A copier service contract is how most offices keep a copier running without paying for every repair. You pay a click charge for each page printed, one rate for black and a higher one for colour, billed monthly from the meter reading. In return the dealer usually supplies toner, sends technicians and replaces worn parts. The detail matters: minimum billing, annual escalations and what is left out can change the cost a lot. Send one request and we pass it to independent copier dealers and service companies near you, who quote you directly.
How click charges work
Each month the dealer reads the copier's counter, either remotely or from a reading you send, and bills the pages printed since the last reading. Black pages and colour pages are counted separately, and a colour page costs a good deal more. To compare offers, take your real monthly volume and work out the total: rental or lease payment plus clicks. A low machine price with a high click rate can cost more over three years than the other way round. Ask whether colour pages printed in mostly black are still billed as colour, because on some machines they are, and whether A3 pages count as one click or two.
What is covered and what is not
Most contracts include:
- Toner, delivered when you run low
- Technician call-outs and labour
- Wear parts such as drums, fusers and rollers
- Routine maintenance at set page counts
Most exclude paper, staples in some cases, damage from misuse, liquid or moving the machine, and damage from power surges and lightning. Ask for the exclusions list in writing, not only the summary. If load-shedding is common in your area, ask how the dealer treats surge damage and whether a surge protector is required.
Minimum billing, escalation and response times
Many contracts have a minimum monthly billing or a minimum number of pages: you pay for that volume even in a quiet month. Schools that close for holidays and offices that print less after going digital should check this closely. Escalation, an annual increase in the click rate, is common: ask for the percentage in writing. The contract should also state the response time for a breakdown, the hours it applies and what happens if the machine keeps failing. Read the cancellation terms before you sign.
Contracts on machines you own
If you bought your copier outright or have a used machine, many dealers will still offer a click contract, usually after a technician has inspected it. Older machines may get a higher rate, or parts only cover, because parts are harder to find. Offices with many printers and copiers may do better with managed print services, which put the whole fleet on one contract. Whatever you choose, keep copies of the meter readings you send, so you can check each invoice against the counter.
What to put in your request
- Make, model and age of the copier
- Black and colour pages a month
- Rented, leased or owned outright
- Response time you need for breakdowns
- Your current contract terms, if any
Copier Service Contracts for offices, schools and home offices
- Home offices: a small MFP on a low volume contract with toner sent before it runs out
- Small businesses and shops: one office copier with toner, parts and call-outs on a single monthly invoice
- Corporate and head offices: copiers across floors on one contract with written response times
- Schools, colleges and universities: a high volume copier contract with a minimum that suits holiday months
- Medical practices, clinics and hospitals: a practice copier kept running so scans to patient files never stop
- Law firms, accountants and agents: an A3 copier for contracts and plans with colour billed separately
- Government and municipalities: copiers across municipal offices on a contract set out in the tender
- Factories, mines and warehouses: a depot copier on contract with extra cleaning for dust
- Churches, NGOs and community groups: a used copier on a parts and labour contract with a low minimum
Frequently asked questions
Do you offer service contracts yourselves?
Is toner included in a click charge?
What happens if I print less than the minimum?
How do I find my real monthly volume?
Copier Service Contracts by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg