Copier lease costs
What does a copier lease cost? What decides the price
The goal isn't the cheapest copier or the biggest one. It's paying the right amount for what your office actually prints. Here is what moves the monthly cost, where contracts hide extra charges, and how to compare two quotes fairly.
- The lease payment for the machine
- Service billed per page
- Toner and parts, usually in service
- Terms that change the total
SpeedPages per minute is the biggest single factor
ColorColor pages cost more to run than black and white
FinishingStapling, hole punch and booklets add to the machine
TermsLease length and end-of-lease options
Before you buy anything
Pay for what you print, not what you're sold
A copier dealer earns more when you lease a bigger machine. Here are three things we'd rather tell you up front.
Speed and capacity drive the lease payment. If your copier prints far less than it was built for, a smaller machine costs less every month and does the same job.
Ask: what do my meters say I actually print?If your current machine runs well and fits how you print, keeping it at lease end can beat any new deal. We'll tell you when that's the case.
Ask: does this machine still fit, honestly?Upgrading before your lease ends typically rolls the remaining payments into the new lease. The monthly number can look lower while the total goes up.
Ask: what happens to my remaining balance?The right copier is the one that fits what you print today, with room to grow, not the one with the biggest numbers on the spec sheet.
Size my officePrice drivers
Six things that decide the monthly cost
Two offices can lease the same brand and pay very different amounts. These are the reasons.
A faster machine costs more. Matching speed to your real monthly volume is the easiest way to avoid paying for capacity you never use.
Color machines cost more, and each color page costs more to run. If most of your printing is black and white, the right mix saves money every month.
A stapler, hole punch or booklet maker adds to the price. Worth it if you finish documents every day, easy to skip if you don't.
11 x 17 printing, envelope trays and large paper drawers change the configuration, and the price with it.
Most copier leases run three to five years. The length, the end-of-lease option and any renewal clause all change what you pay over the life of the lease.
How much you print sets the service side of the bill. A machine you trade in, or a lease you consolidate, can change the starting point.
Reading a quote
The two parts of the bill
Most copier agreements have two separate charges. Comparing quotes only works when you compare both.
A fixed monthly payment for the machine itself, over the length of the lease.
- Set by the machine and its options
- Set by the lease length and end-of-lease terms
Service, parts and toner, usually billed from your meter reads at a rate per page.
- Black and white and color pages have different rates
- Some agreements include a block of pages, with an overage rate above it
Read the fine print
Where copier contracts hide extra cost
These terms are common across the industry. None of them is unusual, which is why they're easy to miss. Each one changes what you really pay.
Many leases renew on their own, often for a year or more at the same rate, unless written notice reaches the leasing company within a set window, commonly 60 to 90 days before the end date.
Ask for the notice window in writing.Some service agreements and leases raise the rate every year, often by a set percentage. Over a five-year term that compounds.
Ask whether rates can rise, and by how much.Pages above the included amount can be billed at a much higher rate than the base rate.
Ask for the overage rate next to the base rate.Some agreements bill a minimum number of pages every month, whether you print them or not.
Ask what happens in a slow month.The leasing company may bill you its personal property tax on the machine, often as a separate line or fee.
Ask if tax or admin fees are added.A monthly equipment insurance fee can be added unless you show your own coverage, which many business policies already include.
Ask if your own insurance can cover it.At lease end you may be responsible for shipping a heavy machine back to the leasing company.
Ask who removes it, and what it costs.The machine's stored data has to be erased before it goes back, and some contracts charge for it.
Ask who erases the drive.If the lease ends and the machine isn't returned or replaced, payments can continue, sometimes at a higher rate.
Mark your end date four months ahead.With NYBS: we mark your notice deadline, flag renewal dates early, erase the old machine's data before it leaves and remove it at no charge when you replace it with us. Your lease, service and per-page costs are written out plainly before you sign.
Comparing quotes
How to compare two copier quotes
Line the quotes up on these eight points. If a quote doesn't answer one of them, ask before you sign.
- The same lease lengthA longer lease can lower the monthly payment and raise the total.
- The same machine and optionsSpeed, color and finishing should match before prices are compared.
- Per-page rates for black and white and colorCheck both, and how many pages are included.
- Overage ratesWhat each page costs above the included amount.
- Annual service increasesWhether service rates can rise each year, and by how much.
- Auto-renewal and the notice windowMany leases renew on their own unless you give written notice in time.
- Removal and data erasureWho removes the old machine, what it costs and who erases its data.
- Who services the machineWhether technicians work for the dealer, and how service calls are handled.
Plan your quote
Get a quote built around your office
Answer three questions and you'll see what to ask for. A rep then puts your exact monthly cost in writing.
Questions
Copier cost questions we hear most
Want your exact number?
A rep reviews what you print and puts the full monthly cost in writing.
(516) 739-0200info@nybs.comGet a quoteWhy don't you list copier prices?
Because the right price depends on your volume, color mix, options and lease terms. We build each quote from your actual printing and put the full monthly cost, lease and service, in writing.
Why do two quotes for the same copier differ?
Usually because of lease length, included pages, per-page rates, annual service increases or end-of-lease terms. Compare those line by line, not just the monthly payment.
What is cost per page?
Service on a copier is usually billed per page from your meter reads, with separate rates for black and white and color. It covers service and parts and usually toner.
Is leasing better than buying a copier?
Leasing spreads the cost into a fixed monthly payment and makes upgrading at the end of the term simple. Buying can cost less over a long life if you keep the machine. We can quote both.
What is the difference between an FMV lease and a $1 buyout lease?
With a fair market value (FMV) lease you return, renew or buy the machine at its market value at the end, and the monthly payment is usually lower. With a $1 buyout lease you own it for a dollar at the end, and the payment is usually higher. Which is cheaper depends on whether you plan to keep the machine.
Should I upgrade before my lease ends?
Usually not. An early upgrade typically rolls your remaining payments into the new lease, so you keep paying for the old machine inside the new one. It can make sense when your printing has changed a lot, but ask to see the remaining balance and the total cost of both options.
What if we print less than we used to?
Then you may be paying for capacity or included pages you no longer use. Your meter reads show what you actually print, and that is the right starting point for the next machine and service plan.
How long is a typical copier lease?
Most run three to five years. A longer lease can lower the monthly payment but raise the total, so compare both.
How do I get an exact price from NYBS?
Book a free fleet review or send us your current lease. A rep reviews your volumes and gives you a written plan with the monthly cost.
Get your copier quote in writing
Tell us what you print and when your current lease ends, and a rep will come back with the full monthly cost. Or call (516) 739-0200