Supplies & equipment
In short
Best overall: Premium Compatible Dell 3130CN Magenta High Capacity Toner Cartridge (Dell 593-10292), £59.99 at The Cartridge Centre. Best value: Premium Compatible Epson T096 9 Colour Ink Cartridge Multipack Husky (T0961/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9), £59.99.
Across the 6,835 matching listings we screened from 1 UK suppliers, most cost £23–£84 and the middle price is £48. Prices checked 27 October 2026.
Ink and toner are where most office printing money goes. Cheaper compatible cartridges can cut that bill, but they can also cause problems with some printers, so the decision is worth making once, as a policy, rather than cartridge by cartridge.
Below we explain how to compare cartridges fairly, when compatibles make sense and when to stick with originals.
| # | Product | From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Best overall Premium Compatible Dell 3130CN Magenta High Capacity Toner Cartridge… | £59.99 | Details |
| 2 | Best value Premium Compatible Epson T096 9 Colour Ink Cartridge Multipack Husky… | £59.99 | Details |
| 3 | Premium Compatible HP 303XL High Capacity 2 Ink Cartridge Multipack… | £59.99 | Details |
1 · Best overall
Sold by The Cartridge Centre
At The Cartridge Centre we take pride in offering an extensive range of low-cost compatible ink cartridges and compatible toner cartridges.
2 · Best value
Sold by The Cartridge Centre
At The Cartridge Centre we take pride in offering an extensive range of low-cost compatible ink cartridges and compatible toner cartridges.
3
Sold by The Cartridge Centre
At The Cartridge Centre we take pride in offering an extensive range of low-cost compatible ink cartridges and compatible toner cartridges.
A cheaper cartridge is not a better deal if it prints fewer pages. Divide the price by the rated page yield to get the cost per page. High-capacity (XL) cartridges usually cost more but print more, so check the sums.
Original cartridge yields are measured under ISO standards: ISO/IEC 19752 for mono toner, ISO/IEC 19798 for colour toner and ISO/IEC 24711 for inkjet. When a compatible seller quotes a yield, ask whether it was measured the same way.
A compatible is a new cartridge made by a third party. A remanufactured cartridge is an original that has been emptied, refilled and resold. Printerland notes that compatibles can fail because the chip is not recognised, the printhead clogs or the cartridge does not fit well, and that the age and past use of a remanufactured cartridge may affect how it works.
Some printers also check the cartridge chip. HP calls its system Dynamic Security, and firmware updates that include it have stopped some third-party cartridges working. In a 2025 settlement of a class action brought by US businesses, HP agreed to keep letting printer users choose whether to install firmware updates that include Dynamic Security. If you plan to use compatibles in an HP printer, check how automatic updates are set.
Keep a list of every printer model in the building and the exact cartridge codes it takes. Hold one spare set per printer rather than a cupboard full, so stock is not wasted if a printer is replaced. Ask your supplier whether they take back empties for recycling.
On our shortlist, the Premium Compatible Dell 3130CN Magenta High Capacity Toner Cartridge (Dell 593-10292) is the best overall pick at £59.99 from The Cartridge Centre. For a tighter budget, the Premium Compatible Epson T096 9 Colour Ink Cartridge Multipack Husky (T0961/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9) (£59.99) is our best-value choice.
Most of the 6,835 UK listings we screened sit between £23 and £84, with a middle price of £48. Trade suppliers often show prices before VAT, so add 20% if you can't reclaim it.
A VAT-registered business can usually reclaim the VAT on equipment bought for business use, as long as it holds a valid VAT invoice from the supplier. Ask the seller for one at checkout.
The picks here come from The Cartridge Centre. Most UK trade suppliers offer next-day delivery and VAT invoices; some offer credit accounts for regular orders.
They can work well for everyday printing, but quality varies by supplier. Buy from a seller with a returns policy, test one cartridge first and keep originals for important client work.
Some printers check the cartridge chip, and a firmware update can change which cartridges they accept. HP calls this Dynamic Security. Check your printer's update settings and the cartridge seller's compatibility notes.
Often, but not always. Divide each cartridge's price by its rated page yield and compare the cost per page.