Glasses Direct: How I Got Two Pairs of Armani Exchange Prescription Glasses for £66.81 (Codes + Free Second Pair + Cashback)

Last verified: 8 September 2026 · By The Cashback Chap

In May I ordered two pairs of Armani Exchange prescription glasses from Glasses Direct. List price for the two: £258. I paid £78.60. Then TopCashback paid me £11.79 back. Two branded, prescription pairs — one of them with upgraded lenses — for £66.81, delivered free by Royal Mail. That's 74% off, and not one part of it was luck: Glasses Direct always has a free-second-pair deal running, always has a 30–70% code live, and cashback sits on top of both.

This is the complete guide: how Glasses Direct works, every offer it runs, how cashback stacks (and the code-vs-cashback rule that trips people up), my order line by line, and how to repeat it.

Disclosure: cashback links here are my referral links — free for you (you get a £10 bonus), and they fund orders like this one.

What Glasses Direct is (and is it trustworthy?)

Glasses Direct is one of the UK's longest-running online opticians (since 2004), headquartered in Manchester's City Tower. You enter your prescription from your last eye test, choose frames and lenses online, and glasses arrive in the post — with a free home trial to try frames on first and a returns window if they're wrong.

Trust-wise: 4 stars on Trustpilot from 283,000+ reviews, which for an online optician at this volume is strong. Reddit threads are more 50/50 — the recurring debate is lens quality versus a high-street optician's, and the honest answer is that it depends what you order. Standard single-vision lenses in the frames I bought have been fine; complex prescriptions and varifocals are where the high street's fitting service earns its premium (more on that below). From a cashback point of view, my order tracked and paid without a claim.

The offers Glasses Direct always has running

This is the part that makes Glasses Direct different from most retailers: the "sale" is permanent. There's always one of each of these live.

1. The free second pair (2-for-1 from £49)

Buy one frame and choose a second frame free, as long as both are in the same order. The free pair comes with clear single-vision basic lenses; you pay only if you upgrade its lenses. Two details most people miss:

• The second pair can be a different prescription — handy for a partner's pair, or reading vs distance.
• You can add a tint to the free pair and turn it into prescription sunglasses (UV400).

At the budget end this becomes the famous "2 pairs for £15": pick two £49 frames, keep basic lenses ("continue with basic lenses" at checkout), pay £15 in total.

2. A 30–70% code, every month

Glasses Direct publishes rotating codes — and the ones shown on the TopCashback listing are the safe ones to use (see the cashback rule below). This month's, straight from my account:

Code	What it does
70SEPT	70% off all lenses in Premium Designer frames
AFFSEP6530	65% off lenses + 30% off frames + free delivery (min spend £30)
SEPSAVE	Up to 45% off your order (excludes PD and £9 frames)

Other published codes floating around: GLASSES40 (40% off frames £49+, free second pair), 30ALL (30% off everything over £49), MSE5060 via MoneySavingExpert (60% off lenses, 50% frames). One code per order, so match it to your basket: heavy lens upgrades → a lenses code; designer frames → 70SEPT-type; simple pair → a %-off-order code.

3. Premium Designer frames at high-street-half prices

Armani Exchange, Ray-Ban, Oakley and the rest sit in the Premium Designer range. My two AX frames were £82 each at list — before the second one became free and a code took another chunk off.

Cashback: the extra layer — and the rule that decides your rate

Glasses Direct is listed on TopCashback at up to 22%, but the rate you get depends on how you buy. From my account today:

Purchase type	Cashback
Online purchase over £16, no voucher code	22% (Exclusive)
Purchase using a voucher code	15% (Exclusive)
Online purchase under £16	1%

So there's a genuine decision: skip the code and take 22%, or use the code and take 15%. The maths almost always favours the code, because Glasses Direct's codes are worth 30–70%, while the cashback difference is 7% of the smaller amount you end up paying. On my order the code saved £41 and cost me about £5.50 in lower cashback. Not close.

When it would be close: a small basket with no lens upgrades where the only live code is a modest %-off-order — then 22% on the full price can edge it. Do the sum both ways in 30 seconds before checkout.

Two more rules from the listing's exclusions: only use codes posted on the TopCashback page (an unlisted code can void cashback entirely), and cashback is calculated on the goods price excluding VAT, delivery and fees — which is why my £11.79 is 15% of the £78.60 I paid.

