Frequently Asked Questions

Simply add the frame of your choice to your cart and follow the prompts! If your information isn't already on file with us, you'll need to attach a current prescription with a valid expiry date, along with your pupil distance (PD). You can get your PD from any optometrist who has made glasses for you in the past, or you can pop into any of our boutiques at any time to have it measured.

If you're not sure you've attached the right thing, or think you have forgotten something, don't worry - our online dispensing team review all prescriptions before processing, so will get in touch with you by email if there are any problems!

We sure do! You can select 'I'm an existing customer' during checkout. If there's anything missing, or your prescription has expired, we'll get in touch as soon as possible to let you know.

We currently accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, PayPal, ZipPay and Afterpay for all orders except contact lens subscriptions. Subscription orders require payment via credit card.

Your glasses will usually be ready within 7-10 business days (Mon-Fri), depending on your prescription and what you've ordered.

Each prescription is reviewed by our online dispensing team before processing to ensure it is correct and in date. If there are any problems, they'll get in touch with you at the email address provided on your order. Incomplete or incorrect information will unfortunately cause delays to our standard shipping times.

Once your items have shipped, you'll receive an email with the parcel tracking number from Australia Post. While we do our best to ship as soon as possible, our delivery dates are estimates, not guarantees. In the event of a delay at our processing lab, we'll get in touch as soon as we are advised of it with an updated delivery estimate. During peak periods (such as Christmas) or sale periods, some delays may occur.

Non-prescription optical frames are processed via our optical lab and typically take 7 business days.

Non-prescription ("standard") sunglasses and accessories ship from our Sydney warehouse to either your address or nominated BN boutique, and typically take 3-5 business days. 

While we do our best to ship as soon as possible, our delivery dates are estimates, not guarantees. In the event of a stock delay in our warehouse, we'll be in touch as soon as possible with an updated delivery estimate. During peak periods (such as Christmas) or sale periods, some delays may occur.

All our faces are unique, and your glasses or sunglasses usually need to be adjusted to fit you perfectly. If you like to have this done at the time of collection, you can choose to have your order shipped to your local BN boutique during checkout. Our lab or warehouse will then ship your order straight to the store, and the team will notify you once it has arrived.

Unfortunately ship to store is not a click-and-collect service, and your order won't be available for immediate collection. Shipping time frames given above will apply.

For orders placed in-store, we accept returns and exchanges within 30 days from the date of collection (sale items and contact lenses excluded). Please contact the store you purchased at for further details!

For orders placed online, we accept returns and exchanges within 30 days from the date you receive your parcel (sale items and contact lenses excluded). Returns for online optical and sunglass orders are free for orders that totaled over $30; please email us at info@baileynelson.com.au with your return request and order number, and we will arrange a reply paid return slip for you. 

Sale items are final, and no refund or exchange applies for change of mind (including - but not limited to - colour, size, and/or style changes). Standard manufacturing warranties for product faults apply to all products.

As contact lenses are a medical item, we aren't able to provide a refund or exchange for opened boxes, whether they have been used or not. This includes the individual packets contained within the 90 day boxes. Please see the Contact Lens page for further details.

Yes! We have optometrists available to test eyes across all our boutiques. We bulk bill, so the cost of most exams is covered by Medicare for eligible card holders. Please note that Medicare do not cover contact lens examinations, and some charges may apply for contact lens wearers. If you'd like more information, or you don't hold a Medicare card, please contact your local boutique - you can find their contact information here. 

Your optometrist will always set an expiry period for your prescription, based on the likelihood of your eyes changing and any eye health concerns they may have noted. This is an important regulation, as some eye issues can occur without any obvious signs or symptoms.

Even if your eyes feel fine, or you haven't noticed any changes in your vision, we always recommend booking a checkup if your prescription has expired or is close to expiring. For compliance reasons, our teams cannot use prescriptions past their expiry date.

We offer a range of high-index, multifocal and other more complex lenses in all of our boutiques, and a range of single vision lenses online. If you place an order online and we notice your script looks a little more complicated than usual we will be in touch via either phone or email to work out your best option. With complex prescriptions we like to closely assess the frame fit and take some measurements - your eyesight is our number one concern.

