If you’re looking to save money on your ink cartridges when shopping online, then we think 4inkjets is the best option out there. You might be able to find slightly cheaper deals elsewhere, but 4inkjets is the ultimate blend of value, quality, and great customer service. That’s why 4inkjets takes the top spot in our best discount ink cartridges guide.
4inkjets is an online retailer that sells ink cartridges as a discount rate - this includes both original equipment manufacturer cartridges from the big printer companies like HP, Canon, and Epson, along with remanufactured and compatible ink cartridges from third party companies. The former are higher quality but more expensive, while the latter are where you really make the savings when you’re looking for cheap ink cartridges.
We found that 4inkjets’ prices on Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) cartridges were slightly more expensive than those you find at Inkgrabber, the store with the lowest average price for OEMs. Meanwhile 4inkjets’ remanufactured cartridges cost a little more than those on the cheapest site, 499inks.
So, why do we think 4inkjets is the best place to buy ink refills if it doesn’t have the cheapest ink cartridges? Let's look at what it offers.
4inkjets review: Service quality
Usually, the more brands a store carries, the less time you have to spend shopping around for cartridges. 4inkjets and InkCartridges both stock cartridges from 80 manufacturers, tying them for second in that tally. However, 4InkJets just barely beat Inkcartridges in our inventory test; when we searched for specific cartridges, we found 2 percent more of them on 4inkjets.
The more of each type of ink cartridge you buy, the bigger the discount you get per unit. In addition, 4inkjets’ two-year guarantee supports buying in bulk. You can only get a refund on returns during the first year. During the second year, you can exchange the product or get store credit.
Like other sites, 4inkjets’ two-year return policy doesn’t cover OEM cartridges because each printer manufacturer has a different return policy. The site only processes refunds for OEM cartridges within 15 days of purchase, though you can get store credit for defective cartridges up to 30 days after purchase. If you order the wrong ink by mistake or buy a different printer before you use your stockpile, cartridges needs to be returned unopened, even if they are remanufactured ones.
While the site doesn’t have an automatic subscription option, it does have a reorder button you can use to place the same order over again. School and government organizations can call to set up an account and access different pricing through contracts.
4inkjets review: Shipping
Most of 4inkjets shipping policies and options are standard compared to those on other sites. It ships to the U.S. and its territories, as well as Canada. You qualify for free standard shipping in the contiguous U.S. when you spend over $50 on any one order. Other sites offer free shipping as well, sometimes with lower minimum purchase requirements – for example, Inkcartridges offers free shipping on every order, no matter how much you spend. But $50 is about average for the sites we reviewed.
Depending on where you live, your order may qualify for expedited shipping, which you can select at checkout. However, if you want to overnight your package, you need to call 4inkjets. We preferred stores that offer overnight shipping as on option on their websites because it saves time over calling customer service. The site has charts that show pricing based on weight for when you ship outside the contiguous United States.
4inkjets review: Payment options and support
4inkjets is one of only two stores that lets you pay with a purchase order, cashier’s check, PayPal, Amazon Pay and social media. It’s convenient that you can choose your preferred payment method, and it can save you time spent re-entering your billing information over and over again.
4inkjets could improve its customer service by creating an online troubleshooting page that helps users install cartridges. Otherwise, the service has all the standard resources and is easy to reach via live chat, phone and email.
Should you use 4inkjets?
It’s a close race at the top of our rankings, but we really do think that 4inkjets steals it thanks to its combination of low prices, huge inventory, and great customer service (that two-year guarantee is fantastic). You also get free shipping over $50, which isn’t quite as good as Inkcartridges which offers free shipping on all orders, but it’s still pretty great and $50 isn’t a ludicrous amount of money to expect someone to drop on ink cartridges.
