A franking machine ink cartridge in the UK typically delivers between 2,500 and 68,500 impressions, and that range is the single biggest driver of what your franking actually costs per item. Yield is set by the cartridge format and the machine it fits, not by how much ink is physically left in the reservoir. On a small desktop meter, ink can work out at roughly 6p per franked envelope. On a mailroom machine running a high capacity cartridge, the same job can cost under half a penny. If your ink bill feels disproportionate to your postage, the yield figure is almost always the reason.
What "yield" actually means on a franking cartridge
Yield is quoted in impressions, not in pages or millilitres. One impression is one franking mark, whether that mark lands on an envelope or on a franking label for an oversized item. Manufacturers measure yield under standard test conditions using a plain indicia with no extras. The moment you add a logo, a return address or an advertising slogan, each impression uses more ink and the real world figure drops below the headline number.
That is worth knowing before you compare two cartridges on price alone. A cartridge that looks expensive can be dramatically cheaper per item, and a bargain cartridge can be the most costly ink in the building.
The real numbers: yield and cost per franked item
These are published manufacturer yields and original equipment list prices, taken from our own product pages and shown excluding VAT and delivery. The final column is the arithmetic that most businesses never do.
| Cartridge | Rated yield | OEM list price | Ink cost per impression |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quadient IS240, IS280 and Autostamp 2 blue | 2,500 | £151.49 | about 6.1p |
| Pitney Bowes Connect+ standard black | 17,200 | £129.95 | about 0.76p |
| Pitney Bowes Connect+ high capacity blue | 60,900 | £339.95 | about 0.56p |
| Pitney Bowes Connect+ high capacity black | 68,500 | £299.95 | about 0.44p |
The spread is close to fourteen times. Put that next to your postage savings and it becomes a real decision rather than a stationery detail: Mailmark franking saves around 3p on a standard First or Second Class letter, so on a 2,500 impression cartridge bought at list price, the ink can quietly cost you twice what the Mailmark discount gives back.
None of that means a small machine is the wrong machine. It means the ink strategy has to match the machine. Businesses franking a few hundred items a month should be looking hard at cartridge cost per impression; businesses franking tens of thousands should be checking they are on the high capacity cartridge their machine supports rather than the standard one. If your volumes have outgrown your meter entirely, Mailcoms supplies, leases and services franking machines across the UK and can advise on the right size of hardware.
Why cartridges stop with ink still inside
This is the part that surprises people. Many franking cartridges are not measured empty, they are counted out. The Quadient IS240, IS280 and Autostamp 2 cartridge is programmed to stop working after 2,500 impressions. It uses a standard HP print head that Quadient also fits to much higher capacity cartridges, so the physical hardware is capable of far more. The limit is a chip counting impressions, not a dry sponge.
That single fact is why a refill and reset service exists at all. We test the returned cartridge, top it up with Royal Mail approved franking ink so it will deliver a full run of impressions again, and replace or reprogram the chip back to factory settings. It comes back to you the next working day with a dated test print. Because you keep your original cartridge, your machine's warranty and service agreement are unaffected.
What drains a cartridge faster than the rated figure
- Printing a logo and a return address. Both add ink to every single impression. If you rarely need the advertising slogan, switching it off is a straight saving.
- Long gaps between mailings. Most meters run automatic head cleaning cycles after idle periods, and those cycles consume ink even though you have franked nothing.
- Franking dark, textured or recycled envelope stock. Poor contrast can push you into reprints, and every reprint is a paid impression. Our guide to faded, streaky and unscannable franking marks covers the fixes.
- Storing spares badly. Cartridges left unsealed, or somewhere hot, can dry at the print head before they ever go in the machine.
Five practical ways to get more from every cartridge
- Frank in batches. One run of 300 items uses less ink than six scattered runs of 50, because you trigger fewer maintenance cycles.
- Simplify the impression. Drop the ad slogan when it is not doing marketing work for you.
- Match the cartridge to the volume. If your machine supports a high capacity option, check the cost per impression rather than the shelf price. Browse supplies by model, for example Quadient IS240 and IS280 supplies, Pitney Bowes Connect+ supplies or FP Mailing Postbase Qi supplies.
- Store spares upright, sealed and at room temperature, away from radiators and direct sun.
- Refill and reset instead of replacing. It keeps a working print head out of the waste stream and off your next invoice, which is the whole point of cutting cost and carbon out of your mailing at the same time.
Why the cheapest ink is sometimes the most expensive
Franking ink is not ordinary inkjet ink. Royal Mail sets out what a franking impression must look like in its Franking Equipment Operational Requirements, because every item passes through high speed sorting equipment that has to read the mark. Ink that scans poorly produces rejected or surcharged mail, and a handful of rejected items wipes out the saving on a cheap cartridge.
Green Franking is one of only two companies in the UK to have gained Royal Mail approval for its franking ink. Our approved ink was tested across thousands of envelopes of different types and colours, franked on the machines it is intended for and then run through Royal Mail's own sorting machines to confirm readability. If you want the background on colours and Mailmark, our guide to blue, red and Mailmark franking ink explains why modern Mailmark meters print blue rather than red.
What the October 2026 price change means for your ink
Mailmark franking prices did not change in the October 2026 update, so there was no new tariff for your machine to download. Parcel stamp prices rose on 5 October 2026, which means franking a parcel now saves between 35p and £1.45 per item. Full detail is in our October 2026 postage rates update and in the Mailcoms rates guide. If more parcels are now going through your meter, more labels and more ink will go with them, so it is a sensible moment to review both.
Frequently asked questions
How many impressions does a franking machine ink cartridge last?
Between roughly 2,500 and 68,500 depending on the machine and cartridge format. Small desktop meters such as the Quadient IS240 and IS280 are rated at 2,500 impressions, while high capacity cartridges for mailroom machines like the Pitney Bowes Connect+ range reach 60,900 to 68,500. Adding a logo, return address or advertising slogan reduces the figure you see in practice.
Why has my franking machine stopped printing when there is still ink in the cartridge?
Many cartridges contain a chip that counts impressions and disables the cartridge once the rated number is reached, regardless of how much ink remains. The Quadient IS240, IS280 and Autostamp 2 cartridge is a well known example, stopping at 2,500 impressions. Resetting the chip and refilling the cartridge restores it to a full run.
Does refilling a franking cartridge invalidate my warranty?
Not with our refill and reset service, because you keep and reuse your own original cartridge rather than fitting a third party one. The cartridge is tested, refilled with Royal Mail approved ink and reset to factory settings, and it is guaranteed to give the same number of impressions as a new cartridge from the manufacturer.
How much does franking ink cost per letter?
At original equipment list prices it ranges from about 0.44p per impression on a high capacity Connect+ black cartridge to about 6.1p on a 2,500 impression Quadient cartridge. Compatible and refilled cartridges bring those figures down further, which matters most on low yield machines where ink can otherwise cost more than the Mailmark postage discount saves.
Can I use ordinary printer ink in a franking machine?
No. Franking impressions have to be readable by Royal Mail's automated sorting equipment, and only ink approved for that purpose should be used. Unapproved ink risks unreadable marks, rejected or surcharged mail and problems with your service agreement.
How do I send a cartridge in for refilling?
Order the refill and reset service for your machine, then post your empty cartridge with a copy of the order confirmation to Green Franking, PO Box 4, Cannock, WS12 4GS. We return it the next working day with a dated test print, free of charge.