Prescription Settings

The Prescription tab controls how customers enter their prescription details. You can configure valid ranges for each prescription field, enable prism correction, charge surcharges for high prescriptions, and allow customers to upload their prescription or send it later.

Sphere (SPH) Range

Configure the valid range for sphere values.

Field	Default	Description
Minimum	-20	Lowest sphere value customers can select
Maximum	20	Highest sphere value customers can select
Step	0.25	Increment between values (0.25, 0.5, or 1.0)

When to adjust

Most adult customers fall within -10 to +10. If you serve a specialized demographic (children, high myopia patients), adjust accordingly. Smaller step increments (0.25) provide more precision but longer dropdown lists.

Cylinder (CYL) Range

Configure the valid range for cylinder values (astigmatism correction).

Field	Default	Description
Minimum	-6	Lowest cylinder value customers can select
Maximum	6	Highest cylinder value customers can select
Step	0.25	Increment between values (0.25, 0.5, or 1.0)

Note

Most astigmatism prescriptions fall between -3 and +3. The default range of -6 to 6 covers the majority of cases. If you don’t stock high-cylinder lenses, reduce the range to prevent invalid orders.

Axis Range

Configure the valid range for axis values (in degrees).

Field	Default	Description
Minimum	0	Lowest axis value
Maximum	180	Highest axis value
Step	1	Increment between values (0.5, 1, 5, or 10)

The axis indicates the orientation of astigmatism. Most prescriptions use 1-degree precision. Use smaller steps (0.5) for high-precision work or larger steps (5 or 10) to simplify selection.

Pupillary Distance (PD) Range

Configure the valid range for PD values (in millimeters).

Field	Default	Description
Minimum	46	Smallest PD value (children start around 46-50mm)
Maximum	80	Largest PD value (most adults are 58-70mm)
Step	0.5	Increment between values (0.5 or 1.0)

Typical PD values

• Children: 46-54mm
• Women: 58-65mm
• Men: 62-70mm

If you sell only adult frames, consider setting minimum to 54mm to reduce invalid entries.

Addition (ADD) Range

Configure the valid range for ADD values (for bifocal and progressive lenses).

Field	Default	Description
Minimum	0.5	Lowest addition power
Maximum	3.5	Highest addition power
Step	0.25	Increment between values (0.25 or 0.5)

The ADD field only appears when customers select Bifocal or Progressive lens types. Most reading additions fall between +1.00 and +3.00.

Prism

Enable prism correction fields for specialized prescriptions.

Field	Default	Description
Enable Prism Fields	Disabled	Shows prism value and base direction inputs
Prism Price	25	Additional cost when customer selects prism

Caution

Prism corrections are rare and require specialized lens manufacturing. Most stores can leave this disabled. If enabled, ensure your lab can fulfill prism orders before accepting them.

When enabled, customers can enter prism values and select the base direction (Up, Down, In, Out) for each eye.

High Prescription Surcharge

Charge an additional fee when prescription values exceed a threshold. Sphere and cylinder have independent thresholds and amounts, reflecting how optical labs price high prescriptions differently for each correction type.

Field	Default	Description
Enable Surcharge	Disabled	Activate the high prescription fee

When enabled, two surcharge groups appear:

Sphere Surcharge

Field	Default	Description
Threshold	6	Sphere values above ±6 trigger the surcharge
Amount	15	Fee per eye that exceeds the threshold

Cylinder Surcharge

Field	Default	Description
Threshold	6	Cylinder values above ±6 trigger the surcharge
Amount	15	Fee per eye that exceeds the threshold

How it works

The surcharge is calculated independently for sphere and cylinder fields. If a customer has:

• OD SPH: -8.00 (exceeds ±6) → +£15 sphere surcharge
• OD CYL: -2.75 (exceeds ±2) → +£10 cylinder surcharge
• OS SPH: -7.50 (exceeds ±6) → +£15 sphere surcharge
• OS CYL: -3.75 (exceeds ±2) → +£10 cylinder surcharge

Total surcharge: £50 — (2 eyes × £15 sphere) + (2 eyes × £10 cylinder)

The maximum surcharge is (2 × sphere amount) + (2 × cylinder amount).

