Know what your printing costs
Printer Cost per Page, Explained
Understand your page charges, check the full monthly cost and see where your office could be spending less.
On this page
Cost per page is the amount charged for a printed or copied page under your service agreement. Your monthly bill may also include a machine rental, a minimum service charge or other fees. Check all of these before comparing printer costs.
A printed page is not always a sheet of paper
One sheet of paper has two sides. Printing on both sides saves paper, but it can still count as two printed pages on your bill. A3 pages may be counted differently from A4, so check the rules in your agreement.
Black-and-white and colour printing usually have separate rates. A small colour logo can make a page count as colour, even if most of the text is black. Use black-and-white settings for documents that do not need colour.
Scanning creates a digital file rather than a printed page. Check separately for any scanning software or licence charges.
Understand the three common ways to pay
Pay for the pages you use
Your equipment payment is added to the charges for black-and-white and colour pages. Check whether a minimum service charge also applies.
A plan with included pages
A fixed fee includes a set number of pages. Extra pages are charged at the agreed rate. Ask whether unused pages carry over.
A minimum service charge
A minimum amount is payable even if you print very little. Ask how it is calculated and whether colour and black-and-white have separate minimums.
Your quote may combine these arrangements. Ask the supplier to show what you would pay in a normal month.
Estimate the monthly cost from your quote
Enter the amounts from your own quote below. Use figures that all include VAT or all exclude VAT. Choose the payment structure that matches the quote.
Your entries stay in your browser and are not sent to RAC or saved. This estimate excludes paper, electricity, insurance and costs you have not entered. It does not handle separate minimums for colour and black-and-white, annual increases or carried-over pages. Your written quote determines the actual charges.
Look at the full cost of running the machine
A page rate may include toner and maintenance. It does not necessarily include the machine rental, paper or every repair. Check the cover before adding costs, so you do not count an included item twice.
If the monthly rental stays the same but you print fewer pages, each page carries a larger share of that fixed cost. Your average cost per page can rise even when the supplier has not changed the page rate.
Compare several normal months rather than one unusually quiet month. This gives you a better basis for choosing equipment and service cover.
Check your printer bill in six steps
- Check the machine serial number and the dates on the invoice.
- Compare the previous and current meter readings.
- Subtract the earlier reading to find the pages used during that period.
- Apply any included pages or minimum service charges.
- Check the page rates and any agreed increases.
- Add fixed fees and check whether VAT is included.
If the total does not match, ask your provider to explain the difference. Keep the readings and invoice together so the query is easy to resolve.
Turn a clearer bill into a better printing setup
Paying less is not just about finding a lower page rate. An ageing printer, several expensive desktop devices or an oversized machine can all add unnecessary costs. The right choice balances running costs with the work your team needs to do.
RAC’s free print cost assessment helps identify those opportunities. We review your current spend and recommend a Toshiba printer or photocopier with suitable capacity and support. You can compare the proposed costs before deciding.
Ask us to review your printing costs, or read our printer rental pricing guide for the factors that affect a quote.
Straightforward answers
Common questions
Will double-sided printing halve my printing bill?
It can reduce paper use, but it will not necessarily halve page charges. A double-sided sheet may still count as two printed pages. Check your agreement.
Does A3 printing cost the same as A4?
Not always. The machine counters and service agreement determine how A3 pages are counted and charged. Ask for this to be explained in your quote.
Is toner included in the page rate?
It can be included in the agreed service plan. Check toner, maintenance, parts, labour and call-outs separately so you know what is covered.
Talk to RAC Technologies
Could your office printing cost less?
Tell us what you use and what you would like to improve. RAC can review your printing costs, recommend suitable Toshiba equipment and explain the support available.