When you are getting ready to change your HP printer ink supplies, chances are good that you’ve heard the terms “HP Instant Ink” and “HP standard Ink.” It can be confusing to decide whether to sign up for HP Instant Ink or stick with standard ink cartridges because the company is advertising its program so heavily and claims that it is one of the best and cheapest programs.
With HP Instant Ink and its in-house refill technology, you no longer have to wait for your ink cartridges to be refilled, saving you a lot of time. Hp Instant Ink delivers your ink cartridge or toner even before it ends at your doorstep. This is possible by connecting your ink monitor with the HP Instant Ink Program.
But you know everything has some good and bad sides. Similarly, there are many advantages and disadvantages of HP Instant Ink program that you must know. So, the question is whether subscribing to HP Instant Ink is a good idea or not.
If you want to make the most of your money, read on in order to find out everything you need to know about the HP Instant Ink service.
WHAT IS HP INSTANT INK PROGRAM?
HP Instant Ink is a subscription service that will order new ink cartridges for your HP printer every month when the ink runs out. It operates with WiFi-enabled HP printers (both laser and inkjet) to decrease your ink cost and simplify your routine. It offers features that ensure sustainable, convenient, and hassle-free ink and toner subscription services.
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You have to pay for the number of printed pages as HP provides different packages that vary according to the printed number of pages. There are controversial views about the cost-effectiveness of HP Instant Ink as some consider it expensive while others classify it as inexpensive.
For further understanding and knowing HP Instant Ink, keep reading.
HOW DOES HP INSTANT INK WORK?
HP Instant Ink works in three simple steps:
- Selecting A Pricing Plan: HP Instant Ink is equally suitable for you whether you print less or more. The subscription package includes toner or ink and hassle-free delivery.
- Shipping Ink or Toner: As your printer’s ink levels drop, you won’t have to worry about running out. HP Instant Ink automatically ships a replacement cartridge. The cartridges are shipped even before they are finished.
- Enjoying Flexibility: HP Instant Ink provides you flexibility for either changing or canceling your plan anytime. In case, you have not used your pages, then they move to the next month automatically.
WHAT TYPE OF PRICING PLANS ARE OFFERED BY HP INSTANT INK?
HP Instant Ink charges its customers according to the number of printed pages instead of ink or cartridge used. There are five different subscription plans of HP Instant Ink. A quick overview of these plans are given below:
| Type of Printer | Type of Package | Number of Pages Per Month | Cost Per Month |
| Inkjet Printer | Light | 15 | $0.99 |
| Inkjet Printer | Occasional | 50 | $3.99 |
| Inkjet Printer | Moderate | 100 | $5.99 |
| Inkjet Printer | Frequent | 300 | $11.99 |
| Inkjet Printer | Business | 700 | $24.99 |
| Laser Printer | Light | 50 | $1.99 |
| Laser Printer | Occasional | 100 | $3.99 |
| Laser Printer | Moderate | 400 | $13.99 |
| Laser Printer | Frequent | 800 | $19.99 |
| Laser Printer | Business | 1,500 | $25.99 |
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF HP INSTANT INK?
ADVANTAGES
Some of the advantages of HP Instant Ink are discussed below:
- Automatic Monitoring of Printer Ink or Toner
The most important benefit of HP Instant Ink is the automatic monitoring of the printer’s ink or toner. It will make your life stress-free and enable you to focus on your work instead of worrying about these micro things. It takes care of every print you wish to make and promises fine quality every time.
- Cut the Costs linked with Refills and Cartridge Shopping
Think, if suddenly you get out of ink and you have to take an important print for a meeting or doctor’s visit. Then, it will create an exceptionally stressful situation for you. You will have to wait even if you order online.
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Furthermore, in the case of buying from a physical store, the increasing traffic will further enhance the cost of ink. However, subscribing to HP Instant Ink will cut all costs linked with cartridge shopping and refills.
