Why you can’t ignore Total Cost of Ownership in printing – and how to calculate it

While this is an important consideration, it’s not the only one – and we’re about to take you through all the reasons you need to explore the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) when buying a new printer – as well as how to calculate this figure for yourself.

What is Total Cost of Ownership?

Total Cost of Ownership, or TCO as it’s commonly known, refers to the cost of owning the product you’re buying across its entire lifecycle. In the case of a printer, this incorporates things like supplies (including ink and toner) and any ongoing repairs or regular servicing. Let’s take a closer look at how some of these expenses might add up:

Toner and ink cartridges

Along with the upfront cost of your printer, your ink and toner cartridges are likely to be one of the most significant costs associated with owning a printer across its lifetime. Everyone is looking for the best value when it comes to running their printer, but that doesn’t always mean choosing the lowest priced cartridges. Buying non-genuine brand cartridges can prove costly in the long-run – leading to printer damage, low-quality results and cartridges that need replacing more often.

With 48% of printer owners admitting they frequently or occasionally buy the wrong ink*, having a supplies plan in place that delivers genuine cartridges to you exactly when you need them is a great way to save time and money – not to mention the convenience of not having to remember to place an order.

Brother MPS Essential plans start from as little as £6.75 per month – which includes automatic genuine ink and toner delivery – making it simpler to work out exactly how much you’re spending on supplies. And for even more flexibility, you can pay as you print – so you never pay more for pages you won’t use.

Printer servicing

From your car to your boiler, it’s likely that you have service plans for many items you own – designed to keep them performing well day-to-day, prolong their lifetime with proactive maintenance and reduce the cost of any repairs that occur due to lack of servicing. A printer servicing plan works in exactly the same way, helping to extend its life with things like scheduled maintenance, repairs and onsite support. These plans can be offered by printer manufacturers like Brother, or third-party servicing companies – and often come packaged in a monthly or annual fee.

Printer repairs

If you’re out of warranty and don’t have any sort of breakdown cover or servicing plan in place, the cost of a printer repair to address any damage or faults could be significant. So, if you’re not opting for a monthly or annual servicing plan, you need to consider how you will factor in potential repair costs into your overall TCO, perhaps creating your own separate savings pot for printer repairs.

Recycling

Some businesses may charge you to dispose of electronic waste like ink and toner cartridges, while others may require you to take your empties to specific drop-off points to be recycled. The time spent doing this can quickly add up, and it can be a task you could easily put off and let the cartridges pile up. With Brother, you can recycle your old cartridges for free through our ReNew programme. Not only is this process simple with free returns labels, you’re contributing to a circular economy that can support your wider sustainability goals.

Downtime

While not always easy to calculate in terms of a specific monetary value, downtime can be a costly factor to consider in determining TCO. Many of the expenses we’ve already explored can lead to downtime if not considered – like ordering the wrong cartridges and being unable to print.

^{* 2023 Brother Consumer Print Survey, Savanta}

Why business owners can overlook hidden costs in printing

With there being several factors at play in determining TCO for a printer, it’s natural that many business owners can overlook the hidden costs associated with owning and running a printer.

This can be due to visibility of cartridges spend not being easy to access or determine, cashflow issues making one-off ink and toner purchasing seem like the more cost-effective option, and it simply feeling like a time-consuming task to calculate these overall costs manually.

But there is a tool that does the hard work for you...

Our TCO Calculator is a handy tool that compares the cost of owning a printer and taking care of cartridges, support and recycling separately, to having everything built into one low monthly fee with a Brother Managed Print Service. It will even show you exactly how much you could save.

Brother MPS Essential is designed specifically for businesses looking for a simple solution to their printing needs. With cartridges sent before you run out, repairs and maintenance included, and easy access to support for the lifespan of your machine, it’s a solution that helps reduce and control expenses – and brings you complete cost visibility.

How to use the Brother TCO Calculator

Step 1: Either search for your current Brother printer or get help selecting a new one that’s right for your printing needs – whether you need an inkjet or laser printer, or prefer to print in mono or colour.

Step 2: Tell us about how you use your printer. This includes factors like how many people regularly print, and the estimated number of pages you print per month (don’t worry if you don’t know this figure exactly!)

Step 3: See a side-by-side comparison of your costs with and without Brother MPS – with all the hard work done for you.

Try the Brother TCO Calculator for yourself.

This calculator is designed for those who need a simple solution to their printing requirements. If you have more complex print needs and need a tailored solution, find out more here.

How these savings could look in action

^{Example based on the Brother Colour laser printer (MFCL8340CDW - Compact Wireless Colour LED - £399), for a business which prints between 500 and 1000 pages per month. Prices correct at the time of publication [13 June 2025].}

The key benefits of Brother MPS Essential

So, how does Brother MPS Essential bring simplicity to the way you print? Here are some of the key benefits of introducing Brother MPS Essential into your business:

• Automated supplies delivery: Never run out of ink or toner again. You’ll get genuine Brother cartridges delivered right to your door, without having to lift a finger.

• Save up to 40% on genuine Brother cartridges vs shopping around for yourself. Brother MPS Essential plans start from as little as £6.75 per month – and there are no hidden costs.

• Minimal printer downtime: Service is included, with 4-hour response and next business day fix. We’ll get you back up-and-running quickly if you encounter any problems.

• Reduce waste and ethically recycle used cartridges. With Brother, you can return cartridges for free to be remanufactured to as-new condition or recycled – helping you to print more responsibly.

• Change or cancel your subscription anytime through an easy-to-use portal. Managing the way you print has never been easier.

Is Brother MPS Essential right for me?

We know introducing any new service into your business is a decision that you shouldn’t take lightly, so here are some common questions and answers about how Brother MPS can work for businesses like yours:

• Is my business too small for Brother MPS?
  No – Brother MPS Essential is perfect for businesses of all sizes who print day-to-day, even if it’s just from one device.

• Do I print enough to need Brother MPS?
  Any business that prints can benefit from Brother MPS. You can choose from a low, medium or high plan based on your print volume, or choose to pay as you print.

• Will Brother MPS implementation disrupt my business?
  Set-up is remote and hassle-free, so you won’t face any downtime or disruption.

• Will I be locked into a long contract?
  You can cancel your MPS Essential service at any time. Or if you just need to make a change when your printing requirements change, that’s simple too.

See how much you could save with Brother MPS Essential

Ready to Make Printing Simple for your business? Get started using our Brother TCO Calculator now. We’ll present you with the option that best suits your needs, and direct you towards the simple sign up process – it takes as little as 1 minute!

With Brother MPS Essential in place, you’ll maximise cost efficiency and have complete transparency when it comes to the TCO of your printer – with no hidden costs or nasty surprises.