USA: HP All-in-Plan includes rental printers with (expensive) subscription

The fact that we own less and less these days and rent or borrow many things on a subscription basis has become quite normal. Whether it’s movies, music or software. However, HP is now extending this subscription model to its printers: The HP All-in-Plan is initially launching exclusively in the USA.

HP All-in Plan – Rent your printer

Last year, HP was already talking about plans to expand its own Instant Ink subscription for printer cartridges, which is also offered in this country. In January, HP CEO Enrique Lores revealed that he was dreaming of “turning printing into a subscription”, as reported by PCWorld and others.

This dream of the HP boss is now coming true, at least for the time being in the USA. The HP All-in plan is precisely the printer subscription model that has been launched there. The new model extends the existing Instant Ink subscription to include a printer that matches the respective cartridges.

It starts with a total of three printers: two from the entry-level classes “ENVY” and “ENVY Inspire” and a business printer from the “OfficeJet Pro” class. It starts at a price of 8.99 US dollars per month in the Light tariff, which allows you to print a maximum of 20 pages per month. A maximum of 100 pages per month is possible with the cheapest model in the form of the HP ENVY in the “Moderate” tariff, but then at a price of 10.99 US dollars per month.

The HP OfficeJetPro (the manufacturer does not give an exact model name for any of the three participating printers) starts at USD 12.99/month for 20 pages, while the “Business” tariff allows 700 pages per month at a price of USD 35.99/month. The necessary ink cartridges are included in the price.

And if you need to print more? No problem: depending on the plan, an extra 10 to 15 pages per month costs an additional 1 dollar.

The admittedly rather steep price is at least garnished by HP with a round-the-clock service promise. As with Instant Ink, it is possible to increase the tariff level at any time, but a downgrade is only possible at the end of the billing month.

Long contract term, passing on of data

Interested parties have the option of testing the HP All-in plan for 30 days and canceling the subscription free of charge if they are not satisfied. After the 30 days have expired, however, you are then bound to the subscription for 24 months. There are also rather steep termination fees of between 120 and 270 US dollars in the first year and between 60 and 135 US dollars in the second year.

Only after the 24 months have expired is it possible to cancel the subscription free of charge, to continue with the previous conditions or to upgrade the printer with a new contract term.

According to the terms and conditions of the HP All-in plan, the corresponding printers must always be connected to the Internet. Officially, this is so that the manufacturer can monitor the status of the ink cartridges in order to deliver supplies if necessary.

The terms and conditions also state that HP reserves the right to prevent printing if there is no Internet connection. HP also monitors how the printer is used and which file formats (such as Word, PowerPoint, PDF, jpg and more) are printed with it.

At the same time, this should also ensure that customers’ HP accounts are not misused by third parties. However this is to be achieved by monitoring printing behavior.

HP is known to be very strict when it comes to the use of its own printers. In March 2023, for example, the use of ink from third-party suppliers was blocked.