HP has unveiled its long-awaited printing subscription package, aimed at keeping both businesses and consumers tied to their physical HP printer for a while longer.
The company says its new HP All-In Plan offers “the ultimate convenience without the hassle of owning a printer” – offering not just ink, but the printer itself, for a monthly fee.
It’s a bold move, and one that HP says could mean you never own a printer again, as it appears customers are realizing the benefits of print-as-a-service models just as consumers are. do that with their smartphone packages.
HP All-in subscription
“At HP, we’ve heard from some customers that setting up and managing a printer can sometimes be an endless struggle, but everyone needs to print at some point,” writes Diana Sroka, head of Product, Consumer Services at HP. in a blog post announcing the news.
“Say goodbye to your technical problems and hello to hassle-free printing without ever having to buy a printer or cartridge again.”
The HP All-In Plan starts from just $6.99 per month, with prices increasing depending on the level of service and products you choose.
Customers can choose one of three HP printer models – the HP ENVY 6020e, HP ENVY Inspire 7258e or the HP OfficeJet Pro 9010e – then select a plan that best suits their printing needs, and the products will be shipped directly to them.
HP says users can adjust their payment plans and switch or upgrade printers after two years to ensure they have the latest hardware, but get ink delivered without ever having to reorder, and Ink will also receive special support through HP’s 24/7 Pro live support team.
To further its sustainability credentials, HP says users can easily return their printer and ink cartridges at no extra cost using pre-paid labels and envelopes, and is also promising next business day replacement at no extra cost.
It’s a bold move from HP, which says it is responding to customer demand as needs change in the era of hybrid working. The company has recently come under fire for moving printing to a subscription model, especially as customers try to cut costs at home and at work.
HP is currently facing a class action lawsuit regarding its printer firmware updates, which were delivered as security fixes but were later found to introduce printer blocking when using third-party cartridges.
In a recent interview with HP CEO Enrique Lores, he confirmed that the company’s printers are not profitable as a one-time purchase, and that HP is making an undisclosed loss on many models.