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Where Can You Buy Dell AIO Printer Ink Without Paying Too Much?
Dell printer owners are faced with a unique problem. Dell is really the only place you can get new ink cartridges, and they don't have any retail stores so you're stuck having to order and wait for them to be shipped. If you've run out of ink the day before a major project is due, that shipping time can be a big problem.
Many Dell printers are actually made for them by Lexmark, particularly the all-in-one models. In fact, if you compare similar models from each company side-by-side, they look virtually identical. The one difference - and it's a big one - is that the ink cartridges are not compatible from one brand to another.
This ensures that Dell doesn't lose money to people buying Lexmark ink cartridges. Something that may be good for Dell, but isn't good for you when you need ink now.
In addition to the inconvenience of having to order the cartridges from Dell, this "monopoly" on their ink also means that Dell can charge whatever they want and there's no competition that will help bring the price down.
That's not to say that Dell is necessarily gouging you - their cartridges are priced relatively close to other brands - but you won't see any sale prices or price matching being done.
Fortunately, there are a couple of alternatives to using the original Dell ink cartridges, which can save you money and also make it more convenient.
The first option is remanufactured cartridges. These are empty Dell cartridges that have been refreshed and refilled, with the end result being pretty much as good as the brand new cartridges from Dell.
There are many companies on the internet who sell these compatible cartridges, some with better quality than others. If you choose to use these cartridges, make sure the company has a good guarantee in case you run into any problems.
The second option is refill kits for refilling your own empty cartridges. These are the cheapest of the two options and also the most convenient because you can keep the refill ink on hand and when your cartridge runs out, refill it and be up and running again right away.
Refill kits do have their drawbacks however - they can be messy if you're not careful when refilling, and the cartridges themselves do wear out eventually.
I wouldn't recommend refilling a cartridge more than a couple of times before replacing it, so it's a good idea to order a replacement cartridge as soon as you refill the empty cartridge the second time. That way, you'll be sure to have it when you run out of ink again and can get your printer running again right away.
We regularly review the top ink suppliers for these compatible cartridges and refill kits. You can see our current ratings on our printer ink supplier reviews page.
