HP increases ink subscription prices - a good reason to cancel now
22.12.2023
Translation: machine translated
It's been two years since the last price increase. Now HP's ink subscription is getting more expensive once again - and by a lot. This means that the model is probably no longer worthwhile for some users.
HP puts the price increase under the Christmas tree. My HP Instant Ink subscription with a quota of 50 pages per month now costs 6.25 francs instead of the previous 4.90. Sounds manageable at first glance. Just over 16 francs more per year is the equivalent of only three Zurich espressos.
But it's not just about the money, it's also about the principle. But first the money. If I look at the three price points per plan that have been in place since the model was launched, the curve for the heavy printers in particular is now going up significantly at 1500 pages per month. The increase is also noticeable for 300 and 500 pages.
However, if I convert the two increases from 2022 and January 2024 to the price per page, it becomes clear that HP is making low printers in particular pay more. If a page from my 50-page quota initially cost me 7.9 cents, it's now 12 cents - an increase of over 60 per cent. Those who have the smallest monthly plan will be hit even harder. Instead of the original 10 cents per page, 22.5 cents will soon be due.
Admittedly: The printer ink plan has one big advantage: you always have an automatic supply at home when a cartridge runs out. You pay more for this all-round carefree service than if you were to organise a replacement yourself when the time comes.
I want to know how much the surcharge is. I go to the shop to find a combination pack of cartridges with black and the three basic colours that fit my HP 8024.
Thanks to the price trend feature, I can look up the sales prices since the beginning of 2021. In the first quarter, the cartridges cost a maximum of 48 francs. With a few fluctuations over time, the price in the current fourth quarter of 2023 is no higher than 45 francs. In other words: HP cartridges have not become more expensive. I could even have bought them for well under 40 francs from time to time on sale.
Combination pack or individual purchase - are there price differences?
Is it perhaps only the combination pack with black that is so stable in price? To find out, I also look at the prices of the individual cartridges. The black cartridge once cost around 18 francs and is now just under 20 francs. The yellow cartridge has gone from around 12 francs to just over 13 francs. Magenta has remained stable over two years at just under 13 francs.
These are moderate price increases at best, which can even be explained by higher manufacturing costs - keyword inflation. In contrast, HP has increased the price of its ink subscription much, much more in the same period.
When I buy my own ink cartridges, the price per page is no more than four cents. With the ink subscription, for example, each page costs me over eight cents per month in the 100-page quota. Only with the 1500-page quota do I get a page price that might justify a plan. The 4.3 cents per page is only just more than if you buy the cartridges yourself.
Instant Ink can be worthwhile, but it's not for me
Of course, my calculation also depends on what I print. For me, it's usually the occasional return label for Galaxus, a voucher or a document. A lot of black and white, actually some colour. I get very far with purchased cartridges anyway. What's more, I rarely use the full quota of the Instant Ink plan, which theoretically means I end up with an even higher price per page. However, if you regularly print photos, for example, your bill may look different.
In 2021, I wrote that the ink subscription was a good deal. Is it still a good deal today? No, HP started out with an attractive offer, but has apparently since switched to treating the customers it acquired as milking cows. In the e-mail in which I, as a customer, was informed about the "important tariff changes", no one even bothered to justify the price increases in any way. High time for me to get out of the plan again. It's simply a matter of principle for me.
Cover photo: Martin Jungfer
Martin Jungfer
Head of Content
Martin.Jungfer@digitecgalaxus.chJournalist since 1997. Stopovers in Franconia (or the Franken region), Lake Constance, Obwalden, Nidwalden and Zurich. Father since 2014. Expert in editorial organisation and motivation. Focus on sustainability, home office tools, beautiful things for the home, creative toys and sports equipment.
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