About Unilateral Pricing Policies

What is UPP?

UPP (Unilateral Pricing Policy) is a strategy used by certain contact lens manufacturers, requiring retailers such as ourselves to price their products at a manufacturer's specified minimum price. Retailers who do not comply will no longer be supplied by the manufacturer.

Why do manufacturers want a UPP?

Under the guise of price equality, manufacturers want to give eye care practitioners incentive to prescribe their products vs their competitor's products on the basis that the patient will be more likely to buy directly from the doctor if the prices for that contact lens are the same online or elsewhere. Initially, this might seem like a fair practice, but it prevents free market pricing -- and in the end, results in higher pricing to you, the end consumer.

Which contact lens companies have a UPP?

Alcon has already adopted the UPP to their Dailies Total 1 and will soon implement it on some of their new products. Johnson & Johnson, the manufacturer of Acuvue Oasys lenses, has implemented a UPP program as of July 2014. We anticipate that other contact lens companies will follow suit in the future.

Will I be paying more for my lenses?

Rest assured, we will continue to sell at the lowest allowable price to our customers and continue to offer the reliable service that you've come to expect from us. We suggest that on your next visit to the eye doctor, you ask to be fit into a lens that doesn't have any dictated minimum pricing, ensuring that you can still take advantage of the lowest prices for contacts lenses online at Kits.ca. You need to be sure that your doctor is prescribing you a certain lens because it's best for you, not best for their pocket book.

What can I do about the UPP?

As suggested above, asking to be fit for an alternative brand that doesn't have a UPP will keep you from having to pay the higher price. If you are unable to switch, or just prefer the lenses you are currently wearing -- you can make a statement by purchasing the lenses online through us even if the prices are the same at your doctor. We're just a click away, and we save you time by not having to go anywhere to get your lenses and we're good at what we do!

At Kits.ca, we strive to provide a fair and transparent shopping experience to all of our customers and do not believe price controls are in the best interest of our customers. We will do what we can to fight these pricing policies and keep eyecare affordable for our customers. We will continue to keep you informed and will have more information about UPP soon.

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