My order, line by line

Two pairs, both Armani Exchange, both distance prescription:

Line	Amount
AX3050 Matte Grey/Transparent Grey — frame £82 + distance lenses £30	£112
AX1074 Matte Black — frame £82 + upgraded distance lenses £64	£146
Subtotal (list)	£258
Free second pair (one frame free)	−£82
Coupon AFFLASH	−£41
Extra discount (site promotion)	−£56.40
Tracked delivery (Royal Mail)	£0
Paid	£78.60
TopCashback (15%, voucher-code rate)	−£11.79
Net for two designer prescription pairs	£66.81

Note the lens pricing: £30 for standard distance lenses on one pair, £64 for the upgraded lenses on the other — that £34 difference is exactly the kind of thing the lens-focused codes (65–70% off lenses) are designed to attack. If you're upgrading to thinned or premium lenses, choose your code for the lenses, not the frames.

How to repeat this, step by step

1. Get your prescription from your last eye test (you're entitled to a copy) and your PD (pupillary distance) if it's on there — Glasses Direct can help you measure it, but codes like SEPSAVE exclude PD-only orders.
2. Use the free home trial if you're unsure on frames — try up to several at home, send them back free.
3. Open TopCashback → Glasses Direct, note the live codes on the listing, and click through (join here for a £10 bonus).
4. Build the order: pair one with the lenses you want; add pair two and take the free second frame (tint it for sunglasses if you like).
5. Pick one code — lens-heavy order → lenses code; otherwise %-off-order — and do the 22%-vs-15% sum if the basket is small.
6. Check out in the same session, don't pay with gift cards, and expect the cashback to show as pending within a couple of days and confirm after the returns window (my payout-times data).

Lens options, varifocals and who this isn't for

• Single vision (distance or reading) is where online opticians shine; Glasses Direct's basic lenses are included, with thinning and coatings as paid upgrades — that's what the lens codes are for.
• Varifocals are available and heavily searched, but fitting matters: if you've never worn them, a first pair from a high-street optician who measures you in person is the safer route; reorder online once you know what works.
• Complex or very high prescriptions: check the lens thickness advice on the site — thinning upgrades are worth it and the 65–70% lens codes make them affordable.
• Students: Glasses Direct runs a student offer (recently 50% / 2-for-1 frames) via student verification — compare it against the public codes on the day.

FAQ — real questions people ask Google

Is there a 50% discount code for Glasses Direct? Codes at 45–70% are normal here — this month SEPSAVE (up to 45% off your order) and lens codes at 65–70% are live on TopCashback's listing. My order came to 70% off list once the free second pair and a code were combined.

Is there a promotional code for Glasses Direct? Always — they rotate monthly. Use one shown on the TopCashback Glasses Direct page so it doesn't void your cashback, and pick lens-focused or frame-focused depending on your basket.

Is Glasses Direct trustworthy? Yes: 4 stars from 283,000+ Trustpilot reviews, UK-based (Manchester) since 2004, free home trial and returns. My own order arrived as described, tracked and paid cashback without a claim. Lens quality debates online mostly concern complex prescriptions and varifocals.

What is the Glasses Direct 2 for 15 offer? Pick two £49 frames, keep the included clear single-vision basic lenses ("continue with basic lenses"), and the total is £15 for both pairs. It's the entry-level version of the free-second-pair deal.

Can I buy one pair of glasses and get one free? Yes — Glasses Direct's free second pair is permanent. Buy both in one order; the second frame is free with basic lenses, can be a different prescription, and can be tinted into prescription sunglasses.

Do I need a second pair of glasses? A spare or a prescription sunglasses pair is the obvious use — and because it's free apart from lens upgrades, it's the cheapest insurance against losing or breaking your main pair.

Do you get your first pair of glasses free? No — you pay for the first pair; it's the second frame that's free. New customers also get a welcome offer on their first order, and cashback (up to 22%) on top.

Do you get two pairs of glasses at Specsavers? Specsavers runs its own 2-for-1 on selected ranges in store. The difference is price ceiling and stacking: Glasses Direct's version works on designer frames, combines with a 30–70% code, and pays 15–22% cashback — which is how two Armani Exchange pairs came to £66.81.

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My order and cashback figures are from my own Glasses Direct and TopCashback accounts (screenshots shown), May–September 2026. Codes and cashback rates rotate monthly — verify on the day. Sources: TopCashback Glasses Direct listing and vouchers · Glasses Direct — free second pair · Glasses Direct — 2 pairs for £15 · Trustpilot — Glasses Direct · MoneySavingExpert.