Cathy DesmetShort Answer
Costco takes about seven days to process eyeglass orders and have the glasses ready for pick-up. Depending on whether you bring a current prescription or need to get an eye exam at a Costco Optical center, you can expect to be in the store for about one to two hours. For more information about how long it takes to get glasses from Costco, see below.
How Long Does It Take to Get Glasses from Costco?
We contacted Costco locations with optometrist offices in Delaware, Michigan, Minnesota, and Tennessee to find out more about the eye exam and glasses-buying process. We were told that Costco eyeglasses orders are ready to pick up in about one week. Members have the option to bring in a current prescription or make an eye exam appointment with the optometrist. If your prescription shows an expiration date, the prescription must still be current — Costco will not be able to use an expired prescription. If there is no expiration date on your prescription, it must be less than two years old — Costco will use two years from the original date of the prescription as the expiration date.
How Long Does an Eye Exam Take?
If you need an eye exam, the process can take between 30 minutes and one hour, customer service associates said. Exact timing at each location will differ depending on how busy its exam schedule is, but most offices will work to schedule your appointment as soon as possible.
The optometrist does routinely perform eye dilation as part of the exam — a time-consuming process — so if you don’t want your eyes dilated, mention it when you schedule your appointment. When you arrive for your exam, it is a good idea to confirm again that your eyes will not be dilated.
Choosing and Ordering Frames
Following your exam appointment, you can use as much time as you wish to browse and try on frames until you find the pair you want. Be sure to choose frames that you truly love, as Costco does not allow returns or exchanges for eyeglasses (as previously reported). Once you choose your frames, the technician will take measurements of your facial features and order the lenses. There are various types of lenses, coatings, and features available to add to your order. The ordering process usually takes under thirty minutes.
If you take a current prescription to Costco, plan on spending at least an hour to browse the frames and complete your order. Members needing an exam should expect to be at the optical center for up to two hours or more.
Whether you are making your first eyeglass order with Costco or you are reordering, there is no difference in the time it will take for your order to arrive. Customer service associates at the many locations we called told us that there is no “rush order” option available. It will take about a week to get your glasses after ordering, and there is no way to expedite this process. The store will call you when your glasses are ready for you to pick them up in-store.
To find a Costco with an optical center near you and start the process of getting your new glasses, check the “Optical” box under “Show Filter Options” at the Costco store locator.
If you don’t have a Costco membership or are interested in comparing Costco’s optical services with another retailer, you may want to check out our related research on the Walmart optical experience.
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The women’s sport-ish sunglasses — will they take a prescription strength? How about bifocal? Or are they just “style” glasses. Going hiking in a desert so I will need good sun protection for 8 hours. Thank you.
Hello, Pam! The sunglasses available at Costco.com are non-prescription. You can get prescription sunglasses at a Costco Optical location, but note that Costco is currently reducing services at this time; you’ll want to call your local store to find out whether the optical center is open and, if so, at what hours. Best of luck with your purchase!