Cartridge Save

What Cartridge Save does

Cartridge Save is a UK-based, online-only retailer of printer consumables founded in 2003 and headquartered in Stockport. The company sells ink cartridges, toner cartridges, label tape, printer paper, and printers through its e-commerce site cartridgesave.co.uk, covering more than 25 printer brands including HP, Canon, Epson, Brother, Samsung, Xerox, Lexmark, OKI, Ricoh, Dell, Kodak, Konica Minolta, and Kyocera. Its core differentiator is the proprietary 'Switch & Save' own-brand compatible cartridge line, which is positioned as offering like-for-like OEM performance at up to 50% lower price, backed by a three-year warranty and a guarantee that the printer warranty remains valid. Cartridge Save also stocks the full range of genuine OEM cartridges from the major printer manufacturers, creating a one-stop catalog for both price-sensitive and brand-loyal buyers.

The business operates as a direct-to-consumer e-commerce retailer with no physical retail counter, supported by a UK phone and email contact centre. Revenue is generated primarily through unit-priced cartridge sales under a pay-as-you-go model, augmented by a Business Account program that provides streamlined invoicing and 0% interest for 45 days to regular corporate buyers, plus a dedicated Schools and Local Authorities program for institutional procurement. Cartridge Save claims a lifetime customer base of over 2 million and a 4.9/5 Trustpilot rating, which it uses as social proof in its acquisition funnel alongside a lowest-price guarantee with a 7-day refund window and free next-day delivery on orders over £30. The company is privately held with 51-100 employees and no disclosed external investors or funding rounds, suggesting it is founder-owned and has grown organically over its 22-year history.

Name

Cartridge Save

Legal name

Cartridge Save Limited

Website

https://cartridgesave.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Cartridge Save is a UK-based, online-only retailer founded in 2003 that sells genuine and own-brand compatible printer ink, toner, label tape, and printers to over 2 million home, business, school, and government customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Printer Supplies Retail

akta.pro primary industry

Inkjet Printers (HDACAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Laser Printers (HDACAEAB)

Keywords

• Printer cartridges
• Ink cartridges
• Toner cartridges
• Compatible cartridges
• Printer supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

Stockport

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail Sales of Printer Cartridges: E-commerce retail of printer ink and toner cartridges. Products include genuine/original cartridges from major brands (HP, Canon, Epson, Brother, Samsung, Xerox, Lexmark, etc.) as well as Cartridge Save's own-brand compatible cartridges. Revenue generated from direct product sales to consumers and businesses.
2. Business Account Services: Business accounts offering streamlined invoicing, 0% interest for 45 days, and dedicated account management for regular business customers.
3. Schools and Local Authorities Program: Dedicated sales program for educational institutions and government bodies with specialized ordering and billing arrangements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Cartridge Save is a UK-based online retailer selling replacement ink and toner printer cartridges for home and office printers. It offers both genuine OEM cartridges from major brands (HP, Canon, Epson, Brother, Samsung, Xerox, Lexmark, etc.) and its own-brand "Switch & Save" compatible cartridges. The company serves individual consumers, businesses, schools, and government bodies through its website, supported by phone and email customer service.

Product overview

Cartridge Save is the UK's leading online supplier of printer cartridges, operating as a single unified e-commerce platform offering both genuine OEM and compatible third-party cartridges. The product portfolio centers on Ink Cartridges and Toner Cartridges for over 25 printer brands (including HP, Canon, Epson, Brother, Samsung, Xerox, Lexmark, OKI, Ricoh, Dell, Kodak, Konica Minolta, Kyocera, Olivetti, Sharp, IBM, Panasonic, Fujitsu, and others), complemented by Label Tape, Printer Paper, and Printers. The company's own-brand 'Switch & Save' compatible cartridges represent their primary differentiator, offering up to 50% savings with a 3-year warranty and guaranteed printer compatibility. Additional services include Business Accounts with invoicing and 0% interest terms, dedicated accounts for Schools and Local Authorities, and the SpeedyReorder service for repeat purchases. The company serves over 2 million customers including home users, businesses, schools, and government bodies, with free next-day delivery on orders over £30 and a lowest price guarantee.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ink Cartridges