- Ink Cartridges are Delivered at Home
Hp Instant Ink promises to provide you with a timely ink cartridge sustainably and conveniently by delivering it to your doorstep. It assures an uninterrupted flow of work and enables you to work more effectively as you will get your ink cartridge before it runs out.
- Cost Savings in Color Printing
The subscription plans are based upon the number of printed pages instead of ink consumed. This offers you a huge saving potential especially while taking color prints. After subscribing to HP Instant Ink, you need not worry about increasing the costs of colored prints; rather you can easily enrich your report with colored images.
- Unused Pages are Rolled to Next Month
Another inspiring benefit of HP Instant Ink is that unused pages are rolled over to the next month. This is another way through which it saves the costs associated with printing.
- Easy Recycling
Recycling helps to reduce your carbon footprint and contribute positively to the environment. Hp Instant Ink helps to recycle the used cartridge by shipping it back for processing.
- Start or Cancel Subscription Anytime
You can either start or cancel your subscription at any moment. When you feel hectic with the number of pages you need to print or if your cartridge runs out, all you have to do is subscribe to HP Instant Ink and cancel when you don’t have too much work to print.
DISADVANTAGES
Some of the disadvantages of HP Instant Ink are discussed below:
- The Printer Needs to be Connected All Time
One downside of HP Instant Ink is that your printer always has to be connected with WiFi which can be troublesome if your printer gets stuck in offline mode.
- The Printed Page May Not Fulfill Your Expectation
HP defines a printed page as a page upon which any amount of the ink is placed by the printer. For instance, if you request printing a page with only a few lines of text, then it counts as your monthly total.
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The users can address this problem by introducing a set of printing guidelines. It will enable users to be mindful of all pages that are sent to the printer especially if they are on the budget.
- HP May Breach Your Privacy
HP Instant Ink may breach your privacy by continuously communicating with your monitor and tracking your pages and ink usage. Furthermore, when you sign up for HP Instant Ink then you should expect to be asked to agree with a lot of privacy-related terms and conditions which may be problematic for some users.
- Ineffective Customer Support
Most of the reviewers have highlighted that users have to wait for a long time to get customer support. You have to go through a long testing process before obtaining what you want like a new printer cartridge. Their customer support is not good.
SAVING POTENTIAL OF HP INSTANT INK
The data regarding the shipping of the new HP InkJet Cartridge and the cost of color vs black and white pages highlights that HP Instant Ink possesses more than 50% saving potential for ink and toner.
The savings may be even greater than 50% in the case of offices, busy households, and small businesses. However, it may not be applicable in the case of massive use.
PRICE COMPARISON WITH COMPETITORS
The best way to assess HP Instant Ink regarding price is to do a price comparison with its competitors. The price comparison of HP Instant Ink with original cartridges and compatible private label ink you buy is done below:
| Number of Pages | HP Instant Ink (cents) | HP Original 364XLHP Store NL (cents) | HP Original 364XLInktweb.nl (cents) | Private labelInktweb.nl (cents) |
| 50 | 6 | 3 | 2.6 | 0.4 |
| 100 | 5 | 3 | 2.6 | 0.4 |
| 300 | 3.3 | 3 | 2.6 | 0.4 |
| 700 | 3.3 | 3 | 2.6 | 0.4 |
The price comparison reveals that HP Instant Ink is costlier as compared to other options. Despite the fact that third-party ink cartridges cost less, they may also void your printer warranty and can cause damage to the physical components of your HP printer and its performance as well.
CONCLUSION – FINAL THOUGHTS!
HP Instant Ink is one of the best printing partners as it not only delivers ink or toner sustainably but also improves your productivity. The cost of HP Instant Ink may vary in different cases and depends upon your extent of usage.
Therefore, it can be expensive for some users, however, at the same time, it is inexpensive for other users. Hopefully, you now have a clear idea of the advantages and disadvantages of HP Instant Ink, which should help you make an informed choice.