Copier prices in Melbourne: what a photocopier costs

What moves a copier's price?

• Paper size. A3 machines cost more than A4 ones.
• Speed. A 45 page a minute model costs more than a 25 page one.
• Colour. Colour copiers cost more up front, and so do their pages.
• Grade. New sits at the top, then renewed, refurbished and used. The occasional ex demo machine sits near new.
• Accessories. A finisher, extra paper drawers or a large capacity tray raise the price.
• Payment. Outright, or spread across 36, 48 or 60 months.

Costs buyers often overlook

• Minimum charges. Some agreements bill a set number of pages, or a set amount, each month, printed or not.
• Rate rises. Many service agreements allow the cost per page to be reviewed during the term, often yearly. Ask how often, and by how much.
• Heavy coverage. The rate assumes a normal, mostly text page. Photos and solid colour use much more toner, and some agreements charge extra for them.
• Labour, parts and call outs. Find out what the page rate actually covers. Some agreements exclude certain parts, or bill labour and call outs separately. Without a service agreement, each visit and each part is paid as it happens.
• Toner delivery. Toner can sit in the page cost and still attract a delivery charge per order.
• Setup. Delivery, installation, network and scanning setup and team training are sometimes charged on top. Ask whether they are included. At Copier Store they are.
• Insurance. Rented and leased machines are normally insured by you, along with any damage the agreement excludes.
• Term end. Some agreements keep charging the full payment until notice is given. Some charge to collect the machine or wipe its hard drive.
• Early exit. A payout is normally most of the remaining payments, plus any service charges still owed.
• Finance fees. Some finance agreements add an establishment or documentation fee.
• Software. Secure print, scanning software and cloud connectors can carry their own monthly charge.

None of this is unusual, and none of it should surprise you. Ask every supplier, Copier Store included, to set each item out in writing before you sign. See the full agreement checklist.

Running costs count as much as the price

Across three to five years, running a copier can cost as much as buying it, and in a busy office a good deal more. Running cost here means the page rate: on a service agreement, that one figure pays for toner, parts and repairs.

A low purchase price can hide a high running cost. When comparing quotes, get mono and colour page rates from every supplier in writing, with what they include.

What is the monthly cost of a photocopier?

Add the pages you print to the rental or lease payment, and that is the monthly cost. When printing is light, the payment is the larger part. When it is heavy, the pages are, often by far. Share your volumes and both figures are worked out for you.

Why no machine on our list shows a price

No two machines are alike: the page count, the accessories fitted and the way you want to pay all differ. Rather than publish a figure that fits nobody, you get figures for your own situation, in writing, on two or three machines. One short call, or the form on this page, starts it.