|
Quick answer
The best place to buy toner is a source that confirms the right cartridge for your exact model, gives you a choice of OEM or compatible, and has a real person to call when something’s off. For Colorado businesses, that’s often a local dealer rather than a marketplace or an unsolicited “toner caller.” You don’t need a service contract to buy from ABT. Any business can request a supplies account and order toner for most major brands, including machines you didn’t get from us. |
On this page
|
Most offices don’t think about toner until a machine flashes “replace cartridge” at 4:45 on a Friday. Then someone grabs whatever shows up first in a search, orders it, and hopes it fits.
That works until it doesn’t: the wrong cartridge arrives, the “bargain” toner streaks every page, or an invoice shows up for supplies nobody remembers ordering. This guide walks through where businesses actually buy toner, what each option is good and bad at, and how to buy from ABT even if we’ve never serviced your equipment.
Where to buy toner for your business: the options compared
There’s no single right answer for every office. Here’s how the common sources stack up on the things that matter when a printer is down.
| Where you buy | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Online marketplaces | Fast checkout and a huge selection | Third-party sellers of varying quality, look-alike listings, and no one to confirm the cartridge fits your model |
| Office supply stores | Common desktop printer cartridges you need today | Limited stock for copiers and A3 MFPs, and little help with drums, fusers or maintenance kits |
| Manufacturer direct | Genuine OEM supplies | A different site for every brand, and no compatible options if you’re trying to save on a lighter-use device |
| Unsolicited “toner callers” | Nothing | Inflated prices, questionable supplies and invoices for orders you never approved |
| A local dealer like ABT | The right cartridge confirmed for your model, OEM or compatible, most major brands in one place, and people you can call | You’ll need to set up an account the first time |
|
Not an ABT customer? You can still order.
Any business can request a supplies account. No service contract, no commitment.
|
Request a Supplies Account |
Why the cheapest toner cartridge can end up costing more
The sticker price is only part of what toner costs you. Before you buy on price alone, look at these:
|
Cost per page, not cost per cartridge
A cheaper cartridge with a lower page yield can cost more per printed page. Compare the rated yield, not just the price.
|
The wrong part number
Many models have regional, high-yield and standard versions that look almost identical. Ordering the wrong one means a return and more downtime.
|
|
Counterfeits
Fake cartridges are packaged to look genuine. Manufacturers run programs to fight them, like HP’s Anti-Counterfeit and Fraud program, because they’re common enough to matter.
|
Wear on the machine
Poor-quality toner can lead to streaks, background shading and extra wear on drums and fusers, which are far more expensive than a cartridge.
|
OEM or compatible toner: which should you buy?
OEM (original equipment manufacturer) toner is made by your printer’s brand. Compatible toner is made by a third party to fit your model. Both have a place. The trick is matching the choice to the machine.
| Choose OEM when | Compatible can make sense when | |
|---|---|---|
| Device | It’s your main copier or a high-volume MFP | It’s a secondary or lighter-use printer |
| Output | Color accuracy and consistency matter | It’s mostly internal black-and-white printing |
| Uptime | A jam or streak would stop the business | The budget is tight and a short interruption is OK |
|
The rule we use
|
Buy compatible only from a source that stands behind it. ABT’s supplies store offers both OEM and guaranteed-compatible options, so you can save where it’s safe and stay OEM where it isn’t.
|
Watch out for unsolicited toner callers
“Toner phoner” scams target businesses by calling, sounding like your regular supplier, and getting someone to confirm a printer model or approve a shipment. The supplies that follow are overpriced or poor quality, and the invoice looks official. This isn’t new: the FTC sent refunds to more than 28,000 businesses caught by one of these operations.
|
Three habits that stop most toner scams
1. Name one person (and a backup) who’s allowed to order supplies.
2. Never confirm model numbers, serial numbers or billing details to an unexpected caller.
3. Order only through sources you set up yourself, like a supplies account you created.
|
Callers sometimes claim to be from ABT. If you get one, hang up and call us at a number you already know. More on spotting them in our guide to avoiding toner pirate scams.
Buying toner from ABT without a service contract
A lot of Colorado businesses assume they have to be under contract with us to buy supplies. You don’t. If your copier came from another dealer, a big-box store or an online order, we can still supply it.
|
1
Request an account
Fill out the short form on our supplies store. Any business can apply.
|
2
Find your model
Search by printer model and choose OEM or compatible. Not sure which cartridge? Ask us.
|
3
Order and reorder
Your account keeps what you’ve bought, so next time takes a minute.
|
Brands we supply: Canon, HP, Kyocera, Epson, Xerox, FUJIFILM, KIP and most other major brands. Beyond toner and ink, we carry drums, imaging units, fusers, maintenance kits, waste toner containers and staples. See the full list on our toner and ink supplies page, or read the step-by-step guide to ordering toner and ink for any printer.
|
Not sure which cartridge you need?
Send us your model and we’ll confirm the right part before you order. Call 303-778-0600 or send a request.
|
Ask About Supplies |
Start with supplies, then decide if you want more
Buying toner is an easy, low-risk way to see how we work. Plenty of businesses start there and stop there, and that’s fine. Others find out along the way that they’re paying too much per page, chasing toner across several brands, or stuck with a machine nobody services well.
If that sounds familiar, two next steps cost nothing:
|
Free print assessment
We look at your devices, volumes and supply spend and show where you could save, including whether managed print services with automatic toner delivery makes sense.
|
Free copier contract review
Under a lease or service agreement with someone else? We’ll review it for overage charges, auto-renewals and end-of-term fees, with no obligation to switch.
|
|
Bottom line
Buy toner from a source that confirms the part, lets you choose OEM or compatible, and answers the phone. You don’t need a contract with ABT to get that. Request a supplies account and order for any machine you have.
|
Frequently asked questions
|
Do I need a service contract to buy toner from ABT?
No. Any business can request a supplies account and order toner, ink and parts without a lease or service agreement.
|
Can I buy toner for a printer I didn’t get from ABT?
Yes. We supply most major brands, including Canon, HP, Kyocera, Epson, Xerox, FUJIFILM and KIP, no matter where the machine came from.
|
|
Is compatible toner safe for my printer?
From a source that stands behind it, compatible toner is a reasonable choice for lighter-use printers. For high-volume copiers and color-critical work, we usually recommend OEM.
|
How do I know which toner cartridge to order?
Search your printer model in our supplies store, or send us the model and we’ll confirm the exact part, including high-yield and regional versions.
|
|
What is a toner phoner scam?
It’s a caller who poses as your supplier to get printer details or approval for a shipment, then bills for overpriced or poor-quality supplies. Order only through sources you set up yourself.
|
Do you sell drums, fusers and maintenance kits too?
Yes. Along with toner and ink, we carry drums, imaging units, fusers, maintenance kits, waste toner containers and staples for most major brands.
|
|
Get toner from people who answer the phone
Request a supplies account or shop the store. Colorado team, most major brands, no contract required.
|
|
Wendy Campbell, Director of Marketing
Wendy leads marketing at ABT (Automated Business Technologies), a Colorado-owned office technology company serving the Front Range since 2005 with copiers, managed print, managed IT, access control and business phone systems.
|