What Is a Digital Printing Click Charge?

Click charges are common charge that are incurred during the lease of digital printing equipment such as copiers, printers or digital presses.

Definition

A click charge is an agreed-upon charge per "click" or piece of paper that runs through your machine.

Contract

Digital equipment leases vary. Click charges are part of the maintenance contract, but are not found in all leasing contracts.

Significance

Maintenance costs vary depending on usage. The more a machine is used, the more parts will need to be replaced. The click charge is meant to offset some of these maintenance costs.

Origin

Click charges were started as a way to be fair to both the lessor and lessee. Maintenance contracts were developed as a way to ensure that maintenance was being done in a timely manner.

Charges

Click charges vary depending on type of equipment as well as the manufacturer, dealer and the deal that was arranged when the lease was signed. Also depending on your contract, per-click can mean one click per piece of paper or one click per size of paper. For example, 11-by-17 inch paper can sometimes be classified as two clicks.

Color vs. Black

Click charges can also vary depending on whether it is a black and white copy or a color copy; color copies usually being more expensive.