As the popularity of the internet continues to rise, many people are now shopping online. One of the most popular items to purchase online are contact lenses. When you shop on the internet, you are not limited to what is available at your local eye shop. It isn't necessary to drive around town looking for the best prices for contact lenses. The internet now allows people to compare the options and prices from the comfort of their own home. Because of this, you can save both time and money simultaneously. Even though the internet is a great place to purchase contact lenses, there are certain guidelines which need to be followed. Ten years ago, contact lenses were expensive, especially those which had color. The availability of contact lenses online has greatly reduced their price. It is now possible to find brand name contact lenses which are a fraction of the price you would pay in most retail stores. There are a number of reasons why contact lenses are cheaper online than they are in traditional brick and mortar stores. The goal of online merchants is to get as many customers as possible. Because the cost of getting these customers are high, online merchants will have to keep these cutomers in order to make money in the long term. Online stores which sell contact lenses do not have the overhead that offline stores have. There is very little cost for inventory, employees, or rent. Because of this, these low costs are transferred to the customer. Before you begin shopping online for contacts, it is important to remember that you will need a prescription. Prescriptions are mandatory even if you only intend to buy contacts for cosmetic purposes. If your prescription has expired, you can contact your eyecare professional in order to get one. It is also important to make sure the prescription is filled out correctly. Once this is done, you will be ready to begin purchasing contact lenses online. When you purchase contact lenses over the internet, you will have to provide personal information. It is important to make sure you shop at sites which are secure. They should offer a Secure Socket Layer and your information should be encrypted at all times. It is also important to look at the shipping and handling costs. While purchasing contacts online can save you money, if you have to pay large shipping fees, the low cost of the lenses may not be worth it.