Skip to main content

Brother makes buying toner less of a bother with intelligent refill subscriptions

Brother Refresh
Brother
Buying toner can be a pain, but now Brother is allowing users to get new cartridges automatically with predictive software and a signal from the printer. Brother Refresh is an automatic toner service — it’s like Amazon Dash, but without even needing to push that button.

More than 70 Brother printer models, including photo printers, are equipped with the tech that predicts when the user will run out of ink, automatically triggering an order before that happens. The system works both through in-printer tech that monitors toner levels and predictive algorithms that determine how much longer that ink will last. The program then automatically orders and ships the correct cartridges.

The manufacturer says the new program was developed to take the hassle out of reordering ink. “We’ve all been there – you need one more page to print when the out of ink or toner message finally proves true, undoubtedly at the worst time,” said Rafi Haqqani, the director of genuine supplies and auto-fulfillment services, Brother International Corporation. “When you have Brother Refresh, you eliminate that frustration and always have replacement ink or toner ready to go. We’re excited to offer this new service to enhance your end-to-end printing experience.”

The company says there are no surcharges or fees for the service compared to ordering online direct from Brother. The program uses genuine Brother Ink, which the company recommends for optimum performance, quality, and protection for the printer.

Signing up for the program involves a simple registration process, the company says, listing the ink and toner cartridges, shipping address and payment method. After registration, the program begins using the built-in printer tech to ship when the current cartridge is running low.

The service is the only direct-from-the-manufacturer fulfillment service for both ink and toner that doesn’t require a contract or subscription fee, Brother says. The new services is a next step after the company became the first ink supplier for Amazon Dash.

The Brother Refresh program is available for both home and businesses, the company says, covering a wide range of printers and ink types, including inkjet, laser, color, and black and white. The auto fulfillment service continues to run along with the Amazon Dash option.

Hillary K. Grigonis
Hillary never planned on becoming a photographer—and then she was handed a camera at her first writing job and she's been…
The best photo printers you can buy in 2024
Alan compares draft, standard, and high-quality photos from Epson's EcoTank ET-8500.

A comparison of draft, standard, and high-quality photos from Epson's EcoTank ET-8500. Tracey Truly / Digital Trends

If you love sharing photo prints or building physical photo albums, you might want to upgrade to a photo printer. When manufacturers optimize printers for pictures, the results can match or exceed that of the best printers available.

Read more
Crutchfield sale: Save on Canon, Sony and Nikon mirrorless cameras
Canon EOS R5

Photography can be a fun and even lucrative endeavor, although it also can be exceedingly expensive, with some of the best full-frame cameras on the market easily reaching and even exceeding one or two thousand dollars, and that's without taking into account the cost of the lenses. Luckily, there is a great sale at Crutchfield right now on various cameras and camera kits, and you can actually grab yourself some excellent cameras, whether you're just starting out or want to upgrade to the next level. To that end, we've picked some of our favorite deals below, although it's well worth checking out the full Crutchfield sale that's happenning now.

What you should buy in Crutchfield's camera sale
If you're just starting out with photography and don't want to spend the thousands of dollars you do for the slightly better cameras that you'll find in the mid-range, the Canon EOS R100 is an excellent option, and this kit includes a lens as well. It has a 24.1-megapixel sensor for high-quality photography, a 3-inch screen so you can get a better sense of what you're filming, and, of course, the RF-S 18-45mm f/4.5-6.3 lens that the kit comes with. It can also connect with both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and all of that comes packaged at , which is $100 off the usual $599 price tag.

Read more