Dropdown surcharge indicators

When the surcharge is enabled, the prescription form dropdowns show the surcharge amount inline for values that exceed the threshold. For example:

• -8.00 (+£15.00) — sphere value exceeding the sphere threshold
• -3.75 (+£10.00) — cylinder value exceeding the cylinder threshold

This helps customers understand the cost before selecting a value.

Explanation text

Field	Description
Explanation Text	Customer-facing explanation shown in cart/checkout

Use these placeholders in your explanation text — they are replaced with your configured values:

Placeholder	Replaced with
{sph_threshold}	Sphere threshold value
{sph_amount}	Sphere surcharge amount (formatted with currency)
{cyl_threshold}	Cylinder threshold value
{cyl_amount}	Cylinder surcharge amount (formatted with currency)

Default text:

Prescriptions with sphere values exceeding ±{sph_threshold} attract
a surcharge of {sph_amount} per eye, and cylinder values exceeding
±{cyl_threshold} attract a surcharge of {cyl_amount} per eye.

This text appears in an info popover on the cart and checkout pages when the surcharge applies.

Setting the thresholds

Most labs consider sphere prescriptions above ±6 as “high” and may have a different threshold for cylinder (often ±4). Check with your lab to determine the appropriate thresholds and amounts for each.

Prescription Upload

Allow customers to upload a prescription document instead of entering values manually.

Field	Default	Description
Enable Upload	Enabled	Show upload option in configurator
Max File Size	5 MB	Maximum file size (1-50 MB)
Allowed File Types	PDF, JPG, JPEG, PNG	Permitted file formats

Available file types:

• PDF (recommended for scanned documents)
• JPG, JPEG (photos of prescription)
• PNG, GIF, WEBP (screenshots or digital prescriptions)

Note

Uploaded prescriptions are stored in WordPress and attached to the order. Staff must review the customer’s uploaded prescription and verify the values before fulfilling the order.

Verification workflow

When a customer uploads a prescription:

1. File is uploaded and attached to the order
2. Order receives “Pending Verification” status
3. Staff view the uploaded file in the order admin panel
4. Staff verify and enter the correct prescription values
5. Order status updates to “Processing”

See Prescription Verification for the staff workflow.

Send Later Option

Allow customers to complete checkout without providing a prescription immediately.

Field	Default	Description
Enable Send Later	Enabled	Show “I’ll send my prescription later” option
Require Email	Enabled	Force customers to enter email for follow-up
Require Phone	Disabled	Force customers to enter phone number

When customers choose “Send Later,” they can complete checkout without entering prescription values or uploading a file. You must follow up with them to collect the prescription before fulfilling the order.

Risk of incomplete orders

Enabling Send Later increases the risk of customers abandoning orders before providing their prescription. Enable “Require Email” (and optionally “Require Phone”) to ensure you can reach them for follow-up.

Follow-up workflow

1. Customer selects “Send Later” and completes checkout
2. Order receives “Pending Prescription” status
3. You follow up via email/phone to request prescription
4. Customer replies with prescription (email, phone, or customer portal)
5. Staff enter prescription values in order admin
6. Order status updates to “Processing”

Use automation

Consider setting up automated email reminders for orders stuck in “Pending Prescription” status. This reduces manual follow-up work and improves completion rates.

Summary

Setting	Recommendation
Sphere/Cylinder ranges	Start with defaults, narrow for specialized stores
Step increments	0.25 for precision, 0.5 or 1.0 for simplicity
Prism	Disable unless your lab handles prism orders
High Prescription Surcharge	Enable if your lab charges extra for ±6 or above
Upload	Enable — reduces entry errors and suits customers without their prescription handy
Send Later	Enable with required email for flexibility, but monitor abandonment rates