# Managed print contract terms finance and facilities should check Source: https://managedprinterservices.com/managed-print-contract-terms/ Last updated: 2026-10-22 Operated by Global Document Solutions, ABN 89 567 852 183, Unit 1/8 Glasson Dr, Bethania QLD 4205. Phone 1300 873 460. ## Managed print contract terms finance and facilities should check Finance can compare the liability on each of 5 or more offices while facilities plans each change. - Five cost terms in writing - Renewal and exit clauses - Changes when an office joins The shortest version Read the exit and renewal clauses of a managed print contract before comparing monthly figures. Leaving a current provider? See how offices change provider as each agreement ends. Outsource the printers to one provider only once every clause below is answered in writing. Ask what happens to each office specifically, not to the fleet in general. Ask whether each service level is a written term or a stated process. Excess page rates are normally the same at every location, and still belong in writing. Record the answer before the agreement starts. Last updated 22 October 2026. ### Which managed print services contract terms should finance review Five written answers make competing proposals easier to compare. They apply whether the offices are in Melbourne and regional Victoria or spread across states. Those five belong beside the ten questions every provider answers in writing. The five cost terms and what each answer should show. | Term | Written answer | Finance check | | --- | --- | --- | | Length | Term and start date | Dates for every included office | | Renewal | Clause and notice window | Action date, address, method | | Plan | Standard plan tailored to the business | Included printers and page allowance | | Excess | Rates stated in the quote | Normally the same at every office | | Exit | Early exit cost as a formula | Each component and when it applies | Finance can also put the same fleet into tonnes for the AASB S2 line before the term starts. To count how many end dates your offices hold, run the four question fleet planner. #### Why the written scope matters A headline figure leaves the clauses and location details out. Toner is a printer's main consumable, so ask whether every plan includes it. Each word in those clauses is defined in a plain glossary of the terms a quote uses. The home page draws five separate print arrangements against one fleet contract for the same reason. If the term itself is new, start with the definition of managed print services. In practice that count runs on 4 numbers you already have. Finance can then compare the written scope with what a multi site print fleet costs each month. Offices still paying for upkeep separately can set it against a printer maintenance agreement compared with one agreement. A monthly figure cannot explain the full commitment across several offices. Finance needs the term, renewal, tailored plan, excess page rates and exit formula. Facilities also needs to know what changes when an office joins. Ask who will manage print at each office once the agreement starts. Get every one of these answered on paper, before you commit. See what a managed print agreement covers before you price one ### Send your sites and your renewal dates We answer the five terms against each renewal date. Check five managed print contract terms at every site before you commit: the length, the renewal notice, the plan, excess page rates and exit cost. ### Check your own MPS agreement against these terms You read your own agreement and answer, and the readout sorts what you said. The readout only knows what you tell it. No document is uploaded and no answer leaves this browser. There are 24 questions, and every one of them takes an I do not know. Cost transparency Does the agreement state one monthly figure for each printer? Yes, in writing No, it changes month to month Not stated I do not know Does it state the pages included each month for each printer? Yes, for each printer One allowance for the whole fleet Not stated I do not know Does it state the excess page rate for your offices? Yes, one rate for every office Yes, with a different rate at some offices Not stated I do not know Can the monthly figure rise during the term? No, it holds for the term Yes, by an amount the agreement names Yes, at the supplier's discretion Not stated #### Contract flexibility What happens on the end date? It ends It renews unless notice is given Not stated I do not know How much notice must you give to stop it renewing? 90 days or more 30 to 89 days Under 30 days Not stated Can an office join mid term on the same agreement? Yes, on terms the agreement names Yes, terms not named No I do not know Is there an early exit formula you could work out yourself? Yes, the formula is written down A figure comes on request Not stated I do not know Service protection Does it state how quickly a technician attends? Yes, in hours Yes, in business days Not stated I do not know Does that time differ between a capital city and a regional office? Yes, both are stated One time for every address Not stated I do not know Is a loan printer provided when one cannot be repaired? Yes, within a stated time Yes, no time stated No Not stated Is there a named person or role to escalate to? Yes, a name or a role A phone number only Not stated I do not know #### Multi site governance How is the fleet invoiced? One invoice covers every office One invoice for each office Not stated I do not know Is a