Last updated: 21 September 2026

Eye Online respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information.

This Privacy Policy explains how Eye Online (“Eye Online”, “we”, “us” or “our”) collects, uses, stores and shares personal information when you visit eye-online.co.za (the “Site”), create an account, contact us, upload a prescription, or purchase products or services from us.

We process personal information in accordance with applicable South African privacy legislation, including the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (“POPIA”).

1. Personal information we collect

The personal information we collect depends on how you interact with the Site.

Information you provide to us

When you place or attempt to place an order, create an account, contact us or use features on the Site, we may collect information including:

• Your name and surname;
• Email address;
• Telephone or mobile number;
• Billing address;
• Delivery address;
• Account username and related account information;
• Products ordered or added to your basket;
• Order history;
• Communications you send to us;
• Information submitted through contact forms;
• Delivery instructions; and
• Other information you voluntarily provide to us.

Prescription and optical information

When ordering prescription eyewear or related products, you may provide information such as:

• Spectacle or optical prescriptions;
• Sphere, cylinder and axis measurements;
• Pupillary distance or other lens measurements, where applicable;
• Uploaded prescription documents; and
• Other information required to prepare or supply prescription eyewear.

Some prescription information may constitute health-related or special personal information under POPIA.

We process this information only where reasonably necessary to provide the products or services requested by you and will treat such information as confidential and apply appropriate safeguards to protect it.

Where prescription information relates to a child, it should be provided by, or with the consent of, a parent, guardian or other person legally competent to provide such consent.

Payment information

Payments on our Site are processed through third-party payment service providers, which may include Payfast and PayJustNow.

When you make a payment, the relevant payment provider may collect and process information required to complete the transaction, such as your payment card, banking or account information.

Eye Online does not ordinarily receive or store your complete payment card details. We may receive transaction information such as:

• Payment status;
• Payment method;
• Transaction or payment reference;
• Amount paid; and
• Information required for reconciliation, refunds or fraud prevention.

Your payment information is also subject to the privacy practices and terms of the relevant payment provider.

Information collected automatically

When you visit the Site, certain technical information may be collected automatically. This can include:

• Internet Protocol (IP) address;
• Browser type and version;
• Device type;
• Operating system;
• Approximate location derived from your IP address;
• Date and time of access;
• Referring website;
• Pages and products viewed;
• Actions taken on the Site; and
• Cookie and similar technology information.

We may refer to this collectively as “Device and Usage Information”.

2. Cookies and similar technologies

Our Site uses cookies and similar technologies to operate correctly, remember customer preferences, maintain shopping baskets, assist with checkout, improve performance and understand how visitors use the Site.

Cookies are small files that may be stored on your device when you visit a website.

We may use:

Essential cookies
These are required for functions such as shopping baskets, checkout, account login, security and payment processing.

Preference cookies
These help remember choices or settings you have selected.

Analytics cookies
Where enabled, these help us understand how visitors use the Site and help us improve its performance and content.

Marketing cookies
Where enabled, these may help us measure advertising campaigns or show advertising that may be more relevant to visitors.

Where required, non-essential cookies are used subject to the choices you make through our cookie consent mechanisms.

You can also control cookies through your browser settings. Blocking some cookies may affect the operation of parts of the Site.

3. WordPress and WooCommerce

The Site is built using WordPress and WooCommerce.

Information relating to customer accounts, orders and transactions may therefore be stored in the Site’s WordPress/WooCommerce database and on systems operated by our website hosting provider.

WooCommerce also provides functionality that allows us to manage customer accounts, orders, privacy requests and data-retention settings.

Additional WordPress or WooCommerce plugins may process information where required to provide functions such as payments, invoicing, shipping, website security, analytics, forms, product options and customer communication.

We limit access to personal information to service providers and systems where access is reasonably required for the relevant service.

4. How we use your personal information

We may use personal information to:

• Process and fulfil orders;
• Process payments and confirm payment status;
• Arrange collection, shipping or delivery;
• Manufacture, prepare or supply prescription eyewear and lenses;
• Verify prescription or order information where necessary;
• Provide invoices, receipts and order confirmations;
• Communicate with you regarding an order;
• Respond to enquiries and customer-service requests;
• Manage returns, exchanges, warranties and refunds;
• Maintain customer accounts;
• Prevent, detect and investigate fraud or security incidents;
• Maintain and improve the Site;
• Troubleshoot technical problems;
• Analyse general Site performance and usage;
• Maintain accounting, tax and transaction records;
• Comply with legal and regulatory obligations;
• Establish, exercise or defend legal rights; and
• Send marketing communications where permitted by law.

