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.
When purchasing a printer, one approach to saving money is to consider the total cost of ownership, which includes both the printer’s purchase price and the cost of consumables for however many pages you want to print over the course of its lifetime. When making that estimate, you should investigate having an ink or toner subscription plan with a fixed rate to fit your monthly printing requirements or purchasing supplies in bulk—for instance, with an inkjet printer that uses refillable ink bottles rather than cartridges.
Both strategies—subscriptions and buying in bulk—are gaining popularity. For record-low running costs for both consumers and companies, many printer manufacturers have produced inkjet and laser printers that offer one or the other. For instance, HP’s Instant Ink program offers various monthly levels of ink and toner delivery that might result in significant savings, especially if you print a lot of color pages. Canon has a more constrained version, while Brother has released a similar application. Along with Epson, all three businesses also sell printers that come with bulk-buyable ink or toner.
A quick reminder about the monthly fees for all the subscription plans described below: They are based on the number of pages printed rather than the number of cartridges used. Whether it’s black text, a mix of text and color graphics, a presentation handout with a solid color background, or a photo, each page counts the same. So, the more you print in color, especially with heavy ink coverage on a typical page, the more money you’ll save. Similarly, a subscription will be the most cost-effective if you print close to the maximum allowed for the tier you’ve paid for while not exceeding the limit.
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.
Signing up for Instant Ink is integrated into the printer setup process, which guides you through the process of choosing between several Instant Ink tiers or the traditional model of buying ink at retail stores or online when you run low. The number of pages included in each Instant Ink plan per month is specified.
If you install HP Plus printers to take advantage of HP Plus, you will receive a free six-month Instant Ink subscription at any tier. (For more information on the differences between the two programmes, see our guide to HP Plus vs. HP Instant Ink vs. HP Smart.) Depending on how much you print, this alone can result in significant savings. And, whether you sign up for HP Plus or not, some printers, such as the HP Office Jet Pro 8035e, include an additional month of free ink.
However, there is a catch to HP Plus’s free six months of ink: To take advantage of it, you must agree to use genuine HP cartridges for the life of the printer, regardless of whether you continue with the subscription or purchase cartridges elsewhere. This won’t be an issue if you don’t intend to use third-party cartridges. However, if you were planning on trying them after your free subscription expires, it’s possible—the printer will enforce the agreement by looking for HP chips in your cartridges. In that case, you’ll have to weigh both options to determine whether receiving six months of free ink will save you money over the life of the printer.
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.
Again, if you print mostly in black and white (and especially if your average monthly output isn’t close to the maximum for the tier you’re paying for), buying cartridges the old-fashioned way may save you money. This is also true for similar plans from other manufacturers.
HP uses “smart” cartridges that monitor your ink or toner usage and the number of pages you print, ordering and sending replacement cartridges over the internet when you run out. For the plan to work, your printer must be connected to the internet, and you may be unable to print if the printer is offline for an extended period of time. If you cancel your subscription, your Instant Ink cartridges will be deactivated, and you will need to purchase standard cartridges to use your printer again.
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.
With a spare, high-yield compatible HP printer cartridge on hand, you’ll never have to rush to the nearest office supply store when your current cartridge runs out of ink.
You can print a variety of documents without worrying about exceeding your monthly quota.
If you are serious about doing so, there are better ways to keep printing costs under control.