Purchasing a photocopier might not be the best solution for your business, so you might want to research copier rentals pricing and costs before you make an unnecessary purchase. Renting is a great solution when you only need a photocopier on a temporary basis or even if you are sampling a variety of photocopiers to ensure an actual purchase meets your unique criteria.

Rental copiers are a great solution for short term usage and experimentation. Prices vary based on whether you plan to make color copies or black and white and also vary according to the time frame for renting. Most companies prefer to offer clients a direct quote according to specific needs, so to get prices, you'll need to contact companies directly. Some ways to analyze the pricing and costs of renting photocopiers include the following options:

1. Rent a photocopier, or more than one, on a short-term basis to determine which brand works best for you before you invest in long-term solutions.

2. Compare copier rentals pricing and costs from several rental businesses for optimal savings.

3. Cut copier rental prices by renting for specific occasions rather than long time periods.

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Look into investing in a copier for rent to determine which model best suits your needs

Determine the benefits of renting over leasing or buying, then test a variety of printers before making a purchase you are unhappy with by using copiers for rent. Look for short-term rental plans and test the products until you find one that meets your particular business needs.

I recommend: AllBusiness.com provides consumers with an article detailing the differences in buying, renting and leasing business equipment. It offers suggestions and questions for consideration when you are considering rental versus the other two options. IKON Office Solutions prides itself in its wide selection of photocopiers offered for short-term rental. It includes toner with the rental and also offers paper for an additional fee.

Compare options and savings when you rent a copier

Before making a photocopier or Xerox rental, shop around to determine the best pricing options for your particular needs. Find out what's included in the rental from the number of pages printed to toner, paper and maintenance.

I recommend: BuyerZone gives you the opportunity to choose specific criteria for your unique copier usage. After sorting your criteria, it offers price quotes from a variety of photocopy machine suppliers. Quote A Copier specializes in offering consumers information on photocopier prices, whether businesses rent or lease. It details savings and types of usage.

Consider the hidden costs in a copier rental

Find out the specific terms in your rental agreement in regards to repair, supplied paper, number of copies allowed and toner included. Some companies require a minimum rental time period while others rent by the day, week, month or year.

I recommend: Marathon Services rents copier machines with two separate plans and has a minimum rental charge. You are responsible for paying for any copies over the original agreement number and must also rent for a minimum of one week or one month based on your agreed-upon plan. Photocopier Supplies offers a detailed article on renting and leasing photocopiers. It includes areas to watch out for such as terms of service and maintenance.

Copier rentals provide an economical option to upgrade to newer copier technology without paying the price to purchase new equipment. Rental copiers also allow flexibility if you have peak seasons of the year when you need extra copy services.

Finding a copier for rent is easier than you might think. Many companies offer online selections and services, local delivery and support and flexible rental options.

Before you rent a photocopier, consider the basic issues of copier rental:

1. Browse a list of machines available for rent at a typical copier rental supplier to choose the machine you want.
2. Get a free quote of copier rental prices online from copier companies or from comparison quotes.
3. Check for copier rental companies that offer support and other services for photocopier rental.

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Browse rental copiers to get an idea of the product you want

Most copier rental companies offer several different brands and models, so pick out a few copiers that will do the job before seeking a quote. You'll need to choose not only between black and white and color, but also from a range of other features.

I recommend: Marathon Service offers a range of black and white as well as color options, as does Rush Computer. In some cases, rental copiers available to you may depend on your location and proximity to certain warehouses or distributors, but you'll find out if a particular copier is available when you request a quote.

Get a free quote for your copier rental

Quotes for copier rentals are quick and simple to get online if you just know the type of copier you want, how much you'll need to use it and how long you'll need it.

I recommend: You can get a quote from providers such as Marathon Services or Rush Computer that cater to local businesses who need copier rentals. Enter information about your copier rental needs at Buyer Zone and get quotes from available providers. If you know the brand and type of copier you want, you can request a rental quote directly from the brand. For instance, if you want a XEROX rental, you can go to the company website for a XEROX rental quote.

Check out service plans before you rent a copier

Some copier rental services offer superior customer support for rental machines rather than just drop off the copier for a specified amount of time. Especially if you're in a time crunch and relying on your rental copier, you'll want to have a good support plan in place.

I recommend: Providers, such as Marathon Services, that serve a specific geographic area often are much more likely than large national providers to offer support and local service personnel. However, other copier rental providers that have multiple locations across the country, such as Convention Copier Rental, advertise around-the-clock premium support for all rentals and offer specifications on service plans for each copier when you request a rental quote.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Calculate your needs and copier rental costs closely before renting one. Renting a copier for your business for a few weeks during peak times of the year or as you transition to a newer model for purchase can be a wise business decision, but you don't get stuck paying rental fees on a machine that would have been more cost-effective to buy.