We will not use your personal information for purposes that are materially incompatible with the purposes for which it was collected unless permitted by law or we obtain appropriate consent.

5. Marketing communications

We may send you information about Eye Online products, promotions or services where you have consented to receive such communications or where otherwise permitted under applicable law.

You can unsubscribe from electronic marketing communications at any time by using the unsubscribe option provided in the communication or by contacting us.

Unsubscribing from marketing does not prevent us from sending transactional or service communications relating to an order, payment, account, delivery or enquiry.

6. How we share personal information

We do not sell your personal information.

We may share personal information with trusted service providers where reasonably necessary to operate our business and provide our services.

These may include:

• Payment service providers, including Payfast and PayJustNow;
• Website hosting and technical service providers;
• Website security and maintenance providers;
• Delivery, courier and fulfilment providers;
• Suppliers or laboratories involved in fulfilling an order;
• Accounting, bookkeeping or professional advisers;
• Email and communication providers;
• Analytics providers, where enabled;
• Advertising or social-media platforms, where enabled and permitted;
• Fraud prevention or cybersecurity providers; and
• Government, regulatory, law-enforcement or judicial authorities where disclosure is legally required.

Service providers are permitted to process personal information only for appropriate purposes related to the services they provide, subject to applicable contractual and legal requirements.

7. Delivery and fulfilment

Where an order requires delivery, we may provide relevant information to a courier, delivery company, supplier or fulfilment partner.

This may include your:

• Name;
• Delivery address;
• Telephone number;
• Email address;
• Order reference; and
• Information reasonably required to complete delivery.

We do not provide prescription or other health-related information to delivery providers unless it is genuinely necessary for the service being provided.

8. International transfers of information

Some of our technology or service providers may operate systems or store information outside South Africa.

Where personal information is transferred outside South Africa, we take reasonable steps to ensure that the transfer is made in accordance with POPIA and that appropriate safeguards or other lawful grounds for the transfer are in place.

9. Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against:

• Loss;
• Unauthorised access;
• Unauthorised disclosure;
• Misuse;
• Alteration; and
• Destruction.

Measures may include access controls, authentication, website security measures, encrypted connections and limiting access to personal information to persons who require it for legitimate business purposes.

No internet-based system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. We therefore continually review reasonable measures appropriate to the information we process.

10. Data retention

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected or where retention is required or permitted by law.

The period for which information is retained may depend on:

• The type of information;
• The nature of the transaction;
• Customer-service requirements;
• Warranty or product obligations;
• Accounting and tax requirements;
• Fraud-prevention requirements;
• Legal or regulatory obligations; and
• The need to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

Where information is no longer required, we may delete, destroy or de-identify it, subject to our legal obligations.

11. Your rights

Subject to applicable law, you may have the right to:

• Ask whether we hold personal information about you;
• Request access to personal information we hold about you;
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information;
• Request deletion or destruction of personal information where legally permitted;
• Object to certain processing of your personal information;
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent;
• Object to direct marketing;
• Request information about the identity of third parties who have had access to your information where applicable; and
• Lodge a complaint with the South African Information Regulator.

We may need to verify your identity before processing a privacy request.

Certain information may need to be retained despite a deletion request where retention is required by law, is necessary for an existing contractual or legal obligation, or is otherwise permitted under applicable privacy legislation.

12. Personal information relating to children

Under POPIA, additional protections apply to the personal information of children.

The Site is not intended for persons under the age of 18 to independently enter into purchases or provide personal information without appropriate involvement from a parent, guardian or other legally competent person.

We recognise that parents or guardians may purchase eyewear, contact lenses or other products for children.

Where personal information or prescription information relating to a child is submitted to us, the person submitting that information confirms that they are legally authorised to provide it or have the necessary consent to do so.

13. Third-party websites and services

The Site may contain links to websites or services operated by third parties.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices, security or content of third-party websites. We recommend reviewing the privacy policy of a third-party service before providing personal information to it.

14. Information Regulator

If you believe that your personal information has been processed in a manner that does not comply with POPIA, you may contact us so that we can attempt to resolve the matter.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator (South Africa).

Current Information Regulator contact details and complaint procedures are available from the Information Regulator’s official website.

15. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes to:

• Our business practices;
• Website functionality;
• Service providers;
• Technology;
• Legal or regulatory requirements; or
• Other operational requirements.

The latest version will be published on this page and the “Last updated” date will be revised accordingly.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.

16. Contact us

If you have questions regarding this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise a privacy right, or have concerns about how we process your personal information, please contact:

Eye Online
Privacy / Information Officer
817 Rubenstein Drive
Pretoria
Gauteng
0081
South Africa

Email: ask@eye-online.co.za
Website: eye-online.co.za