CareCredit Prequalification: A Simple Way to Help Vision Patients Move Forward With Care

During optometry or ophthalmology appointments, vision patients are often faced with important cost-related decisions like choosing progressive lenses, premium frames or elective procedures like cataract surgery. Offering patient financing prequalification early can help ease cost conversations, provide fast answers and allow patients to focus on getting the treatment they want or need.

Bring the Right Solution into Focus by Addressing Vision Care Costs

Vision care sticker shock can surface any time, such as during a comprehensive exam when dry eye therapy is recommended, at the optical center when pricing coatings and lens designs or at a surgical consult for LASIK or cataract lens options. For example, the 2025 CareCredit Vision IQ Study showed that cost is a concern for 59% of those surveyed who qualified for LASIK surgery but haven’t yet had the procedure.¹

Today’s vision solutions are more advanced — and can be more expensive — because they aim to deliver clearer vision, comfort and convenience. When costs are steeper than expected or unclear, patients may delay making decisions, which can mean delaying getting the vision care and comfort they want.

Introducing CareCredit prequalification to your patients early offers them a way to make costs manageable through recurring monthly payments while prioritizing the care that’s best for their vision.

Prequalification Helps Streamline Vision Financing

The CareCredit prequalification process is quick, self-guided and designed to reduce friction across your workflow. Patients can check if they prequalify anytime on their own device through a soft inquiry that does not impact their credit score. That means they can get clarity on flexible payment options like the CareCredit credit card before selecting frames and lenses, choosing between daily and monthly contacts or scheduling LASIK surgery.

CareCredit Prequalification Offers Vision Patients a Clear View of Available Financing Options

Being a CareCredit provider has benefits for your practice. Here’s a simple, step-by-step way to integrate CareCredit card prequalification in optometry and ophthalmology settings, to help facilitate patient acceptance of estimates and treatment plans.

Step 1: Introduce the idea of prequalification early in the process

• Your team might say: “Before we finalize a lens package or surgical plan, many patients like to take advantage of monthly payment options with the CareCredit card. You can use your phone to see if you prequalify right away, and it won’t impact your credit score.”
• When to introduce CareCredit: Before testing, during treatment plan discussions or at the optical center before lens selection and coatings.

Step 2: Guide patients to check their CareCredit prequalification

• Patients start the process through your custom link or QR code or at carecredit.com.
• They enter the last four digits of their Social Security number and their mobile phone number, then follow prompts on their own device.
• This is a soft inquiry that does not impact their credit score.

Step 3: Encourage prequalified patients to apply as a next step

• If a patient receives a prequalification offer, they can accept it and apply, which triggers a hard credit inquiry and a credit decision.
• Sample language: “Since you are prequalified, you can complete the application now. Approval isn’t guaranteed, but you will find out right away.”

Step 4: Approved patients can use their new account right away for vision healthcare financing

• Newly approved cardholders can use their CareCredit credit card account on the spot to pay for exams, glasses, contact lenses, dry eye therapies, LASIK/PRK procedures, cataract surgery and follow-up care at your practice.
• Your team might say: “Great! Let’s finalize your progressive lenses with blue light and anti-reflective coatings, and we’ll use your CareCredit account at checkout.”

Vision Care Financing Helps Patients View Treatment Options Holistically

Having a monthly payment option can make both planned and unplanned vision costs feel more manageable, helping patients choose all the care and products that can improve their quality of life. For example, vision healthcare financing can cover:

• Planned needs including annual eye exams, premium frames, high-index and progressive lenses, blue light and anti-reflective coatings, daily disposables, scleral or multifocal contacts and myopia management programs
• Unplanned needs such as broken or lost glasses, emergency visits and acute dry eye treatments
• Procedures and series-based care like LASIK/PRK, cataract lens upgrades, in-office dry eye therapies and post-op supplies and follow-ups

Healthcare Financing for Patients Works for Vision Practices, Too

Offering vision patients an easy, self-guided credit prequalification process can ease financial discussions between your team and your patients. Additional benefits of CareCredit for providers include:

• Improved treatment plan and optical acceptance. When patients see a clear way to pay, they may feel more comfortable choosing recommended lenses, coatings, specialty contacts or surgical options.
• Stronger patient relationships. Prequalification moves sensitive credit decisions to the patient’s private device, so your team can focus on clinical guidance and product education.
• More support for the front desk team. A smooth flow of payments and less time spent on manual payment administration can help your vision team prioritize patient care and optical consultations.
• Fast reimbursement. Vision practices are paid within two business days, minimizing delays and supporting steady, predictable cash flow.

Integrating Prequalification Into Your Vision Care Workflow

Use these patient touchpoints to seamlessly introduce prequalification. Short, consistent scripts can help your team keep conversations comfortable and clear.

Help Patients Manage Costs—Without Slowing Your Workflow

Letting your patients know about the CareCredit prequalification process gives them a convenient option for managing out-of-pocket vision care costs. This financing solution may help ease cost conversations with patients and reduce cost hesitation while maintaining a smooth flow of payments for your vision practice.

A Flexible Financing Solution for Optometry and Ophthalmology Practices

If you want to help your patients or clients manage the cost of the vision care solutions they want or need, you may want to consider offering the CareCredit credit card as a financing solution. CareCredit allows cardholders to pay for their eye exams, LASIK, surgeries and other treatments or products such as premium frames and contact lenses, while helping to enhance the payments process for your practice or business.

When you accept CareCredit, patients or clients can see if they prequalify with no impact to their credit score, and those who apply, if approved, can take advantage of special financing on qualifying purchases.^* Additionally, you can be paid directly within two business days.

Learn more about the CareCredit credit card as a financing solution for your optometry or ophthalmology practice or start the provider enrollment process by filling out this form.

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