#copierleasing

I signed my first copier lease when I was an office manager at a small accounting firm. I was 26. The sales rep was friendly, the monthly payment seemed reasonable, and I was busy. I signed without reading every clause. Three years later I understood exactly what I had agreed to. And it wasn't what I thought. That experience is why I do what I do now. Copier leasing contracts are genuinely complex documents designed to be signed quickly and understood slowly — preferably after it's too late to change anything. Let me walk you through what to look for before you sign anything. The Lease Type Is the Most Important Thing Nobody Explains There are two fundamental types of equipment leases and the difference between them is significant. Fair Market Value lease — also called an FMV or operating lease. At the end of the lease term you can purchase the equipment at its fair market value, return it, or upgrade to new equipment. Monthly payments are typically lower because you're not paying toward ownership. $1 Buyout lease — also called a capital lease or finance lease. At the end of the term you purchase the equipment for $1. Monthly payments are higher because you're financing the full value of the equipment over the term. Here's what the sales rep won't tell you upfront: for most small businesses, the $1 buyout lease is the better deal if you intend to keep the equipment. The FMV lease often ends up costing more over the full ownership period because the residual purchase price at lease end can be substantial — and you've been paying monthly without building any equity. Ask directly: "What type of lease is this and what are my options at the end of the term?" The Auto-Renewal Clause That Catches Everyone This is the one that got me. Most copier leases include an auto-renewal clause — typically buried in the final pages — that automatically renews the lease for an additional term (often 12 months) if you don't provide written cancellation notice within a specific window before the original term ends. That window is usually 90 to 120 days before lease end. Miss it by a week and you're committed to another year. I've spoken with business owners who tried to return equipment on their lease end date — after 5 years of payments — and were told they owed 12 more monthly payments because they missed the notice window. Set a calendar reminder 150 days before your lease end date. Review your options. Send written notice if you intend to cancel. Keep a copy of everything. Cost Per Copy: Where the Real Money Is Your monthly lease payment is just part of what you'll pay. The cost per copy — the charge for every page printed on the machine — is where leasing companies make significant additional revenue. Standard cost per copy agreements charge separately for:

Black and white pages — typically $0.008 to $0.015 per page Color pages — typically $0.06 to $0.15 per page

You're given a monthly base allowance of copies included in your payment. Every copy above that allowance is billed at your overage rate — which is almost always higher than your base rate. Here's the problem: most businesses have no idea how many copies they actually make per month before signing a lease. The sales rep suggests a number. You agree. And if your actual volume is higher than your allowance — which it frequently is — you pay overage charges every single month for the length of your lease. Get three months of actual print data from your current equipment before committing to any copy allowance. If you don't have that data, start low and negotiate the right to adjust your allowance upward without penalty. Quick Answer: What does a typical small business copier lease actually cost per month? A standard multifunction copier lease for a small business — 20-30 pages per minute, copy/print/scan/fax, color capable — typically runs $150 to $400 per month for the hardware depending on term length and equipment tier. Add your cost per copy charges on top of that. For a business doing 3,000 black and white and 500 color pages per month, expect an additional $50-100 in copy charges. All-in monthly cost for a modest small business setup: $200 to $500 per month. The Service Contract Fine Print Almost all copier leases include or require a service and maintenance agreement. These cover toner, parts, and technician visits — which sounds great until you read what's excluded. Common exclusions:

Damage from improper use or environment Consumables beyond toner (drums, fuser units in some contracts) Cosmetic damage Issues caused by paper quality or loading

I've been on both sides of this conversation. For twelve years I've helped small businesses evaluate copier contracts, printer purchases, and managed print services. And in that time I've watched the same thing happen over and over: a business owner signs a printing contract thinking they understand their costs, then spends the next three years getting nickel-and-dimed in ways they never saw coming. Let me walk you through what printing actually costs — and where the money quietly disappears. The Sticker Price Is Irrelevant Whether you're buying a printer outright or leasing a copier, the hardware cost is almost never the largest expense over the life of the equipment. The real costs are:

Toner and ink cartridges Paper Maintenance and service calls Overage charges on lease agreements Energy consumption Staff time managing printing issues

