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The 10 Best Printer Ink Stores
Comp and Save
Combo Ink
TomatoInk
4 Inkjets
Ink 4 Less
Ink Cartridges
123 Inkjets
Ink E-Sale
Ink Plus Toner
Double Inks
What's the Best Place to Buy Printer Ink Online?
Do you find yourself running out of printer ink? It always seems to happen at the worst times. While a variety of local stores carry printer ink, They probably don't carry it for all brands of printers - and stocking issues mean they may not have any available at all.
Fortunately, there are numerous online retailers that offer cost-effective toner and ink cartridges that still allow you to maintain high print quality. These retailers cater to both personal and business printing needs. And you can typically save significant money buying your printer ink from these online stores.
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Thursday, June 27th
2024 Printer Ink Store Reviews
Comp and Save
Comp and Save is the #1 choice for printer ink due to its low prices on compatible cartridges for popular printer models by Canon, HP, and many others. The store also offers free shipping for orders over $50 and on orders over $35 for email subscribers. Additionally, customers receive discounts when they buy three or more of any particular cartridge or combo pack. The store's excellent customer service, flawless reputation, and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau with an "A+" rating further make it our top choice for printer ink.
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Combo Ink
Combo Ink is one of not two but three sister brands in our printer ink review, and unsurprisingly they come in ranked as #1, #2, and #3. This store is in the middle slot, with the same prices as the other two but with one cool feature: the ability to build out custom combinations of cartridges so that you can restock whatever you use the most. You'll see more customer feedback on products sold by our #1 site, but that's no reason not to buy your ink here - especially if you like the "combo" aspect of the Combo Ink brand.
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TomatoInk
TomatoInk does not fill your printer ink cartridges with vegetable-derived products. All joking aside, this company takes an eco-friendly approach to ink that includes remanufactured and compatible cartridges that are made from recycled products. We found TomatoInk's inventory to be fully-stocked, though pricing wasn't always the lowest on the market. Customer service here is excellent, and the company gets plenty of compliments from long-term clients. Don't hesitate to use TomatoInk if they have your printer ink in stock at a price you like.
4 Inkjets
4 Inkjets not only outperforms its sister brand (Ink Cartridges), which is also owned by LD Products, but it also comes in consistently as the lowest-priced option overall for printer ink when looking at non-OEM cartridges. You'll have OEM choices here too, and this store will even help you out if your brand-name cartridge has a problem. Best of all, 4 Inkjets offers a lifetime satisfaction guarantee, even on that toner you bought way in advance.
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Ink 4 Less
Ink 4 Less is one of the original online-only printer ink retailers, in business since 1999. It's one of the few stores we evaluated that carries OEM, remanufactured, and compatible cartridges, but the selection in all of those categories is somewhat limited. That means you might not save as much as you were hoping here. There's nothing about Ink 4 Less that makes it one of our favorite places to buy printer ink, but it's also not the worst in the industry.
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Ink Cartridges
Ink Cartridges has a solid inventory of printer ink cartridges, with both OEM and non-OEM options for most printer models. Everyone gets free shipping here, and it's easy to get additional discounts to save on your purchase. But, customer sentiment is mixed, and we don't love that Ink Cartridge falsely claims to have earned a perfect grade from the BBB (when in reality their rating slipped to a just-passing "C" ). It might be better to determine if you like what you see with a higher-rated printer ink store instead of shopping at Ink Cartridges.
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123 Inkjets
Although 123 Inkjets is a well-established name in the online printer ink industry, in business for more than two decades, its reputation over the last few years has tanked. While you'll probably find multiple options for your printer, including both OEM and non-OEM cartridges, you may not like the results you get when you install them. Unfortunately, customer service here isn't getting much praise lately either. You'll want to look at other printer ink retailers now, even if you used 123 Inkjets reliably in the past.
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Ink E-Sale
Ink-E Sale talks a big game, saying that lots of large companies use them as their long-term toner supplier and that their compatible cartridges are the most popular brand in North America. But, their limited selection and lack of strong customer feedback leave us begging to differ. If your printer's ink happens to be one that they carry, you might be impressed with the low pricing - but good luck getting any help from Ink E-Sale's support team if you have a problem. We don't recommend this retailer for your next printer ink purchase.
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Ink Plus Toner
Ink Plus Toner used to be a good place to buy printer ink. You'll see thousands of positive reviews from customers - from years ago. And now? It's hard to tell if your order will actually be fulfilled if you click the "buy now" button here, with no way to contact Ink Plus Toner and no social media presence for the last few years. Choose a printer ink store that's still doing a brisk business and skip this one altogether.