Quantifiable outcome

• Save up to 50% with Cartridge Save own-brand cartridges
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• BrothercoreOthersSupplier of Brother ink and toner cartridges. Cartridge Save stocks genuine Brother cartridges as well as compatible alternatives. Brother started in 1908 as a Japanese electronics company and is a world leader in printing technology.
• CanoncoreOthersSupplier of Canon ink cartridges. Canon started in Japan in the 1930s making cameras before moving into printing. Known for balancing quality printing with affordable prices.
• EpsoncoreOthersSupplier of Epson ink cartridges. Epson is one of the world's largest printing brands, producing inkjet, dot matrix and laser printers. Started in 1943 as Seiko and branched into printing in the 1970s.
• HP (Hewlett-Packard)coreOthersSupplier of HP ink cartridges. HP is described as 'the leading imaging and printing systems provider for printer hardware.' HP ink is relied upon by businesses, governments and home workers worldwide.
• SamsungmajorOthersSupplier of Samsung toner cartridges through the website.
• XeroxmajorOthersSupplier of Xerox ink and toner cartridges through the website.
• LexmarkmajorOthersSupplier of Lexmark toner cartridges through the website.
• RicohmajorOthersSupplier of Ricoh ink and toner cartridges through the website.
• OKImajorOthersSupplier of OKI ink and toner cartridges through the website.
• KodakminorOthersSupplier of Kodak ink cartridges through the website.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• 1ink.com: Online retailer of printer consumables including compatible ink and toner cartridges sold primarily to the UK and European markets. Comparable to Cartridge Save in its compatible-cartridge value proposition and direct-to-consumer e-commerce model.
• TonerGiant: UK online retailer specialising in toner cartridges with both OEM and own-brand compatible lines. A direct competitor to Cartridge Save in the laser-printer consumables category with similar price-match and fast-delivery positioning.
• Stinkyink: UK-based specialist retailer of compatible and remanufactured ink and toner cartridges for home, business, and education customers. Closely comparable to Cartridge Save in go-to-market, product focus, and target buyer segments.
• Premium Inks: UK-based supplier of third-party compatible printer cartridges with a focus on cost savings over OEM. Operates in the same compatible-cartridge niche as Cartridge Save's Switch & Save line, serving similar consumer and SMB customers.
• Cartridge People: One of the UK's largest online printer cartridge retailers, selling both OEM and compatible cartridges across all major printer brands. Directly competes with Cartridge Save on assortment, pricing, and delivery speed in the UK e-commerce cartridge market.

Broad incumbents

• Staples UK: UK office supplies retailer offering printer cartridges, paper, and related supplies alongside a much wider stationery and office-products catalogue. Competes with Cartridge Save in the SMB cartridge-purchasing segment but operates across a far broader product portfolio.
• Amazon UK: Massive UK e-commerce platform with broad printer-cartridge listings from multiple third-party sellers. Sets the price-discovery benchmark that Cartridge Save's lowest-price guarantee must defend against, even though Amazon is not a specialist cartridge retailer.
• Printerland: UK retailer of printers with an established consumables and supplies offering alongside hardware. Overlaps with Cartridge Save on printer and cartridge sales but with a heavier weighting toward hardware as the primary purchase.
• HP (UK direct): The world's largest printer OEM also sells cartridges directly to UK consumers and businesses (often via HP Instant Ink subscriptions). A key supply partner to Cartridge Save as well as a competitor in the OEM cartridge category and subscription consumables segment.

Emerging players

• HP Instant Ink: OEM-led subscription service bundling ink cartridges with monthly page-volume plans. Represents the emerging model that bundles cartridges into printer ownership, directly competing with Cartridge Save's pay-as-you-go compatible and OEM cartridge approach for the home and SOHO customer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CartridgeSave
• Facebookfacebook.com/cartsave

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cartridge Save