The question comes up in almost every consultation we run: should we buy this printer outright, or rent it? The honest answer is that it depends on three things — how long you will keep it, how much you print, and how your finance team prefers to account for equipment.
The purchase price is the smallest number
A mid-range office multifunction printer might cost AED 6,000 to buy. Over three years, the consumables for that same machine can easily exceed AED 12,000, and that is before a single service call. Focusing on the sticker price is the most common mistake we see.
When buying makes sense
- Your print volume is stable and predictable.
- You expect to keep the machine for four years or more.
- You have capital available and prefer to own the asset.
- You already have someone internally who handles servicing.
When renting makes sense
- You are growing and your print volume is likely to change.
- You would rather keep capital in the business.
- You want maintenance, support and replacement folded into one predictable monthly figure.
- You want to move to newer equipment every few years without a disposal problem.
The middle path
Many of our clients do both: they buy the small desktop units that rarely fail, and rent the high-volume multifunction machines where downtime is expensive and servicing matters most. That combination usually produces the lowest total cost.
If you would like the numbers run for your specific situation, send us your current print volume and we will put a comparison together at no charge.