I've analyzed print environments for businesses spending $200 a month on what they thought was a reasonable printer setup — only to find their actual all-in print cost was closer to $600 once you factored in cartridge replacement cycles, paper waste, and the two hours per month the office manager spent dealing with paper jams and ordering supplies. Cost Per Page: The Only Number That Actually Matters Before any printing decision, you need to know your cost per page. Everything else is noise. Here's how to calculate it: Take your cartridge cost and divide by the manufacturer's stated page yield. A $45 cartridge rated for 2,000 pages = $0.0225 per page in toner alone. Add paper ($0.01-0.015 per sheet for standard office paper), maintenance allocation, and energy costs, and your true cost per page emerges. Standard office inkjet printer: typically $0.05-0.12 per page all-in Entry-level laser printer: typically $0.03-0.06 per page all-in Departmental laser or copier: typically $0.01-0.03 per page all-in Managed print services contract: typically $0.008-0.015 per page all-in The gap between inkjet and managed print services at scale is significant. For a business printing 5,000 pages per month, the difference between $0.08/page and $0.012/page is $340 per month — $4,080 per year. The Cartridge Conversation Nobody Wants to Have OEM cartridges — the ones made by your printer manufacturer — are consistently priced at a significant premium over compatible alternatives. This is intentional. Printer manufacturers frequently sell hardware at or below cost and make their margins on consumables. Compatible cartridges from reputable third-party manufacturers typically cost 40-60% less than OEM equivalents. The quality gap, for standard office documents, is minimal with established brands. The caveats: compatible cartridges void most printer warranties. For a printer under warranty this is a real consideration. For out-of-warranty equipment it's a straightforward cost decision. High-yield cartridges — the XL versions of standard cartridges — almost always offer a lower cost per page than standard yield versions. If your printer supports high-yield options and you print with any regularity, you should be using them. Where Managed Print Services Makes Sense I'm not here to sell managed print services — I've seen them implemented well and implemented terribly. But for the right business profile, they genuinely reduce cost and administrative overhead. MPS typically makes sense when:

You have 10 or more employees printing regularly Your monthly print volume exceeds 3,000-5,000 pages You're currently managing multiple printer models with different cartridges Print-related IT support is consuming meaningful staff time

MPS typically does NOT make sense when:

You have minimal print volume — you'll pay for capacity you don't use Your current setup is already optimized You're willing to manage consumables yourself

The Copier Lease Clause That Locks You In (Even When You Think You’re Done)

I’ll never forget the first time this happened to me.

Our copier lease was ending, and I was relieved. We had made every payment, stayed within our usage, and I was ready to either renegotiate or move on.

Then we got the notice.

Actually—that’s not true. We didn’t get a notice.

We got a renewal confirmation.

That’s when I learned about one of the most overlooked (and costly) parts of copier leasing: the auto-renewal clause.

What the Auto-Renewal Clause Actually Does

Most copier contracts include a clause that automatically renews your agreement unless you cancel within a specific window.

That window is usually:

60 days before the contract ends

Sometimes 90 days

Miss it—and your contract renews.

Not month-to-month. Not flexible.

Another full term.

Why This Catches So Many Businesses Off Guard

Because it’s not emphasized.

It’s buried in the contract language, often under sections like:

“Terms and Conditions”

“Continuation of Agreement”

And unless you’re specifically looking for it, you’ll miss it.

I’ve seen businesses unknowingly renew for another 12 months or more, simply because they didn’t send written notice in time.

Quick Answer: Do copier leases renew automatically?

Yes, most copier leases include an auto-renewal clause that extends the agreement unless you cancel within a specific notice period, usually 60–90 days before the end date.

What Happens After It Renews

This is where it gets frustrating.

Once renewed:

You’re still obligated to pay

You may lose negotiating leverage

You’re stuck with the same terms

And in many cases, the company doesn’t proactively remind you—you’re expected to track it yourself.

How I Handle This Now

After getting burned once, I changed how I manage every contract.

Here’s what I do now:

1. Track the contract end date immediately The moment I sign, I log the expiration date.

2. Set reminders early I set alerts at:

120 days

90 days

60 days

This gives me time to evaluate options before the deadline.

3. Always send cancellation in writing Even if I’m unsure, I submit notice. It keeps control on my side.

The Bigger Issue

This isn’t just about forgetting a date.

