How much does a photocopier lease cost?

In this article we’ll be exploring how much a photocopier lease will cost and whether it will be a more cost effective option for your business compared to renting or buying.

We’ll also talk about some of the key considerations when deciding between leasing, renting or buying and how to identify the features you’ll need from your photocopier.


Why lease a photocopier instead of renting or buying one?

Leasing a photocopier is a great idea for a financially stable business that has fairly consistent photocopying needs.When you lease a photocopier, the monthly fee is fully tax deductible, meaning you can essentially pay for it out of your company’s taxable profits.

The other aspect of cost-effectiveness, not to be sniffed at, is the fact there’s no substantial initial outlay, unlike buying photocopier equipment.

Because leases are over a longer period of time than rentals, leasing a photocopier also works out much cheaper, month-on-month, when compared to renting.

Most photocopying lease deals also include maintenance packages which encompass servicing costs and general maintenance. This means, typically, the only extras you’ve got to buy are things like staples and ink.


Any disadvantages to leasing a photocopier?

For most established businesses who fully understand their photocopying needs, there aren’t many disadvantages to leasing a photocopier. However, in some circumstances it might prove better to buy or rent.

The first potential disadvantage to consider is the length of a lease agreement. A photocopier lease tends to be somewhere in the region of 12 to 60 months; even longer in some cases. If you have concerns about adding a long-term financial burden to the business or think that your photocopying requirements will change frequently, a lease might not be the right solution.

The other concern, when tied in for a longer length of time, is the fact that your equipment could become slightly outdated. If you have any genuine business needs to keep ahead of the curve when it comes to your photocopying machinery, renting could prove a better option for you than leasing.


Things to consider when getting photocopier lease quotes...

When getting quotes for leasing photocopiers, there are several things you need to bear in mind so that you lease the correct photocopier for your business needs. Here are some of the key ones to think about:

Black and white or colour?

If quality and the ability to print in colour is important to your business, the costs will increase. The technology inside a colour photocopier, coupled with the need for more expensive ink cartridges or toner, are certainly things to consider when deciding on colour or black and white.

Print Speed

If your business prints large volumes and needs to do it at a high speed, this will be on your agenda of considerations. Faster photocopiers are more expensive, however if your volumes are high this cost may well be offset against increases in productivity.

What functions do you need?

There are many options to think about in terms of functionality. For example, do you need your photocopier to also fax, scan, print and email? Do you need to copy and print to and from larger paper sizes, or does your business only ever use A4? How about finishing options such as stapling? All of these functions are available. At a cost. Make sure you don’t go for something that has all the bells and whistles unless you genuinely think you’ll need these additional features.

High volumes? You’ll need an automatic document feeder!

If you’re working with high volumes of copying, an automatic document feeder will be a must-have. Rather than having to feed copies one at a time, with an automatic feeder your workflow will be significantly sped up.

Connectivity and network printing

If you have several employees using the same printer/copier, network printing can be a great solution to improving productivity. Wireless connections are also becoming more and more commonplace. They allow for greater flexibility and an office free from unnecessary wires.

Duplex printing

Do you need to print on both sides and is your business committed to reducing paper waste? Having a copier with duplex printing functionality will let you save paper whilst reducing time and costs.


The difference between leasing low volume, medium volume and high volume copiers

As we mentioned earlier in the article, before you decide on whether to lease, rent or buy a photocopier, you must have a good idea about the volume of pages you’ll be copying each month.

Leasing low volume photocopiers

If your volume of copying is low each month, you don’t anticipate that will change in the future and you have no real needs for any complex functionality, leasing might not be the best way forward.

Photocopiers capable of producing low volumes each month can be picked up quite cheaply, so it might be more cost effective to buy a cheap, low volume, copier outright instead.

Leasing medium and high volume photocopiers

If your office has moderate or high photocopying needs, on a consistent basis, leasing is definitely a strong option to consider. A medium volume copier should be able to handle 30-50 copies a minute, whilst a high volume copier will be able to do 50-150 copies a minute.

The key here is consistency though. If you’re going to be doing high volume copying all the time and you know that’s going to be the case, entering a long-term agreement for a higher quality machine makes sense. If, however, you’re a medium volume user with just the occasional spike in copying output, you don’t want to be tied into a contract for a photocopier that’s too high spec for you to really benefit from.


Average cost of printing per page…

When it comes to leasing a photocopier, cost is generally dependent on the length of the agreement and the specification of the copier you choose.

Before you enter into a photocopier lease agreement, you need to have a think about the volume of copying your office produces, the quality it needs to be and also whether this is consistent month-to-month.

Here’s a handy table to show some of the costs you can expect, dependent on several different leasing scenarios:

Volume

Colour

Copies Per Month

Cost Per Month

Low Volume
Black or White
500 - 5,000
£10 - £25
Colour
500 - 5,000
£25 - £45
Medium Volume
Black or White
6,000 - 40,000
£45 - £75
Colour
6000 - 40,000
£75 - £100
High Volume
Black or White
40,000+
£125 - £240
Colour
40,000+
£250 - £400

This is just a guide and for an accurate, up-to-date quote run your details through Quotonga now.


What will happen at the end of the photocopier lease?

More often than not, at the end of your photocopier lease term, you’ll have the choice to either upgrade the machine or hand it back to the supplier. Much like leasing a car, some companies will also offer you the chance to buy the photocopier at the end of your lease too.

Due to cost and the age of the photocopier by the time the lease is up, most people choose to hand the machine back or upgrade to a newer photocopier. The end of your lease is always a great time to reassess your photocopying needs and look at whether you need any enhanced functionality from your next copier.


Summary - to lease or not to lease?

Low initial outlay, reasonable monthly fees, major tax benefits and robust maintenance packages are all great reasons for leasing a copier, rather than renting or buying one.
>