Epson Launches ‘Pay-as-You-Go’ Ink-Replenishment Service

Epson U.K. has launched what it’s calling the U.K.’s “first UK pay-as-you-go print service.”

The program is part of a new partnership with Network Group, under which Epson says its inkjet printer and MFP customers will never run out of ink

Under the program, Epson monitors the ink usage of registered customers and shares this information with reseller partner Network Group. When ink is running low, the customer is notified and this starts the process of the shipping of a new cartridge. Epson says that most of its printers introduced after April 2013 are eligible for the service.

Here’s how the program works:

• The customer registers for the Epson ReadyInk ink-replenishment service and installs the Epson ReadyInk Agent that enables Epson to monitor their printer’s ink usage.
• Epson monitors the customer’s ink usage.
• When the customer’s ink runs low, Epson resller partner Network Group receives a notification.
• Network Group bills the customer and ships them a new cartridge.

Customers can register on the 360ink portal. There’s no monthly contracted payments. Instead, customers are simply charged when a new cartridge is needed.

Epson Europe introduced the ReadyInk program in Europe last month (see here). The service is also provided by Epson America – see here – which uses resellers Amazon and Best Buy to deliver ink.

For more information, visit Epson U.K. here.

Epson inkjet competitor HP Inc. also offers an automatic ink-replenishment service called Instant Ink, but under that program, when customers enroll in the program, they select a plan reflecting the approximate number of pages they print every month and are billed monthly for ink cartridges that are automatically shipped to them. For Wirth Consulting’s review of the Instant Ink program, see here.

More Resources

• July 2018: Epson Says It’s Sold 30 Million Ink-Tank Inkjet Printers
• April 2018: Epson Launches Three New Sub-$200 WorkForce and Expression All-in-Ones
• December 2017: Epson Launches Trio of Wide-Format WorkForce Business Inkjets
• December 2017: Epson Expands Enterprise Copier/MFP Portfolio with New A3 WorkForce Color MFP and Print-Management Offerings
• October 2017: Epson Launches Advantage Partner Program for Resellers
• October 2017: Epson Launches Reseller-Focused ReadyInk Ink-Replacement
• July 2017: Nuance Print-Management and Document-Capture Software Now Available for Epson MFPs, Scanners
• July 2017: Robust First Quarter for Epson, ‘Acclaim’ for Enterprise Inkjet MFPs
• April 2017: Epson Rolls Out Three New WorkForce Pro Business-Inkjet All-in-Ones Starting at $149.99
• March 2017: Epson Announces 100-PPM A3 Business Inkjet Copier/MFP for BTA Channel