Yes, we do. Our multifocals are high definition, free-form lenses, and pricing starts from $345 including frames. We have several options for anti-fatigue lenses; these start at $295 including frames, as do our bifocals.

We will need to see you in person for all these lens types, to ensure that the frame is the perfect fit and to take the right measurements. For this reason, multifocal, anti-fatigue and bifocal orders are not available for purchase through our online store.

If you think you may require another type of lens, or are concerned that your lens is complicated, please get in touch with our team at info@baileynelson.com.au.

No problem! Many of our customers have a correction for astigmatism, and it is usually no trouble to fill these orders in store or online.

Pupillary distance (shortened on your prescription to "PD") is the distance between the centre of both pupils in millimetres. The PD is required by our optical technicians to fit your lenses accurately and achieve the most effective and comfortable outcome for you.

Any optometrist who has made glasses for you will have your PD on file, but if you need it measured, you can use our online tool here or pop into one of our stores to get it measured. 

Your contact lens prescription is different to your glasses prescription. It contains extra information, like the lens type and size that you need, and it expires every 12 months. It may also be a different strength to your glasses.

If you've been fitted for contact lenses, you can request a copy of this prescription from your optometrist. If you haven't worn contacts, or if you need a checkup, you can book an appointment with one of our friendly optometrists.

Contact lenses differ from glasses because they sit directly in your eye rather than over it. Because of this, each contact lens brand has a unique size and curvature, and you may notice that your optometrist tries a few brands to see which works best for you. It is also very common for the contact lens strength to differ slightly from the glasses strength, again because of where the contact lens sits when you are wearing it.

Owing to the unique design of contact lenses, it is very important that you only purchase and wear the lens that has been prescribed to you, and follow the recommendation of your optometrist at all times. For more information, please check our contact lens info.

We recommend that you don't wear your lenses for more than 10 hours on any one day - this allows your eyes to breathe and rest. How often you use your contact lenses is up to you, but if you do plan to wear your contact lenses full time, we recommend one full day per week with glasses, again to allow your eyes to breathe and rest. This will ensure that your eyes stay in good health and that you can wear your contact lenses for many years to come.

You'll need to check in with an optometrist for this - contact lenses have their own unique size and shape, and not all of them may work for you. Our optometrists can check things over for you and update your brand; if you'd like to visit them, you can book an appointment (please note that this appointment is not covered by Medicare, and a $30 refit fee will apply). You can also check in with your regular optometrist if you prefer.

It's super easy! Make sure you have a copy of your current contact lens prescription, then head to your prescribed lens on our website. Choose the "Subscribe" option, select how often you'd like to purchase, and then follow the prompts from there.

No problem! Grab your prescription and head to the lens you wear in your right eye. Choose "Subscribe" and select how often you'd like to purchase, then enter the prescription details for just that eye. Press save to continue shopping, then repeat this process for the lens you wear in your left eye. Our team will double check everything for you, so if there are any problems, they'll be in touch.

Your first order will be reviewed by our team to make sure everything is okay with your prescription, and should ship within 5 business days. Each subsequent order is placed once your recurring payment completes, either until your prescription expires or you cancel your subscription. Our usual turnaround time is 3-4 business days after payment, but if there are delays of any kind, our team will be in touch to advise you as soon as possible.

You can update your details through your account portal - simply log into your account and choose "Manage My Subscription".

For contact details such as name, phone, and shipping address, choose "Billing Information > Edit". To change or update your credit card details, choose "Billing Information". To change your shipping quantity or frequency, choose "Subscriptions".

If you need to update your email address, our customer care team can help you out - drop them a message at contacts@baileynelson.com.au

There could be a few reasons for this! The most common one is that your account creation wasn't finalised after checkout. If you think you didn't complete this process, drop us a line at info@baileynelson.com.au. Our team can check things over and resend an account invitiation for you.

If you've forgotten your password, you can request to reset it; just click "Forgot password" and follow the prompts. If you're still having trouble, email us at the link above.