usage report issued for each office? Yes, one for each office One report for the whole fleet No report Not stated Do all your offices share one end date? Yes, one date No, the dates differ Not stated I do not know Are page volumes pooled across offices? Yes, pooled No, counted for each printer Not stated I do not know Security and privacy Who applies firmware and security updates? The supplier, in writing Your own team Not stated I do not know Does a job wait for a card or a code at the printer? Yes No Not stated I do not know Does it say what happens to data held on a printer at the end? Yes, wiping is included Yes, wiping costs extra Not stated I do not know Does it say where print data is held? Yes, in Australia Yes, overseas Not stated I do not know #### Sustainability and reporting Does it set double sided mono as the default? Yes, in writing No Not stated I do not know Does it report pages printed at each office? Yes, every month Yes, on request No Not stated Can you remove a printer you no longer need? Yes, at a stated cost Yes, cost not stated No Not stated Does it say how an old printer is disposed of? Yes, with a record Yes, no record offered Not stated I do not know Your readout 0 of 24 you marked as stated Cost transparency0/4 Contract flexibility0/4 Service protection0/4 Multi site governance0/4 Security and privacy0/4 Sustainability and reporting0/4 Answer a question to start the readout. Download my question sheet Clear my answers The sheet downloads to this device. Nothing is sent to us. ### How should facilities track a renewal clause Track the notice window as well as the end date. #### The action date comes first Some agreements use a notice window before the stated end date. The clause should explain when that window opens and closes. It should also name the correct notice address and method. Do not assume a missed window means the same price or term. Read the outcome from the supplier's clause before you agree to it. Record each office separately when current agreements end on different dates. #### Work out your own notice date The date this agreement ends Notice the clause asks for, in days 90 Give notice on or before Set your end date The window opens once a date is set. Add my notice date to a calendar The calendar file downloads to this device. Nothing is sent to us. One calendar for every office Keep the supplier, office, end date and notice route together. Add an internal reminder before the earliest action date. Finance gets warning of a renewal, instead of finding out afterwards. It also helps facilities plan which office can move first. That sequencing is covered by the page about moving sites across as each existing contract ends. ### Do you know the notice window on each of your sites Send the renewal dates you have, even rough ones, and we map the rest. ### When can unfair contract terms law apply The answer depends on the contract and the buyer. #### What changed on 9 November 2023 According to the ACCC, these rules apply from that date. What one supplier's printer contracts looked like when a court read them is on the six kinds of printer lease term the court struck out. - Proposing, using or relying on an unfair standard form term is banned, and penalties can apply - The small business test includes fewer than 100 employees - It also includes annual turnover below $10 million - It covers contracts made or renewed from that date - A contract is presumed standard form unless the party preparing it proves otherwise Check your own headcount and turnover before relying on either test. Source: ACCC, Contracts, accc.gov.au, read 7 September 2026. #### What the ACCC asks buyers to examine A one way exit charge deserves careful review. According to the ACCC, automatic renewal clauses raise four concerns. - The clause is not adequately disclosed - No notice is given before the contract renews - The cancellation cut off date can be changed - Large early termination charges apply after renewal Printer contracts have already been tested in court. According to the ACCC, in 2022 the Federal Court declared 38 terms in 11 types of printer contract void. The court declared them unfair, and they included automatic renewal and excessive exit fees. Price rises set by one side were among them too. Others limited the supplier's liability, or made the customer indemnify the supplier. Those orders used the old small business test of fewer than 20 staff. Source: ACCC media release 108/22, 12 August 2022, accc.gov.au, read 11 October 2026. Only a court can decide whether a term is unfair. This page helps you find the clauses to review. Where the law reaches the print queue as well, see managed print for an ACT fleet, law first. The full guidance is on the ACCC page on contracts and unfair terms. ### Who reports a data breach that involves a printer? A printer drive keeps scanned pages and address books long after the job prints. According to the OAIC, the data breach scheme does not say which party assesses a breach or notifies. So the OAIC suggests the contract settles who assesses, who notifies and how fast the supplier reports. According to the OAIC, a lost or stolen device holding personal information can be a data breach. A notice is owed when a breach is likely to cause serious harm. Ask for that clause in writing before the agreement starts. Source: OAIC, Notifiable Data Breaches reports for July to December 2023 and January to June 2024, oaic.gov.au, read 21 October 2026. From $160 + GST a month per printer. Standard