Finding it
On almost every business machine the meter lives under a Counter, Meter or Billing option at the control panel, and can be printed as a counter page. On Ricoh look under Counter; on Kyocera and Canon under Counter or Check Counter; on Xerox under Device then Billing and Usage. If in doubt, print the configuration page — the meter is usually on it.
What the counters mean
Total impressions is every side printed since manufacture. One duplex sheet counts as two impressions, which surprises people comparing a meter against a paper order.
Black and colour counters are billed at different rates, which is why they are reported separately. Some machines add a third tier for single-colour or low-colour pages at a rate between the two — worth knowing, because it can materially reduce a bill on documents that are mostly black with a coloured logo.
Large format multipliers. Many agreements count an 11 × 17 page as two impressions, since it uses twice the toner and paper. Check whether your contract does this before comparing rates between dealers.
Scan and fax counters are usually informational and not billed, though a few agreements charge for scanning. Check.
Why it matters beyond the invoice
The meter is how a dealer sizes a replacement machine honestly. Divide total impressions by months in service for a true monthly average, then compare against the recommended monthly volume of any machine you are considering. That single calculation prevents the most common purchasing mistake — see how to size a copier to your page volume.
It also determines the value of a machine at end of lease, and it tells you how much life a refurbished unit has left.
Submitting it
Most networked machines under a service agreement report automatically and nobody has to do anything. If yours does not, print the counter page and email it, or read the numbers over the phone. Send it on the same day each month — an inconsistent read date makes month-to-month comparison meaningless.
If you are getting quotes from several dealers, send every one of them the same meter page. It is the fastest way to make proposals genuinely comparable. Send yours through our contact page.
Common questions
Does a double-sided page count as one or two on a copier meter?
Two. The meter counts impressions, meaning sides printed, not sheets of paper. This is standard across manufacturers.
Is an 11 x 17 page billed as two pages?
Under many service agreements, yes, because it consumes roughly twice the toner and paper of a letter page. Confirm how your agreement treats tabloid before comparing cost-per-page rates between dealers.