TomatoInk Review: Printer Ink Stores

TomatoInk advertises itself as an environmentally-conscious company, touting their Green Business Network certification and 20-year history of selling printer ink. But here's the real deal - while they make a big show about being eco-friendly because they sell remanufactured cartridges made from recycled materials, they're actually not doing anything special compared to their sister companies, ComboInk and CompAndSave (or most of their competitors). All three companies sell both remanufactured and OEM cartridges. So while they're wearing green like a fashionable accessory, it's more of a marketing technique to draw in eco-conscious customers than a transformative commitment to being different. Just saying.

Finding the right cartridge is (mostly) straightforward

You can shop for ink by choosing your printer brand from a dropdown menu, then selecting the series and model. If you prefer, you can also just type in your cartridge number directly. Just keep in mind that if your specific printer isn't in their system, you'll hit a 404 error page - which can be a bit frustrating, but this happens on their sister sites too.

Price match safety net

The product selection here is a mixed bag - sometimes you'll find an OEM version of a given cartridge on one site while their sister companies offer the remanufactured version. Price-wise, it's a similar story. Take their Remanufactured Epson 786XL pack for example - it's $48.95 on TomatoInk, just a penny more on CompAndSave, but you can actually find it about $10 cheaper from a competitor. But rest assured if you do find a better price, TomatoInk has a price match guarantee (though it won't apply to clearance items, promotions, or pricing errors). Plus, like their sisters, they offer instant savings right off the bat - you can snag a 10% discount, or bump that up to 15% if you don't mind signing up for their email list.

Free shipping on orders over $35 to $50

If you stay an email subscriber (we've all unsubscribed after a first order), you only need to purchase $35 of printer ink to qualify for free shipping. Otherwise, the threshold is $50, but standard shipping under that amount is still very affordable - just $3.99. When you place an order before 2 PM PT on weekdays, it'll be processed the same day. If you need your ink fast, you've got options for 3-day, 2-day, or next-day express shipping at courier rates. Your standard orders typically arrive in 2-10 business days for mainland US addresses, or 7-14 days for APO/FPO and US territories. Keep in mind that toner cartridges might need additional shipping charges due to their weight. (And yes, if you're wondering about those sister companies - they share these same shipping policies.)

Return policy is reasonable

TomatoInk's return policy is the same one you'll find with their sister companies. You'll get free returns within 10 days of delivery for standard shipping orders in the continental US. If something goes wrong with your cartridges, just contact customer service by phone, live chat, or email to get a return label (takes 1-2 business days), then ship everything back in the original packaging. For defective cartridges, you can get a refund anytime within 365 days, but for non-defective returns, you have two options: store credit with no restocking fee, or a refund minus 15%. (Pro tip: If you're returning OEM cartridges, they must be unopened and returned within 15 days - and if they're defective, you'll need to deal with the manufacturer directly). If you had free shipping and then return the whole order, they'll deduct $4.95, and you're responsible for return shipping costs.

Customer service that cares about you

When you're frantically trying to print those last-minute reports or family photos, you'll be glad to know that TomatoInk has your back with their stellar customer service. They've earned an "A+" rating from the BBB with zero complaints, and their 4.6-star average on third-party platforms speaks volumes. You can reach their friendly team through phone support or live chat on weekdays from 6:30 AM to 3:30 PM PT (with a 24/7 chatbot for midnight printing emergencies), or shoot them a text or email with a typical 1-2 day response time. Long-time customers rave about team members like Arianne and Kenneth, who go above and beyond to help you find the right cartridges and solve any issues quickly (and when your printer is acting up, having someone knowledgeable and patient on the other end of the line is worth its weight in ink).

Earns excellent score

While we're not huge fans of TomatoInk's attempt to seem extra eco-friendly compared to their competitors despite not really being different at all (if you care about the environment, any remanufactured cartridge is a good choice), TomatoInk still ranks very high among their sister brands for a compelling reason: you'll never have to worry about overpaying for your printer ink thanks to their price match guarantee. (Though if you're the type who likes to stock up on different cartridges at once, you might want to check out ComboInk's combo feature instead - just keep in mind you'll be trading that price match protection for the convenience of bundling.)

On the TomatoInk website