plans, tailored to your fleet. Excess page rates are stated in your quote and are normally the same at every location. Paper, staples and pages above your agreed volume sit outside that figure. ### Want these five terms answered against your own sites Send the addresses and the renewal dates and we come back in writing. ### What should a managed print service agreement include Every commercial detail should match a stated office. - The agreement length and start date. - The renewal clause and notice instructions. - The standard plan tailored to the business. - The included printers and allowance by location. - The excess page rates for each location. - The early exit formula and its components. - The changes when a new office joins. - Any paid data wiping option requested. - Who holds the agreement and sends the invoice. - Whether the monthly figure can rise during the term. - A sample invoice and a sample site report. Ask whether the lease and the servicing are with one company or two. The same list works as a check on any printer or copier lease agreement. A lease covering every office is explained in corporate printer leasing on one agreement. If two, ask what you still owe when the servicing stops. Send the same list to every supplier under review. Compare the written answers before comparing the monthly totals. Each office starts on a standard plan, tailored to your fleet. Ask for it as a managed print quote that names every term first. #### How long are the terms, and how is early exit worked out? Our published terms are 36, 48 or 60 months. The early exit formula is anything outstanding plus remaining payments and reasonable recovery costs. A formula can be reviewed before the agreement starts. Source: Global Document Solutions, printer leasing page, read 7 September 2026. ### Questions to ask managed print service providers before you commit Ask every MPS provider the same questions, and compare what comes back in writing. Procurement can send this list to each managed print services provider under review. Our own answers are in the right hand column, as Global Document Solutions confirmed them. Cost questions for any supplier, with our confirmed answer beside each one. | Area | Question to ask | Our answer | | --- | --- | --- | | Cost | Is each office quoted on its own? | Yes, each office can be quoted one at a time | | Cost | How are print volumes counted? | Each printer has its own plan and page allowance | | Cost | How are excess page rates set? | Stated in the quote, and normally the same at every location | | Cost | Is toner included? | Yes, in all 3 plans, with levels monitored and an update when one runs low | | Cost | Are maintenance and repair included? | Parts and labour are covered in all 3 plans | | Cost | How is the fleet invoiced? | One invoice, plus a report for each site | | Cost | Who holds the agreement and sends the invoice? | Global Document Solutions, for every included office | #### What should you ask about the term and the exit? Term and exit questions, with our confirmed answer beside each one. | Area | Question to ask | Our answer | | --- | --- | --- | | Term | Which term lengths are offered? | 36, 48 or 60 months | | Term | What happens when an office joins? | It joins the same agreement, the figure changes, and the end date stays or extends | | Term | Can sites move across one at a time? | Yes, over months | | Term | Can printers we already own join? | No, the agreement covers printers supplied under it | | Exit | Is the early exit formula written down? | Yes, anything outstanding plus remaining payments and reasonable recovery costs | | Exit | Who collects the printers at the end? | We cover the fee on an upgrade with us, and charge one if we collect after a move | #### What should you ask about service and security? Service and security questions, with our confirmed answer beside each one. | Area | Question to ask | Our answer | | --- | --- | --- | | Service | How quickly does a technician attend? | Generally within 4 hours in a capital city, and the next business day in a regional town | | Security | Is card or code release included? | An optional extra run on PaperCut, with its cost in the quote | | Security | Can we print without a print server at each site? | Yes, as an optional extra, with any setup or subscription cost in the quote | | Security | What happens to data on a printer at the end? | End of term data wiping is a paid option | A managed print service agreement should answer every one of these before you commit. ### What changes when an office joins The scope should name these 3 changes before approval. - The new office joins the same agreement - The monthly figure changes when it is added - The end date stays or extends, and the scope says which An office that closes, or a printer that moves, is covered in what changes when an office opens, moves or closes. Ask how the print workflow changes at a new office before it joins. The supplied printers return under the exit terms when the arrangement ends. When you upgrade with Global Document Solutions, we cover the collection fee. If you move to another supplier, they usually return the printers, or we can collect them for a fee. The difference from a lease is set out in managed print versus a lease at each office. Print management software alone is a different choice, covered in an agreement that owns the devices against one that does not. #### Data wiping is a paid option According to Global Document Solutions, end of term data wiping is