HIDDEN FEE
Printer ink & toner
Ink cartridgesTonerCost per page
Many printers are sold cheaply because the manufacturer makes its money on ink or toner over the printer’s life. The meaningful number is cost per page, not the box price — a cheap printer with dear cartridges can cost far more over a few years than a dearer printer with cheaper consumables.
Where it applies
How to avoid or shrink it
- Compare cost per page and the price of replacement cartridges, not just the printer’s sticker price.
- Consider high-yield cartridges or refillable-tank printers if you print a lot.
- Factor a realistic few years of your own printing volume into the true cost.
THE HONEST CAVEAT
A cheap printer is not automatically a bad deal — for very light printers the running cost is small. It is high-volume printing where cheap hardware with dear ink hurts most.
Count it in your true total
Run a specific booking through the calculator and this fee is counted — sourced, dated and confidence-graded alongside everything else the headline price leaves out.
Back to the full fee glossary, or browse the Hidden-Fee Index.