It’s about control.

Copier contracts are designed to keep you inside the system as long as possible. Auto-renewal is one of the easiest ways to do that—quietly and effectively.

What Most Vendors Won’t Tell You

They benefit when you forget.

Because once you’re locked in again:

You’re not comparing competitors

You’re not renegotiating

You’re continuing the same revenue stream

It’s predictable—for them.

My Rule Now

If I don’t actively choose to continue a contract, it shouldn’t continue.

Simple as that.

Final Thought

The end of your copier lease isn’t the end—unless you make it the end.

Why Copier Lease “Upgrades” Usually Cost You More Than You Think

I used to get excited when our copier company called with an “upgrade offer.”

They made it sound like we were getting ahead—newer machine, better features, same (or slightly higher) monthly payment. It felt like progress.

It wasn’t.

After managing office operations for years and later consulting for small businesses, I’ve seen this pattern play out over and over again. What looks like an upgrade is often just a reset on a contract that was already working against you.

What an “Upgrade” Really Means

When a copier company offers an upgrade mid-contract, they’re usually doing one thing:

Rolling your remaining balance into a new agreement.

That means:

You don’t actually “start fresh”

You carry over what you still owed

You extend your contract timeline

So while the machine is new, your financial obligation often gets bigger—not smaller.

The Monthly Payment Illusion

This is where most businesses get caught.

The provider says:

“Your payment only goes up $20–$30/month”

“You’re getting a much better machine”

What they don’t emphasize is:

You’ve just extended your contract by another 48–60 months

You’ve added remaining balance into the new lease

You’re now paying interest on top of interest

Over time, that small monthly increase becomes thousands of dollars.

Quick Answer: Are copier lease upgrades a good idea?

Most copier lease upgrades increase your total cost because they roll your remaining balance into a new, extended contract. They rarely save money in the long run.

Why Companies Push Upgrades So Hard

From a business standpoint, upgrades are extremely profitable for providers.

They:

Extend customer contracts

Increase total revenue per client

Keep you from shopping competitors

And because the process feels like an improvement, many businesses agree without questioning the numbers.

What I Look At Before Saying Yes

Now, I never evaluate an upgrade based on the monthly payment.

I ask three specific questions:

1. What is my remaining balance right now? You need to know exactly what’s being rolled forward.

2. What is the total cost of the new contract? Not monthly—total.

3. Do I actually need new equipment? In many cases, the current machine is still perfectly functional.

When an Upgrade Actually Makes Sense

There are situations where it’s justified:

Your current copier can’t handle your volume

Your business has scaled significantly

Maintenance costs are consistently high

But even then, the numbers have to make sense—not just the pitch.

The Pattern I See Most Often

Businesses upgrade too early.

They get locked into a cycle:

Lease → upgrade → new lease → upgrade again

And they never actually own anything or reduce their long-term costs.

My Rule Moving Forward

If the upgrade doesn’t reduce total cost or solve a real operational problem, it’s not an upgrade—it’s a financial extension.

Final Thought

New equipment feels like progress.

But in copier leasing, progress should be measured in control and cost—not just newer hardware.

The Hidden Fees Inside Copier Contracts That Quietly Drain Your Budget

One of the first things I do when reviewing a copier agreement is flip straight past the monthly payment.

Because that number? It’s rarely where the real cost lives.

Over the years, I’ve worked with dozens of small and mid-sized businesses that thought they had a “good deal”—until we broke the contract down line by line. Almost every time, there were hidden or misunderstood fees quietly inflating the total cost.

And the worst part? Most of them are buried in language that sounds completely harmless.

The Fee Nobody Pays Attention To: Cost Per Copy

This is the most common—and most expensive—line item I see.

Most contracts include:

A base number of prints per month

A cost-per-copy rate after that

What businesses miss is how quickly those overages add up.

For example:

$0.01 per black & white page

$0.08–$0.12 per color page

That doesn’t sound like much… until your team prints thousands of pages a month.

I’ve seen companies spend more on overages than on the lease itself.