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Double Inks
Double Inks has doubled down on being our lowest-ranked supplier of printer ink. When you use the search feature to find your printer's matching cartridge, you'll come up with no matches - leaving you to go through the entire list of printer models for the manufacturer until you find yours. Pricing here is nothing impressive, calls during business hours go to voicemail, and there's practically no customer feedback (shocking, we know). Choose any other site for buying printer ink, because Double Ink continues to be a letdown.
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Continued from above...
Printer Ink cartridges come in three primary categories: OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer), remanufactured, and compatible. OEM cartridges, produced by brands like Canon or HP, are the priciest option. However, purchasing OEM printer ink from an online retailer can save a considerable amount compared to local stores.
Remanufactured cartridges are refilled OEM products, offering the right fit for printers at a lower price than brand-new ink. Most remanufactured ink and toner retailers that you'll find online offer pre-filled cartridges, but sometimes they'll provide you with a kit and you do the filling yourself (which can get messy).
Compatible printer ink cartridges are made by third-party companies that guarantee the same fit and print quality as OEM cartridges after rigorous testing. These cartridges are often the most cost-effective option, as they don't require a brand-name premium. But, you'll want to make sure that the retailer offers some kind of quality guarantee - since you also run the risk of damaging your printer or voiding the warranty by using products outside of the OEM/remanufactured spectrum. Worth the risk? That's up to you, but many customers have used compatible cartridges for years with zero problems.
Choosing any of these options could lead to savings between 30-70% over the manufacturer's suggested retail price. Many online retailers provide promotional discounts, free shipping on qualifying purchases, and bulk discounts. Ready to save? As you shop for your printer ink online, there are a few things to keep in mind:
- Compatibility. Make sure the ink you're buying is compatible with your printer model. Most printer manufacturers provide specific ink cartridges for each printer model, so check your printer manual or manufacturer's website for the correct ink cartridge model number.
- Quality. Look for high-quality ink that will produce crisp and clear prints. Lower quality ink may result in streaks, smudges, or faded prints.
- Price. Ink can be expensive, so be sure to shop around for the best deal. Some third-party ink cartridges may be cheaper than OEM cartridges, but be aware that they may not always produce the same quality results or be compatible with your printer.
- Capacity. Ink cartridges come in different sizes and capacities. Larger capacity cartridges can be more cost-effective in the long run but may require a larger upfront cost.
- Refillable cartridges. Some printers allow for refillable ink cartridges. This can be a more environmentally-friendly and cost-effective option in the long run, but make sure you follow the instructions carefully to avoid damaging your printer.
- Retailer reputation. Do customers say positive things about the store selling the printer ink you need? How helpful is the store's customer service team if you're not sure if you've got the right toner or your cartridges leak during shipping? Have shoppers reported any problems with their printers after using the store's non-OEM options?
To help you find the right ink and toner cartridges for your printer, Top Consumer Reviews has researched and reviewed today's most popular printer ink retailers. Take advantage of this information to make your printing easy and affordable!
Printer Ink Store FAQ
That's an easy one: do you like to save money? Who doesn't! Buying your printer ink through reputable online retailers will often save you quite a lot over what you'd pay at a local office supply store or even a big-box warehouse retailer.
The selection online is much broader than what you'll find at a brick-and-mortar store. Plus, you'll usually be able to choose among OEM, remanufactured and compatible options. So yes, chances are very good that you'll have no trouble finding the cartridges you need for your specific printer.
OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer, which means that they are the ones made by the company itself (i.e. HP, Lexmark, etc.). Remanufactured cartridges are usually originals that have been refilled and refurbished: brand-new quality at discounted prices. Finally, compatible cartridges are off-brand but designed to work just as well as manufacturer-produced models.
That depends on your printer and which option you choose. Most often, you'll spend less if you buy compatible cartridges and more when buying OEM. Generally speaking, you can expect to save anywhere from 30-70% over the everyday retail price. Many online stores offer promotional discounts to save you even more.
Most online printer ink retailers have a satisfaction guarantee that will refund your money or replace your cartridges if they don't function as expected. You're more likely to encounter that with remanufactured and compatible options.
It's a good idea to check customer reviews when buying printer ink, to see how well others say a particular brand or option has worked under actual use. This is especially true if you're buying compatible cartridges: make sure plenty of other people have had good results and that they work consistently with the name-brand models they're replacing. Checking out a company's listing with the BBB is another smart way to make sure you're buying from a reputable business.
That usually depends on the amount of your order. Many retailers of printer ink will give you free shipping if you spend at least a certain amount (e.g. $50), but there are a few that deliver orders of any size at no extra cost.
In the past, it was common to find services that would refill used cartridges, at a fraction of the price to buy new ones. However, it has become increasingly difficult to locate providers who still offer the service. You may be able to buy ink kits to fill them on your own, but it's much more convenient to get inexpensive cartridges that are ready to use.
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