One of the most common issues with printers: The cost of the ink and toner is too high. You can spend a lot of money refilling cartridges, which can quickly run out of ink or, in the case of inkjet printers used infrequently, dry out and clog nozzles, causing you to waste a lot of ink during cleaning procedures. Printer instant ink becomes more cost-effective as the printer’s price rises. Following the conventional marketing tactic of giving away razors to sell blades, the least expensive printers and all-in-ones typically have the greatest expense per printed page.
Subscription-Based Savings with HP Instant Ink
HP launched its subscription-based Instant Ink program in 2013, and it has since gained over 9 million subscribers. The plan includes laser toner as well as many HP inkjets (opens in a new window). At the time of writing, it is only available for two laser models, the HP LaserJet MFP M234dwe and LaserJet MFP 209dwe, but the company promises that it will be available for all future models that support HP Plus (a.k.a. HP+), as well as some that do not. In general, Instant Ink-eligible printers include both home and office models, as well as PCMag Editors’ Choice award winners such as the Officejet Pro 9015e.
How Much Does Instant Ink Cost?
Subscribers to Instant Ink can choose from five plans, or tiers, each priced monthly with a different set of ink and toner prices. Your monthly fee, which is subject to change (and has previously changed), covers ink or toner, shipping, and recycling of used cartridges.
At the time of writing, the following are the price tiers for inkjet printers:
- Up to 15 pages for 99 cents per month.
- Up to 50 pages for $2.99 per month.
- Up to 100 pages are only $4.99 per month.
- Up to 300 pages for $11.99 per month.
- Up to 700 pages for $24.99 per month.
A 15-page-per-month tier used to be free, and it still is for existing customers, but new subscribers pay 99 cents. The laser tiers are as follows:
- Up to 50 pages for $1.99 per month.
- Up to 100 pages for $3.99 per month.
- Up to 400 pages for $13.99 per month.
- Up to 800 pages for $19.99 per month.
The monthly fee is $25.99 for up to 1,500 pages.
If you go over your allotment, you’ll be charged $1 for an additional 10 to 15 pages (depending on your plan). If you don’t use all your pages, you’ll still be charged for each month according to the tier you signed up for, but you can roll over up to three months’ worth of inkjet pages to use if you go over the number allowed in future monthly allotments (two months’ worth for lasers). And while HP refers to Instant Ink as a subscription, there is no contract—you can cancel your plan at any time or upgrade to a different tier that better suits your needs.
Words To Remember
HP Instant Ink is an excellent substitute for standard HP printer cartridges. However, they are more expensive than compatible and after-market printer cartridges. There is a reason why an increasing number of people are purchasing compatible printer cartridges.
