HP Instant Ink is a subscription service for printer cartridges offered by HP. Instead of buying and owning a cartridge outright and printing when needed, Instant Ink requires that you pay to print a predetermined amount of pages each month depending on what package you choose. The program comes in different price points so you can choose the plan that suits your printing volume best. Replacement cartridges get sent to you as your current cartridge hits empty. Key features of HP Instant Ink include:

• Cost: Most customers save on ink and many save up to 50% versus buying traditional ink cartridges. Instant ink cartridges hold more ink, use less packaging, and ship automatically, bringing down costs for HP, so they can pass the savings on to you.

• Convenience: With Instant Ink, you will always have ink when you need it. Ink is delivered automatically when you run low, not necessarily every month. Hassle-free recycling is included. HP sends you a postage-paid envelope, and you just drop it in the mail and they do the rest.

• Flexibility: HP Instant Ink is flexible. You can easily change your plan anytime or cancel the service without penalties. You can roll over unused pages month to month (the amount of pages you can accumulate varies by plan), or if you print more, youll automatically purchase sets of 10-50 pages for $1.00 (pages per set varies by plan).

However, there are some downsides to HP Instant Ink. For example, you are only able to use HPs own original ink, so cheaper compatible or remanufactured ink will not work in your printer. If you cancel the subscription, you wont be able to use unused ink cartridges youve paid for, and any unused ink cartridges youve paid for will stop working at the end of that billing cycle. You need a reliable internet connection to be able to print, and if your web connection drops out, you cant access the ink youve paid for until its back on.

Whether HP Instant Ink is worth it depends on your printing needs. It is designed mainly for those who print small, predictable volumes and who are happy to pay a monthly fee for the convenience of automatic ink delivery.