If you’ve ever considered purchasing a HP printer, you’ve likely come across the term HP Instant Ink. HP has been pushing this service hard for several years, as it represents good value in the long-run for both home use and businesses.
But what exactly is HP Instant Ink, and is it worth signing up to when purchasing a HP printer? We’ve created this guide to explain everything you need to know.
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What is HP Instant Ink?
HP Instant Ink is a subscription service that automatically ships ink or toner over to you whenever your HP printer is running low. You also have the option of adding paper to the subscription.
Both Home and Business plans are available, with the cost depending on your expected quantity of pages you’ll be printing each month.
Unused pages can be rolled over month to month, with new cartridges and toners automatically ordered when your printer detects a low supply. HP Instant Ink is only available with select HP printers.
HP says you can cancel the subscription at any time, either online or via phone.
How much does HP Instant Ink cost?
There are several plans available for HP Instant Ink, with fees varying depending on the number of pages you expect to print per month.
You can check out the cost of the home office plans below:
- 10 pages per month – $0.99/£0.99 per month
- 50 pages per month – $3.99/£2.99 per month
- 100 pages per month – $5.99/£4.49 per month
- 300 pages per month – $11.99/£9.99 per month
- 700 pages per month – $24.99/£22.49 per month
If your ink use exceeds your chosen plan, then HP says you’ll automatically purchase sets of 10-20 pages (pages per set varying depending on your plan) for $1.00.
For businesses that require a lot more ink/toner, you can find the available plans below:
- 200 pages per month – $7.990/£7.99 per month
- 400 pages per month – $13.99/£12.99 per month
- 800 pages per month – $19.99/£17.99 per month
- 1500 pages per month – $25.99/£22.99 per month
- 3000 pages per month – $39.99/£35.99 per month
The business plans also allow you to supply ink and toner to multiple offices under the same bill. Recycling costs are included in the subscription too, with cartridge shipments arriving with prepaid shipping labels from Planet Partners.
HP Instant Ink plans are significantly more cost effective than purchasing individual cartridges. A HP 301 black ink cartridge is priced at £26.95 on Amazon, with a 190 page yield. Via HP Instant Ink, can get 300 pages worth of ink for just £9.99.
However, HP Instant Ink is only really worthwhile to people who will be printing at least 10 pages per month. You could sign up for just one month, but then you’ll need to go through the hassle of subscribing and then cancelling.
If you only need a printer for the occasional printing job, then you’ll be better off buying a printer that uses ink bottles for more cost-effective refills. Check out our best printer roundup for more options.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
