Benefits of Investing in a Maintenance Plan for Your Multifunction Printer

It always happens at the worst possible moment. You’re minutes away from an important meeting, you hit “Print,” and the screen flashes an error code you’ve never seen before. Or the machine just sits there quietly mocking you. For businesses that rely on multifunction printers (MFPs) every single day, downtime can be costly.

In fact, many businesses don’t know their actual printing costs. Many are not aware of how much of their print spend is tied up in unplanned repairs, wasted supplies, and downtime that could have been avoided with the right service plan.

A maintenance plan is like insurance for your investment and peace of mind for your team. In this blog, we’ll walk you through why maintenance plans matter, what they cover, the costs of skipping one, and how easy it is to request service if you’re already covered.

Table of Contents

• Why Do Maintenance Plans Matter?
• What’s Included in a Maintenance Plan?
• How Much Does Service Cost Without a Plan?
• How to Request Service Through Our Customer Portal
• The Real Benefits of a Maintenance Plan
• Should Your Business Invest in One?
• Next Steps

Why Do Maintenance Plans Matter?

Your multifunction printer is like a car. If you were to drive 50,000 miles without an oil change, you would without a doubt experience car issues. The same goes for MFPs. These devices aren’t just printers, they’re scanners, copiers, fax machines, and in many cases, the backbone of your office workflow.

So, without regular maintenance, small issues like rollers wearing down or firmware falling behind can snowball into big, expensive problems later on. Having a maintenance plan can help ensure your machine stays healthy, efficient, and reliable.

Even more importantly, they help you budget. Instead of being blindsided by a $1,000 repair bill, you have predictable coverage that keeps your costs in check.

What’s Included in a Maintenance Plan?

While every provider structures their plans differently, here’s what you can typically expect with an STPT maintenance plan:

• Parts and labor included for machine-related service issues.
• Unlimited service calls when something goes wrong.
• Discounted network services like reinstalling printers or reconnecting devices after internet changes (50% off our standard rates).
• Priority scheduling, so you’re not stuck waiting days for a technician to show up.

Want more details about exactly what we offer? Check out our blog on What Are STPT’s Maintenance Plans?

How Much Does Service Cost Without a Plan?

Now, let’s look at the flip side. If you don’t have a maintenance plan, service calls can add up quickly.

Our standard rates for customers without a plan are:

• $125/hour for labor
• $60 trip fee
• Plus, the cost of any parts

And repairs aren’t always cheap. A motherboard replacement for a small office MFP can run you $500 or more. For larger devices, you’re easily looking at over $1,000.

We covered this in more depth in our blog on How Much Does Printer Service Cost?

But the bottom line is simple: without a plan, you run the risk of unpredictable, and often budget-busting, expenses.

How to Request Service Through the STPT Website

We’ve made requesting service easier than ever with our Customer Portal.

Here’s how it works:

Customer Portal:

1. Fill out our form to create an account in the portal (don’t worry, we’ll just confirm a few details before activating it).
2. Once logged in, you can request service by submitting your device details and the issue you’re experiencing.

Website:

1. Head to the “Customer Portal” tab and find the “Request Service” option on the main navigation bar.
2. Fill out the form with your device information and the issue you’re facing.

On newer installations, you can scan the QR code on your device, which takes you the “Request Service” form.

From there, one of our staff members will review your request and schedule a technician. Plus, with a portal account, you also gain access to benefits like tracking your device history, managing supply orders, and seeing all your service records in one place.

If you’d like to learn more about the portal itself, read our blog What Are the Benefits of Our Customer Portal Account?

The Real Benefits of a Maintenance Plan

Beyond cost savings, maintenance plans offer several advantages for businesses that rely heavily on their printers:

• Peace of mind – No more worrying about surprise breakdowns.
• Reduced downtime – Fast, priority service keeps your office running.
• Budget predictability – One flat monthly fee instead of random, unpredictable bills.
• Discounted extras – Network services are 50% off for plan members.
• Extended device lifespan – Regular maintenance helps you get more years out of your investment. (See 8 Tips to Increase the Lifespan of Your Printer/Copier for additional strategies).

In other words, a maintenance plan helps you save money and keeps your entire office productive.

Should Your Business/Organization Invest in One?

If you’re leasing a machine, a service plan is always included. But if you’re purchasing a multifunction printer from us, our answer is yes. Not because we’re biased, but because we’ve seen too many businesses try to “save money” by skipping a plan… only to spend far more in the long run.

That said, it depends on your situation:

• High-volume users (like schools, law firms, or hospitals) benefit the most.
• Small offices with low print volumes may be able to get by without one, but should still weigh the risks.

At the end of the day, it comes down to risk tolerance. Do you want predictable costs and peace of mind, or are you comfortable gambling on repairs that may or may not hit your budget hard?

Ready to Protect Your Printer Investment?

Don’t wait for an expensive breakdown to decide whether a maintenance plan is worth it. Our team at STPT has helped schools, hospitals, and businesses of all sizes save thousands in repair costs while keeping their printers running smoothly.

If you’re still wondering whether a maintenance plan makes sense for your office, here’s what we recommend:

• Learn more: Read our blog What Are STPT’s Maintenance Plans? for details on how our plans are structured and what’s included.
• Talk to us directly: If you’re already convinced and want to see pricing, you can Request a Quote

By protecting your printer investment with a maintenance plan, you’ll save yourself stress, downtime, and those dreaded surprise repair bills.