Finance and accounting
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
What is Total Cost of Ownership?
Total cost of ownership (TCO) is the full cost of running a printer over its life, covering device, service, toner and finance, not just the purchase price.
Total cost of ownership (TCO) is the full cost of running a printer or copier over its working life, including the device or lease payments, scheduled service, parts, consumables, and finance costs, rather than just the upfront purchase price.
Comparing on purchase price alone hides the ongoing service, toner, and downtime costs that build up over a typical device life, which is why TCO is the more reliable basis for a lease versus buy decision.
The LeasemyPrinter printer lease vs buy calculator models total cost of ownership over a 60 month horizon, comparing an outright purchase against a lease on your own volume and term rather than a generic average.
Because the running costs depend on your print volume and the device class, the most useful TCO figure is the one produced from your own numbers.
In short
- The full running cost of a printer, not just the purchase price.
- Includes service, parts, toner, and finance across the device life.
- The basis for comparing leasing against buying outright.
What total cost of ownership includes
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Frequently asked questions
What is total cost of ownership for a printer?
Total cost of ownership (TCO) is the full cost of running a printer over its working life, covering the device, scheduled service, parts, toner, and finance, rather than just the purchase price.
Does leasing lower the total cost of ownership?
It depends on your print volume, the term, and the device.
Rather than rely on a generic average, the printer lease vs buy calculator compares total cost of ownership over a 60 month horizon on your own numbers, so you can see how a lease and an outright purchase compare for your situation.
Cyrus Dickie
Founder, Global Document Solutions
You deal with the founder directly, from first quote to ongoing support, since 2010.
Authored by Cyrus Dickie, Founder at Global Document Solutions. In the industry since 2010.
See it on a lease page
Related terms
- OpEx vs CapExOpEx is the day to day cost of running a business. CapEx is one-off spending on owned assets. A printer lease is generally OpEx.
- Cost Per Page (CPP)Cost per page (CPP) is an industry billing model where each page a leased printer produces carries a separate charge, common on managed print contracts.
- Residual ValueResidual value is the estimated worth of leased equipment at the end of the term, and it determines who carries the end of lease risk.
- GST on Printer LeasesPrinter lease payments attract GST at 10%. Quotes are usually shown ex GST, and GST-registered businesses can generally claim the GST back.
- Instant Asset Write Off (IAWO)Instant asset write off (IAWO) is an ATO scheme letting eligible small businesses deduct an asset's full cost in the year it is first used, not depreciate it.
Enquired on Monday and had a printer installed by Friday. Fast, easy, and exactly what we needed.
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$160/month
ex GST
Lease term
36 to 60 months
- Maintenance and genuine toner included
- You only buy paper
- Same business day response, Mon to Fri
- No obligation, and no automatic renewal without your written approval