily disposables are thrown away each day, so you buy more of them; fortnightly and monthly lenses are cheaper per lens but need solution and a case. The daily vs monthly guide compares them on hygiene and convenience as well as cost.

Specialty lenses cost more because the fitting takes more visits and the lenses are made to measure. Ortho-K is listed as an evaluation, a fitting and lens package, replacement lenses and follow-ups, each priced separately. Scleral and rigid lenses for keratoconus are quoted after corneal mapping. If you are quoted for a specialty fitting, ask how many visits are included, what a replacement lens costs if one is lost, and whether a subsidy applies to your condition.

What can bring the cost down

Three things can reduce what you pay yourself, and all three are explained on our insurance and funding page. We are a Southern Cross Easy Claim partner, so a claim can be processed at the appointment rather than afterwards. We administer the Enable New Zealand spectacle subsidy for under-16s whose family holds a Community Services Card or High Use Health Card, and a Ministry of Health contact lens subsidy for conditions such as keratoconus. Neither subsidy has an amount printed on this site; the current figures are on the official pages linked from the funding comparison guide.

If none of those apply, the simplest savings are the choices above: a single vision design where a progressive is not needed, a mid-range frame, skipping an optional coating, or reglazing a frame you already own. We also accept Q Card and Gem Visa for people who would rather spread a larger cost; those are third-party finance products with their own terms.

When you do not need to spend money, and when this practice is the wrong place

You do not need new glasses just because a year has passed. If your prescription has not changed and your lenses are not scratched, keeping your current pair is a reasonable choice, and we will tell you if that is the case. You also do not need every add-on scan every visit; they are tied to a clinical reason.

Some situations should not wait for an optometry appointment at all. Sudden loss of vision, a shadow or curtain across part of your vision, flashes with a sudden shower of new floaters, a chemical splash, an eye injury, or a red and painful eye that cannot tolerate light need same-day care: call 111 or go to the nearest hospital emergency department. Healthify NZ advises flushing a chemical splash with clean running water for at least 15 minutes and getting someone to take you to an emergency department. Eye injuries from an accident are usually an ACC matter rather than a private fee, so tell whoever treats you how it happened. If you are unsure where to go, Healthline on 0800 611 116 is free and open around the clock.

What to ask before you agree to anything

Ask for the quote in parts: appointment, scans, frame, lens design, thinning, coatings. Ask which parts are needed for your prescription and which are preferences. Ask whether your prescription is strong enough for a thinner lens to matter. Ask whether a subsidy or your insurance applies, and whether the claim can be processed at the counter.

If the answers are clear, you can decide with the full picture. The consultation fees and spectacles pricing pages hold every published figure, and the funding comparison shows what might cover part of it.