HP changing the game with a printer subscription!

I just saw an ad for HP’s new printer subscription (https://www.hp.com/us-en/all-in-plan/printers.html), and I find it fascinating—it’s such an interesting change for the printer industry. For years, manufacturers like HP have relied on a razor-and-blade model: sell printers cheap and make money on the ink. But consumers caught on ( I know I did!), and many started buying substitute ink to save money, leaving brands scrambling to protect their revenue. Now, HP is flipping the script with a subscription model (but not just the ink this time!). For one fixed monthly fee, you get the printer, ink, and maintenance support.

What makes this change so interesting is how it addresses a long-standing tension between manufacturers and consumers. Using substitute ink wasn’t just about saving money—it was about control. People wanted to feel like they weren’t being “tricked” into paying more for a bargain printer. HP’s subscription model changes the conversation entirely. Instead of feeling stuck in a game of upselling, you know exactly what you’re getting and paying for every month. It’s a solution that taps into the consumer behavior theory of value co-creation—the idea that consumers and brands both benefit when they work together to create a better overall experience.

But will it work? I can’t help but wonder if this is the start of something bigger. On the one hand, it seems like a win-win: predictable costs for customers and recurring revenue for HP. On the other hand, subscription fatigue is real—how many monthly fees are we willing to take on? It’ll be fascinating to see how the market responds. Could this reshape the way we think about buying hardware, or will it fall flat? What do you think—would you sign up for a service like this?