If you don't wear your contacts every day, you can reduce the frequency of your subscription through your online account - just login here and choose "Manage My Subscription". From here you can adjust the delivery frequency for all future orders.

You can also delay your next shipment by changing the billing date; this will postpone your recurring charge but won't change how often you are billed - so if you're currently set to 30 days, it will continue every 30 days from the new date you choose.

You can opt for more frequent billing through your online account - just login here and choose "Manage My Subscriptions". You can also give us a call to talk through your needs, and our team can help work out the best billing cycle for you.

We do recommend regular breaks if you wear contact lenses full time; you can read more in "How long should I wear my contact lenses?" above.

If you need to pause or cancel your subscription for any reason, simply log in to your account here, and choose "Manage My Subscription", you can then either "Edit" or "Cancel".

Simply login to your account, and choose "Manage My Subscription > Subscriptions". Cancel the subscription you no longer need, then follow the process above to sign up for a new subscription with your new prescription (we dare you to say that three times fast).

Nothing at all! All purchases over $30 are shipped to you free of charge.

This depends on your plan and health fund provider, so it's best to check with them. All purchases will generate an itemised receipt, with our provider number in the top right corner. If your fund does allow you to claim for contact lenses, you can use this to claim back with them.

No problem - we've all been there! Just make sure your card details are up to date, and that the funds are in your account - our payment portal will automatically try again after 3 days, and every 3 days after for a maximum of five attempts. If your card is not able to complete payment after this time, your subscription will be cancelled automatically.

Yes, we are a registered provider with all major private health funds. If you visit us in store, please bring your card along so we can process your claim on the spot. If you're purchasing online, you'll receive an itemised receipt once your order has been verified and processed, which you can use to lodge a claim with your health fund.

Health fund claims are limited to prescription items only; please see the Terms and Conditions for more details.

Tax invoices cannot be finalised until all necessary prescription information is received. To help make this faster, please ensure that any prescriptions you send contain the following information: your optometrist's name or practice, the prescription expiry date, your pupil distance (PD) measurement.

Your tax invoice should arrive automatically by email once our team have verified your prescription details above. Some email providers will accidentally flag this receipt as spam or junk, so double check those folders just in case.

We recommend always keeping your glasses or sunglasses in their protective case when you are not wearing them, to ensure they remain undamaged and scratch-free. Whilst our glasses are treated with a scratch-resistant coating, they are not scratch-proof, so please use caution and common sense when taking them on adventures! Our lenses should be cleaned with the included microfibre cloth or a lens-safe spray; don't use towels, t-shirts or other fabrics, as these are can be abrasive to the anti-reflective coating and may cause rubbing marks or scratches over time.

You may notice that your glasses start to become loose with wear - this is perfectly normal, so don't panic! Simply pop into your local BN boutique, and the team will be able to tighten any loose screws and re-adjust the frame to sit perfectly on your face. If you're not local to a Bailey Nelson, most optometrists are also happy to do this, so have a quick chat with your regular provider to see if they can help you out.

Some materials are corrosive and will damage your glasses if exposed to them; we advise you to keep your glasses away from these at all times. These include chlorine-treated water or salt-water (don't wear them in the pool or the ocean!), aerosol sprays such as hair spray, paints and solvents. If any of these substances do touch your lenses, clean them with the microfibre lens cloth and a lens-safe spray as soon as possible. Extreme heat or cold may also cause lens or frame warping, so we recommend keeping your glasses with you, especially on very hot days, rather than leaving them in the car!

Our frames are made out of the highest quality cellulose acetates, metal alloys, or titanium. Each sheet of acetate can take up to 10 weeks to create and all frames are cut individually. This means that every frame is unique.

We believe in using the finest lenses, and all of our standard prescription lenses utilise 1.5 index multicoated lenses, meaning they are treated with scratch-resistant and anti-reflective coatings. Each pair is fitted by expert technicians and independently checked to ensure optical quality.

We are very proud of our frames and lenses! The reason they cost less is because we use a new business model to eliminate the unnecessary parts of the supply chain. There is no reason glasses should cost more than an iPad simply because they have a small brand name on the temple.