The sales of OEM cartridges have been major revenue for printer manufacturers for many years. This pattern is changing recently. Despite the steep drop of printer price, the price of OEM cartridges remains remarkably high. Many consumers are fed up with expensive OEM cartridges and look for cheap alternatives. As a result, compatible cartridges and remanufactured cartridges are becoming more popular than ever before.

Compatible cartridges are also known as generic cartridges. They are like the generic drugs in pharmaceutical industry. Compatible cartridges are made by third-party manufacturers. They follow the same specification of OEM cartridges but are offered at one-half to one-third of the price of OEM cartridges. This gives them a distinctive advantage for bargain-hunting consumers.

Remanufactured cartridges are OEM cartridges which have been through one cycle of service. They are disassembled, cleaned, repaired and refilled before they are released to the market again. Remanufactured cartridges save landfill space and extra resources to produce new cartridges. These replacement cartridges are very popular among environmentally concerned consumers.

With compatible cartridges and remanufactured cartridges taking up market share, printer manufacturers are working hard to protect their profits. Some manufacturers have incorporated smart chips into their cartridges, making it difficult or impossible to refill the printer cartridges or to use compatible and remanufactured cartridges from third-party manufacturers.

On the other hand, third-party manufacturers are capable of overcoming this by providing 100% compatible printer cartridges with new replacement chips. Some companies also offer smart chip resetter or refilling services to their customers.

In conclusion, compatible and remanufactured cartridges are viable choice to cut printing cost. However, consumers should be careful when shopping for cheap printer cartridges. In addition to low price, they should compare the quality and compatibility of the printer cartridges. It is also prudent to shop with merchants who offer good customer support and extended warranty.