Alternatives to Expensive Ink Cartridges

While the cost of printer has dropped steadily, the price of name brand ink cartridges continues to rise in many areas. What alternatives do cost-conscious consumer have?

Many major office supply retailer will offer their own store-branded in cartridges for an average of $12-$14 cheaper than name brands. For many businesses this is a viable alternative.

Other brands of compatible ink cartridges are available from online stores. These outlets offer a quality product at about half he cost of the brand-name cartridges. Many will provide free delivery of ink cartridges when bought in quantity.

Another, less-desirable after-market alternative is to buy from refillers or remanufacturers. These companies buy used cartridges and refill them with ink for a fraction of the cost of a brand name cartridge. However, the quality of ink used is not as high as with the brands or compatibles, and their failure rate is also higher.

When deciding on which type of cartridge to purchase, consumers should look at the "big picture." Money saved initially may be wasted by a higher failure rate and a lower output of pages printed.

Bottom line: the consumer must choose which option is best for them when purchasing ink cartridges.