not standard. Put the method and the cost in writing before a printer leaves. The other checks before a machine leaves are in what to clear from a printer before it goes. Coordination remains with our workshop near Brisbane, which holds every managed print agreement. Where offices come off contract at different times, managed print for Adelaide offices inside a national fleet shows how each joins in turn. Where release at the device matters, that mechanism is explained under holding a job until the person is standing at the machine. ### The contract questions buyers send us #### What is a managed print contract? A managed print contract puts supplied printers, plus servicing and toner, under one agreement for the included offices. Standard plans are tailored to the business. The written quote should identify every included location and supplied printer. It should also state the monthly figure and plan for those printers. Excess page rates should be stated in writing, and are normally the same at every location. Finance should also review the term, renewal clause and early exit formula before approving it. #### How long is a managed print contract? Global Document Solutions publishes terms of 36, 48 or 60 months. Ask which term applies and when it starts. A group with several current agreements may have different end dates across its offices. Record each current notice window before planning the proposed sequence. The proposed agreement should state the date that applies to every included office. #### Does a managed print contract renew automatically? A supplier may place the action window before the date shown on the front. The renewal clause should state the window, notice address and accepted method. Do not assume a missed window keeps the same price or term. The ACCC identifies four concerns with some automatic renewal clauses. Ask for the clause in full and diarise the earliest action date. #### What should a quote say about excess page rates? The quote should state the excess page rates for the included locations. Those rates are normally the same everywhere. Still confirm the rate in writing for every office. The same scope should identify the standard plan tailored to the business. It should match that plan to the supplied printers and included allowance. #### Can you end a managed print contract early? The agreement should state whether early exit is available and how the cost is calculated. Global Document Solutions publishes a formula covering anything outstanding, remaining payments and reasonable recovery costs. Ask for that formula in plain English before you agree. A formula can be applied to the relevant point in the term. This page assumes no early exit or saving outcome. #### When can unfair contract terms law apply? The ACCC says strengthened unfair contract terms rules began on 9 November 2023. The small business test is fewer than 100 employees or annual turnover below $10 million. Check your organisation’s own figures before relying on the small business test. The contract must also fall within the rules, including the standard form requirements. A term setting the upfront price is outside this assessment. A court decides unfairness, and under section 23 of the Australian Consumer Law an unfair term is void. #### What happens when a new office joins the agreement? Another office can be added to the existing agreement. Adding it changes the monthly figure. Its addition can leave the end date unchanged or extend it. The written scope should state the date, supplied printers and tailored plan for that office. It should also state the excess page rates. #### Is end of term data wiping included? No. End of term data wiping is available only as a paid option. The option should be requested in the written scope. Its method and cost should be stated before approval. The scope should also state what evidence confirms completion. #### What should a managed print contract name for each printer? Name every printer covered and the address it belongs to. State which servicing the charge covers, and whether parts and labour come with it. State the fault route and who logs a call at each site. State the term dates, the notice window and how a printer is returned. A managed print agreement carries all of that, plus the supplied printer itself. #### Is there a sample managed print agreement to compare against? This site publishes no sample agreement, so the clauses to check are listed here instead. Read the full agreement before you commit, and test it against that list. Nothing on this page is legal advice, so your own adviser has the final word. #### What happens to the supplied printers when the agreement ends? They are supplied under the agreement, so they go back or are upgraded when it ends. Upgrade with GDS and the collection fee is covered; move elsewhere and that supplier usually returns them. #### Which printer lease terms has an Australian court found unfair? In August 2022 the Federal Court struck out 38 terms in 11 of Fujifilm's standard small business printer contracts, in a case the ACCC brought. They included automatic renewal, exit fees Fujifilm could set itself, and price rises made without the customer's agreement. The ruling covers one supplier's contracts, so check each of the group's leases against the court's list first. ### Get the five terms answered for your fleet Tell us the sites and the renewal dates and we come back with a written scope. Operated by Global Document Solutions, an authorised Kyocera partner.