You can conduct an online search for a copier lease calculator and find any number of options that allow you to input numbers, and return an estimate of how much you’ll be paying each month. However, an automated copier lease calculator is no substitute for consulting with an office equipment dealer.

There are tools online for calculating all types of payments — though we bet you wouldn’t lease a car without consulting with a dealer, or sign a mortgage without consulting with a real estate agent. Just as well, you shouldn’t lease office equipment before consulting with an experienced and authorized seller.

A copier lease calculator is a decent starting point, but from there we recommend speaking with a professional. They can explain, in layman’s terms, what’s going into the lease and perhaps even get you a better rate than what you’ve found using online tools.

Not to mention, in a competitive industry such as this one, there is always room for negotiation. Consulting with a copier dealer gives you the opportunity to negotiate a more affordable monthly payment, with maybe even some extras thrown in like supplies and service.

In the following section we’ll go over some general copier leasing guidelines that a typical online copier lease calculator won’t tell you.

Copier Lease Calculator – The Basics

When calculating what a lease could cost, you have to consider everything that’s going into the lease. There are essentially two types of copier leases: a lease with service and a lease without service.

A copier lease with service will obviously cost more than a lease without service, but exactly how much more depends on the individual user. Service contracts are not one-size-fits-all — they can be customized to ensure you’re getting optimal value for your dollar.

For example, if you’re a light user you can negotiate a better rate on a service contract than a heavy user. Light users typically require fewer supplies and service calls, which means lower monthly payments.  

Another rule of thumb is that you should always look for what’s called a “fair market value” lease, which is usually what you’re getting when you sign a 36 or 39 month lease. Over the course of the 3 years in which you’ll be leasing the machine, you’ll spend roughly the same amount as if you had bought the machine outright. If you wish to own the machine at the end of the lease, the cost will be 15% of the fair market value price. That’s as close as you can get to breaking even.

Keep that in mind when deciding between a 3-year lease and a 5-year lease, because the rule of thumb does not apply to 5-year terms. The lower monthly payments on a 5-year lease may look appealing on paper, but in the long run you’ll end up spending much more than what the machine cost in the first place. Even more so if you decide to own the machine at the end of the lease.

If you’re considering adding supplies to your lease, the industry standard is roughly a penny a copy for black & white prints. For example, if you want 5000 copies per month included in the lease, you’re looking at an extra $50 per month. Again, you’ll be spending more on supplies in the long run with a 5-year lease versus a 3-year lease. Here is some more information on the types of service contracts available with a copier lease.

For more information about calculating copier lease rates, we invite you to contact us directly. We’re more than happy to answer your questions.