Any company with more than about five devices reaches this question eventually. The answer is not which is cheaper — it is what you want to carry and what you want to hand off.
Under about five devices, buying is simpler and cheaper and a contract adds nothing. Above that, the contract wins not on hardware price but on toner arriving before it runs out, service happening before the failure, and knowing what each department consumes. The companies that regret a contract are usually those that signed one while still small.
| Item | Buying outright | Managed print contract |
|---|---|---|
| Payment | One-off | Monthly, known in advance |
| Toner | You buy it when it runs out | Arrives before it runs out |
| Service | Called when a machine stops | Scheduled visits that prevent stoppages |
| Usage reporting | None | Per department and per user |
| Ownership | Yours | Depends on the contract |
| Cost at low volume | Lower | Not justified |
| Cost at high volume | Drifts without you noticing | Controlled and predictable |
You cannot compare without numbers. We always start with an audit: every device you own, its meter reading and the real volume of each department. That audit often reveals things that solve half the problem at no cost — machines running far under capacity while others run far over. Redistribution alone makes a difference.
A contract is not a goal in itself. If the audit shows your volume does not justify one, we will tell you to simply buy toner — cheaper for you and more honest from us. Companies that sell a contract to everyone lose the customer within a year.
Still unsure? Tell us your monthly volume and what you use it for and we will recommend — often the cheaper one.
Ask usEither — buy the devices and contract only for service and supply, or include them in the contract as a monthly charge. The choice usually depends on your accounting position more than on cost.
The contract is reviewed periodically against actual meter readings. If volume falls, the cost falls with it — that is the basis of per-click billing.
The audit covers every device regardless of brand, because that is the only way the numbers come out right. Supply and service contracts primarily cover Canon devices — we tell you what is in and what is out before signing.
Talk to us and the ITCO team will recommend the devices and solutions that match your workload and budget.
