Membership fees and how to pay
ABDO offers affordable membership for dispensing opticians, optometrists, student dispensing opticians and optical assistants.
ABDO welcomes dispensing opticians, optometrists, students and others working in optics as members.
If you are based in the UK you can pay by monthly direct debit making it even more affordable.
Remember that you may be able to claim your professional membership fees against tax, and make the most of the ABDO member benefits to save even more.
Membership fees
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- Full: fully qualified dispensing optician (DO) residing in the UK: £345.00 annually / £34.50 per month by direct debit*
- Reduced Full: optometry student or pre-reg optometrist, working less than 125 days per annum (approx. 2½ days per week), and other special circumstances, only as agreed with ABDO Membership Services: £258.00 annually / £25.80 per month by direct debit*
- Associate: optometrist, DO not employed in optics for one year or more, professional with an interest in optics (not qualified as FBDO), unqualified dispenser not on a dispensing course, DO practicing in certain countries: £211.00 annually / £21.10 per month by direct debit*
- Maternity/Paternity/special circumstances: those on maternity or paternity leave, or those in other special circumstances as agreed with ABDO Membership Services: £62.00
- Elder: Fully retired– state pension age: £31.00
- Full (overseas): DO residing overseas (including Eire, Isle of Man, Channel Islands, Australia, Canada, USA, EU, UAE, NZ) £227.00
- International Full: DO residing overseas (Malaysia, African nations, India, Indonesia and Indian Ocean): £57.00
- Student (UK): unqualified student on day-release, college or ABDO College dispensing course: applying between 1 April and 30 November: £55.00, applying between 1 December and 31 March: £110.00
- Student (overseas): Eire, Isle of Man, Channel Islands, Australia, Canada, USA, EU, UAE, NZ unqualified student on day-release, college or ABDO College dispensing course, residence overseas: applying between 1 April and 30 November: £55.00, applying between 1 December and 31 March:£110.00
- International Student (Malaysia, African nations, India, Indonesia and Indian Ocean): student residing in any of the listed countries: £25.00
Professional indemnity insurance for Dispensing Opticians
- Available to UK qualified dispensing opticians: £45.00
Professional indemnity insurance for Contact lens Opticians
- Available to UK qualified contact lens opticians: £55.00
Professional indemnity insurance for Extended services (MECs)
- Available to UK qualified Extended Services (MECs) opticians : £75.00
To apply for ABDO Professional Indemnity Insurance visit your members dashboard.
*Direct debits must be drawn from a UK bank. Direct debits are taken over 10 months from February to November.
More information about becoming a member
The membership year is 1 January to 31 December.
Renewal notices for the forthcoming year are emailed to all members in early
December.
If you join us from May onwards, you will only be charged a pro-rata fee for the
remainder of the current membership year.
ABDO offers the convenience of a Direct Debit scheme, that enables you to spread your payments over the year. We offer annual, half-yearly, quarterly or monthly payment plans, all of which run between February – November.
Methods of payment
Online
To pay your membership online you will need to log in and view your personal member dashboard, where you will see an option to settle any outstanding balances. If you have a current direct debit active, this would need cancelling via the membership department before an online payment can be made.
Direct Debit
If you have an outstanding balance and would like to set up a new direct debit, please look for the option to set this up on your member dashboard once logged in.
Please note – direct debit option is only available from your first renewal. New joiners in their first year of membership will be required to pay the full sum via our online application available via the Join ABDO options.
Bank Transfer
If you would prefer to pay via bank transfer, please contact us for the required account information.
For any queries in relation to any of the above, please contact us at
membership@abdo.org.uk or 01227 733922 / 733911.