BUSINESS Now Optics Utilizes ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ Tech From Sunbit to ‘Make Eyecare Easier’ By Mark Tosh Monday, October 25, 2021 1:26 AM RELATED CONTENT New Ideas to Elevate the Patient Experience ECPs Find Benefits in Adopting New Digital Tools to Extend Connections With Patients Wisconsin’s Griebenow Eyecare Learns to Capture Patients’ Interest With My Frame Gallery Patients Appreciate the Precise Fit and Ease of Selection Provided by Zeiss Technology WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.—Now Optics, the parent company of My Eyelab and Stanton Optical, is moving into the fast-growing and popular “buy now, pay later” (BNPL) segment with its latest technology upgrade. The company established, as of this fall, a new partnership with Sunbit, a leading BNPL technology service provider. The partnership will integrate Sunbit’s BNPL technology into the company’s My Eyelab and Stanton Optical retail locations to provide customers with flexible payment options, which the company said will make Now Optics’ mission to make affordable, accessible and efficient eyecare for its patients even easier. “We’re always thinking about new and innovative ways we can deliver simple, affordable eyecare at My Eyelab and Stanton Optical, and our latest partnership with Sunbit takes that commitment a step further,” Daniel Stanton, chief executive officer of Now Optics, said. He added, “Eyecare is a right, not a privilege, so we feel obligated to provide as much flexibility as possible with payment options for each and every person that comes to our stores.” As of the end of September, Now Optics had 234 locations across its My Eyelab and Stanton Optical portfolios. Among these locations, 167 are corporate-owned and 67 are operated by franchisees, a spokesman told Vision Monday. Sunbit’s BNPL payment options are currently available at a majority of locations, and will be fully available at all Now Optics’ stores by Nov. 10. Sunbit technology is offered in-store and online through nearly 8,000 locations, including auto dealership service centers, optical practices, dentist offices and specialty health care services. Sunbit’s BNPL solution approves 90 percent of people who apply and provides them with a three-month, no-interest financing option. To ensure flexibility and accessibility for all, six-month and 12-month BNPL options with interest are also available. According to Stanton, Now Optics is always looking for “new and innovative ways to help more people see better and allow patients to obtain the eyecare they need to support their overall eye health in a way that meets their budget.” He noted that by partnering with a BNPL option like Sunbit, which is easy to use and transparent to the customers, it provides patients the ability to obtain everything necessary to take care of their eye health. “Customers have been excited to see how they can provide eyecare for themselves and their family in a budget conscious way and have been loving this flexibility,” he added. In addition, the debut of Sunbit’s BNPL technology in Now Optics’ stores marks another technological milestone for the company, following its early adoption of optical telehealth. As of September, the company had conducted more than 1.6 million telehealth eye exams. My Eyelab and Stanton Optical locations feature an assortment of over 2,000 frames and top contact lens brands to fit both style and budgets and to allow consumers freedom to experiment with unique, stylish designs that fit their personal style. The company continues to expand its retail footprint with its store base of more than 230 locations in 28 states.