“Included Service” Isn’t Always What It Sounds Like

A lot of copier providers advertise:

“Full service included”

But when I dig into the contract, that usually means:

Basic maintenance only

Limited parts coverage

Specific response time windows

What’s often not included:

Priority service

Certain high-wear components

After-hours support

Those become additional charges—and they’re not always obvious upfront.

Quick Answer: What fees are hidden in copier contracts?

Common hidden fees include cost-per-copy overages, service limitations, supply charges, and early termination penalties that aren’t clearly explained in the initial pricing.

Supply Costs Add Up Fast

Another area I always flag is consumables:

Toner

Drums

Waste containers

Some contracts include them. Others don’t. And some include them—but only under specific usage thresholds.

If your print volume increases, those costs can spike quickly.

The Early Termination Trap

This is where things get expensive fast.

Most contracts include strict early termination clauses:

Pay out remaining balance

Additional penalty fees

Equipment return conditions

I’ve seen businesses try to exit a bad deal and get hit with thousands in fees they didn’t expect.

Auto-Renewal Clauses (The Silent Extension)

This one catches people off guard all the time.

Many copier contracts automatically renew unless you cancel within a specific window—sometimes 60–90 days before the end date.

Miss that window? You’re locked in again.

What I Do Differently Now

Whenever I evaluate a contract, I isolate:

Base lease cost

Usage costs

Service coverage

Exit terms

If any of those aren’t crystal clear, I consider it a red flag.

The Reality Most Vendors Won’t Say

Copier contracts aren’t designed to be simple.

They’re designed to be profitable.

That doesn’t mean they’re bad—but it does mean you need to understand them before you sign.

Final Thought

The monthly payment is just the headline.

The real story is in the fine print.

Why Most Small Businesses Overpay for Copiers (And Don’t Realize It for Years)

I’ve reviewed hundreds of copier contracts over the years, and I can tell you this with confidence:

Most small businesses are overpaying—and they have no idea.

It’s not because they made a bad decision on purpose. It’s because copier leasing is structured in a way that hides the real cost behind monthly payments that seem reasonable at first glance.

I’ve seen businesses pay double (sometimes more) than what the equipment is actually worth over the life of a contract.

The “Low Monthly Payment” Trap

The most common mistake I see is focusing only on the monthly number.

A provider might say:

“It’s just $149/month”

“No upfront cost”

“All service included”

Sounds great, right?

But what most people don’t calculate is the total cost over 36, 48, or 60 months.

A $150/month lease over 5 years = $9,000

For a copier that might retail for $2,500–$3,500.

Bundled Contracts Hide the Real Pricing

Copier agreements often bundle:

Equipment lease

Maintenance agreement

Cost-per-copy charges

This makes it hard to see what you’re actually paying for each component.

In many cases, I’ve found:

Inflated service rates

Minimum print volume commitments

Overage fees that quietly add up

According to industry data, up to 30–40% of copier contract costs come from usage overages and service fees—not the machine itself.

Quick Answer: Why are copier leases so expensive?

Copier leases often bundle equipment, service, and usage fees into one contract, making it difficult to see the true cost. Over time, businesses end up paying significantly more than the machine’s value.

The Contract Length Problem

Another big issue is term length.

Longer contracts (especially 60 months) are pushed heavily because:

They lower the monthly payment

They increase total revenue for the provider

But they also lock you in—even if:

Your needs change

The equipment becomes outdated

Your business scales differently

I’ve had clients stuck in contracts they outgrew within 18 months.

What I Look for When Reviewing a Deal

When I evaluate a copier agreement, I break it down into three parts:

1. Equipment cost What is the actual value of the machine?

2. Service agreement What’s included—and what’s not?

3. Usage pricing What happens when you go over your allotted volume?

Most businesses never separate these out—and that’s where they lose control.

Where Businesses Get Burned

Here are the patterns I see repeatedly:

Signing without comparing multiple vendors

Not asking about overage rates

Assuming “all-inclusive” actually means everything

Ignoring early termination penalties

Once the contract is signed, your flexibility disappears.

My Rule for Every Business Owner

If you don’t understand every line in your copier contract, you shouldn’t sign it.

This isn’t just equipment—it’s a long-term financial commitment.

Final Thought

Copiers aren’t expensive because of the machines.

They’re expensive because of how the deals are structured.

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