{"id":1552,"date":"2016-10-21T21:34:54","date_gmt":"2016-10-21T21:34:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/blog\/?p=1552"},"modified":"2023-07-11T21:21:29","modified_gmt":"2023-07-11T21:21:29","slug":"the-fine-print-8-things-you-should-know-before-signing-up-for-hp-instant-ink","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ldproducts.com\/blog\/the-fine-print-8-things-you-should-know-before-signing-up-for-hp-instant-ink\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Things You Should Know About HP\u00ae Instant Ink\u00ae Before Signing Up"},"content":{"rendered":"

With the recent wave of backlash<\/a> against the HP Instant Ink program<\/a>, it comes as no surprise that more consumers are wondering what’s the HP Instant Ink program and if it’s a service worth subscribing to.<\/span><\/p>\n

People who buy an HP printer most of the time find the HP Instant Ink program thrust upon them without really a chance to do some research on what it is. This article serves to inform HP printer users on what the HP Instant Ink program is and the disclaimers you should know about before signing up. And at the end of the article, we’re hoping that you’ll get a sense of whether or not this service is right for you or not.<\/span><\/p>\n

Let’s dive into the most frequently asked questions<\/strong> about Instant Ink.<\/p>\n

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What is HP Instant Ink?<\/h2>\n

The HP Instant Ink program is monthly service jumping on the subscription bandwagon (similar to Netflix, Amazon’s Subscribe-and-Save, etc.), and with it they are reinventing the way customers buy ink. \u00a0HP may be finally offering their ink for a competitive price with this program, but after years of high cartridge prices, some customers are still understandably apprehensive.<\/span><\/p>\n

What does HP Instant Ink mean?<\/h2>\n

Simply put, it’s a subscription service where HP sends you only the amount of ink you need when you need it. No, it’s not as “instant” as the name suggests. But since it’s a subscription service, in theory, HP will eventually figure out your ordering patterns and ideally send out ink when you’re almost at the end of your current cartridge.<\/span><\/p>\n

What does HP Instant Ink Ready mean?<\/h2>\n

You’ll see the phrase “HP Instant Ink Ready” on most HP printers out in the market today. This only means that the printer can take HP Instant Ink cartridges. Older HP models aren’t programmed to use HP Instant Ink cartridges so you can’t sign up for HP instant ink if it’s for use on older printer models.\u00a0 You can find a list of HP printers that are compatible with Instant Ink here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Do HP Instant Ink cartridges look like regular HP ink cartridges?<\/h2>\n

No, HP instant ink cartridges do not look like regular HP ink cartridges. Instant Ink cartridges are visibly bigger<\/em> and contain more ink than standard and even high yield HP ink cartridges.<\/p>\n

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The idea is for consumers to not need to replace cartridges as often. This theory is flawed if you’re not<\/strong> a frequent printer user, however, as ink tends to dry up when left unused. Even more so if you have a larger cartridge with more ink.<\/p>\n

How does the HP Instant Ink program work?<\/h2>\n

Instead of buying and owning a cartridge outright and printing when needed, Instant Ink requires that you pay to print a predetermined amount of pages each month<\/span> depending on what package you choose. The program comes in different price points so you can choose the plan that suits your printing volume best. Replacement cartridges get sent to you as your current cartridge hits empty.\u00a0 There is no long term contract with HP Instant ink, just a month-to-month commitment, so you can cancel at anytime (be sure to read up on how to cancel<\/a> as it can get tricky) and if your printing needs ever change, you can always upgrade or downgrade your plan.<\/p>\n

Instant Ink is offered at five different <\/span>price points<\/span><\/a>1<\/sup>. Regardless if you print in color or black and white, any page that comes out of your printer counts as one print.\u00a0 If you don’t print your allotted page amount every month, HP rolls over a select number of unused pages.<\/span><\/p>\n

HP now has two versions of their Instant Ink subscription service: the original Instant Ink plan, which works with ink cartridges and select HP inkjet printers, and they recently rolled out a toner subscription service, which works with toner cartridges and select HP laser printers. Both programs are branded under the “HP Instant Ink” umbrella\u00a0 and even though “ink” is in the name,\u00a0 the service includes ink or toner subscription options.\u00a0 We have included monthly pricing details and page limits for either service below.<\/p>\n

As of June 23, 2023:<\/span><\/p>\n

\n \n \n \n \n \n <\/colgroup>\n \n\n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n
HP Instant Ink | Ink Subscription Plan Costs<\/th><\/td><\/td><\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Monthly Price<\/strong><\/td>Monthly Page Limit<\/strong><\/td>Unused Rollover Page Limit<\/strong><\/td> <\/tr>\n
$0.99 <\/td>10 pages \/ month<\/td>45 pages<\/td> <\/tr>\n
$3.99<\/td>50 pages \/ month<\/td>150 pages<\/td> <\/tr>\n
$5.99<\/td>100 pages \/ month<\/td>300 pages<\/td> <\/tr>\n
$11.99 <\/td>300 pages \/ month<\/td>900 pages<\/td> <\/tr>\n
$24.99 <\/td>700 pages \/ month<\/td>2,100 pages<\/td> <\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n <\/table>\n