Ink cartridges: genuine vs. compatible

If you browse our online store, you’ll find that we offer a huge range of printer cartridges.

We stock ink cartridges for all the major brands of printer sold in Australia, including Brother, Canon, Epson and HP.  The products available on our site are separated into two categories: genuine ink cartridges and compatible ink cartridges. In this article, we explain the difference between the two options and help you choose which is most suitable for you and your printer.

Genuine Ink Cartridges

A genuine ink cartridge (or original ink cartridge) is the name for a cartridge manufactured by the same brand as your printer.  This is for use with your particular model.  The advantage to using a genuine cartridge is that you know it should work properly with the printer and is manufactured by a quality, trusted brand, however the cartridges can be expensive.

Some printers are designed to only accept genuine ink cartridges, manufactured by the same brand, as a way to ensure customers continue to spend money on their products.  This includes many of the major printer brands, such as HP.  If this is the case with your printer, you will need to choose from our selection of genuine ink cartridges for the brand you own.  Make sure to check that the cartridge is compatible with your particular model of printer, as well as the make.

Compatible ink cartridges

If your printer is manufactured by a brand such as Canon, you have more of a choice to choose to buy a genuine or compatible ink cartridge. A compatible cartridge is manufactured by a different company to the printer.  It will work with your printer, as the printer has been designed to accept it.  If you haven’t yet bought your printer, it is wise to check which types of cartridges it can accept, as choosing a printer that allows compatible cartridges can save you substantial amounts of money over time.

People sometimes avoid purchasing compatible cartridges because they are manufactured by lesser known companies.  These are available on the market and may well be unreliable and not work in your printer.  However, we only work with good quality manufacturers whose products are well made, easy to use and great value for money.

Click here to take a look at our range of ink cartridges and get the best deal on this and other printing products in Australia today.