If you're like most any other office, it's likely you're making dozens of copies per day, so you might consider a copier rental. There are many copier rentals types and styles to choose from, so you'll have no problem finding exactly what you need for your particular business. From Xerox rental copiers to other brand name copiers for rent, there are many models and styles available.

Whether you need a desktop copier rental, a high-volume photocopier rental or copier rentals that provide more than one function, you can find the type of machine that best fits your needs when you decide to rent a photocopier. Digital, laser, black-and-white or color capabilities are just a few of the copier rental types and styles you can select:

1. Choose desktop or large high-volume copiers for rent.
2. Pick from a variety of copier rentals types and styles such as digital, color and laser.
3. Rent a copier that performs more than one function, such as those that print, fax and scan.
   

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Go big or small when it comes time to rent a copier

From small desktop copiers to large high-volume copier rentals that produce 50 or more copies per minute (CPM), you can choose the type of copier that best fits your office production and space availability. There are also low- to mid-volume copiers, and copiers with auto feeds, multiple paper trays and sorters.

I recommend: Find low-, medium- and high-volume copiers that make between 15 and 50 CPM at Rentacomputer.com. QuickAVRentals.com has desktop copiers as well as mid- and high-speed copier rentals that copy up to 75 pages per minute.

See the many types of rental copiers, from digital to laser

There are several copier rentals types and styles that address copy quality. Digital and laser copiers produce different results. You might choose a black-and-white copier if you're only copying documents, or a color copier rental if you're reproducing photos or pictures.

I recommend: Xerox offers a wide range of black-and-white and color laser and digital copiers for rent. Click on any of the Konica digital color or black-and-white copier rentals for detailed information and pictures of each model at Marathon Services.

Decide if you want copier rentals that have all the bells and whistles

Like a good assistant, some copiers have the ability to multi-task. You might choose copier rentals that not only copy, but serve as a fax machine, scanner and printer as well. These practical machines might be a good way to increase employee productivity when you choose to rent a copier.

I recommend: Convention Copier Rental has high-speed and color copiers that allow fax and print/scan options to be added on for an additional fee. SmartSource Rentals has multi-function copier rentals that fax, scan, print and copy as well as collate, staple and even two- or three-hole punch.

For most businesses, a copier is an essential part of the office. By renting a copier, you can save money and get all of your copying needs met. There are many types of copiers available for you to rent such as digital copiers, analog copiers, color copiers and multi-function copiers. When discussing a copier rental with your copier salesperson, be sure that you are prepared to ask about such features as an automatic document feeder and a bypass tray.

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Digital copier

Digital copiers are faster and more efficient than their analog counterparts. A digital copier scans a document once and then stores the image in its memory to print the picture to the page using either inkjet or laser printing methods.

I recommend: Staples offers an excellent comparison between digital and analog copiers, including a discussion of the benefits of using a digital copier.

Analog copier

An analog copier is an older version of today's digital copier. Analog copiers work to create copies through the use of lens, mirrors and light to transfer scanned images to the drum where copies are then printed. An analog copier must scan the picture each time it makes a copy, making the copy time slow.

I recommend: Sharp has a detailed explanation of how analog copiers work in its copier glossary, while Staples explains the difference between analog and digital copiers.

Color copier

A color copier may be just what your business needs. Color copiers are digital copiers that scan images using a laser to transfer them to the image drum. From the image drum, the toner sticks to the charged areas of the drum and then gets transferred to the page.

I recommend: To learn more about how color copiers work and the supplies you will need to go with a color copier, visit BuyerZone.com.

Multi-function copier

A multi-function copier, also known as all-in-ones, will not only enable you to make copies, but it will also perform other jobs for your company such as print, fax and scan.

I recommend: SmartSource Audio & Visual Rentals explains what a multi-function copier can do for your office.

Automatic document feeder

When renting a copier, make sure you look at copiers that have an automatic document feeder or ADF. Automatic document feeder means that you can place all your documents into the tray and let the copier move them through the copier, rather than having to put each document on the glass one at a time. By renting a copier with an automatic document feeder you will save a lot of time.

I recommend: Explore what an automatic document feeder copier rental can do for you at the RJ Young Company.

Bypass tray

A bypass tray is another great component to look for in a copier rental. A bypass tray will help you avoid paper jams by providing a short, straight paper route for odd shaped documents and thicker paper such as card stock.

I recommend: Find a detailed description of bypass tray copiers at PhotocopierTerms.