Printer Warranties Explained: How to Check Yours and What HP, Canon, Epson and Brother Cover

Most new HP, Canon, Epson and Brother printers sold in the US come with a one-year limited warranty, and some models carry two years or more. It covers defects in materials and workmanship, usually by exchanging the printer. To check yours, enter the serial number on the brand's official warranty page. Using third-party ink does not by itself void the warranty in the US.

Where to find your serial number and proof of purchase

Every warranty check starts with the serial number, and every claim needs proof of purchase. Find both before you contact anyone.

• Serial number label: usually on the back or bottom of the printer, or inside the front or cartridge access door. HP labels it S/N, and Brother serial numbers are 15 characters long.
• Configuration or status report: print it from the control panel, often under Settings › Reports or Setup › Print Reports (the label varies by model). It lists the serial number, firmware version and total page count.
• The brand app: HP Smart, Canon PRINT, Epson Smart Panel and Brother Mobile Connect show the model, and usually the serial number, in the printer's details.
• Proof of purchase: the receipt or order confirmation from Best Buy, Staples, Walmart, Costco or Amazon.com. Online order history lets you reprint it.

Warranties run from the purchase date. Without a receipt, a manufacturer may fall back on the manufacture or shipping date, which can cost you months of coverage. Registering the printer and saving the receipt as a PDF both take two minutes and prevent that argument later.

How do I check my printer warranty?

HP

Go to HP's warranty check page, enter the serial number and select the country where you bought the printer. The result shows the warranty type, the start and end dates, and any HP Care Pack attached to that serial number. If the dates look wrong, HP's support site has a process for disputing the warranty status with your proof of purchase.

Canon

Canon USA publishes the terms for each product line on its product warranty information page. Register the printer in your Canon account with the serial number and purchase date so the record is on file. For a PIXMA, warranty service normally runs through Canon's InstantExchange program: a support agent diagnoses the fault first, then Canon ships a replacement and you return the faulty unit.

Epson

Epson's warranty verification page checks the standard limited warranty and any Epson service plan by serial number. If it returns N/A, check that you picked the correct country of purchase. The standard warranty on many Epson printers is one year, and some models also cap coverage at a set number of printed sheets, whichever comes first.

Brother

Brother USA's warranty status tool asks for the serial number and the purchase date, then shows the start and end dates and whether the coverage is standard or extended. Depending on the model, Brother's standard warranty is one or two years, and warranty service is often an exchange.

Standard printer warranties compared

These are typical terms, not promises. Coverage differs by model and changes over time, so confirm the current terms on the brand's official page or the warranty sheet in the box.

What does a printer warranty cover?

A standard limited warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship: a carriage that jams for no reason, a fuser that fails, a main board that dies, a Wi-Fi module that stops working. The manufacturer chooses the remedy, and on consumer printers that is usually an exchange for a new or refurbished unit rather than a repair. The replacement generally carries whatever is left of the original warranty, or a short minimum period if that is longer; check your terms.

You will normally be asked to work through basic troubleshooting with support first. That is not a brush-off, because many warranty contacts turn out to be driver or network problems. Our printer troubleshooting checklist tells you in about ten minutes whether you really have a hardware fault.

What printer warranties usually exclude

• Consumables: ink, toner, paper and maintenance boxes. On models where the printhead is built into the cartridge, the head counts as a consumable. Cartridges carry their own, narrower warranty.
• Accidents: drops, liquid spills, pets, power surges and damage in shipping you packed yourself.
• Misuse: unsupported paper or media, or printing far above the rated monthly volume on a consumer model.
• Modifications: damage caused by altered firmware, resetter software or a botched repair. See our explainer on printer resetter software before you try one.
• Damage caused by non-genuine supplies: for example, a leaking cartridge that floods the carriage. The fault has to trace back to that supply.
• Wear on high-use parts that have reached their rated life, such as fusers, drums and, on some models, ink pads.
• Use outside the country of purchase, since US warranties generally cover US use.

Does third-party ink void a printer warranty?

Not by itself. The federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act bars a manufacturer from making warranty coverage depend on using its own brand of supplies or parts, unless it provides them free or has a waiver from the FTC. So an HP, Canon, Epson or Brother warranty cannot be refused simply because you used a compatible cartridge.

What the manufacturer can refuse is damage the third-party supply actually caused, such as a printhead ruined by a leaking cartridge. HP+ is a separate case: it is a program you accept during setup, and its extra warranty year comes with an agreement to use only genuine HP cartridges. HP's Dynamic Security firmware can also reject compatible cartridges on many models, which is a compatibility issue rather than a warranty one. Our third-party ink and toner guide covers the details, including the practical tip of fitting a genuine cartridge before you contact support.

Extended warranties and protection plans

HP Care Packs

HP Care Packs extend coverage and sometimes upgrade the service level, for example to next-business-day exchange. You can buy one with the printer or separately within the first year, and coverage is dated from the original purchase, so buying late does not add time. Check HP's current Care Pack options for your model.

Manufacturer extended service plans

Epson sells extended service plans that add years to the standard warranty, and they generally have to be bought within the first year. Brother sells extended warranties that must be bought before the standard warranty expires. Canon's options vary by product line. Prices and deadlines change, so check before the window closes.

Retailer protection plans

Best Buy (Geek Squad Protection), Staples, Office Depot, Walmart and Amazon.com offer protection plans at checkout, and many are run by a third-party administrator rather than the store. Before paying, find out who handles claims, whether the remedy is repair, replacement or store credit, whether accidental damage is included, and whether the plan starts after the manufacturer's warranty ends or overlaps it.

Credit card extended warranty benefits

Some credit cards extend an eligible manufacturer's warranty, often by up to a year, when you pay for the item with that card. Issuers have trimmed or dropped this benefit on some cards, so check your card's current benefits guide. To claim, you usually need the receipt, the card statement and the original warranty terms.

Are they worth it? For a $100 inkjet, rarely, because the plan can cost a third of the printer. For a business laser or photo printer costing $400 or more that you rely on every day, a manufacturer plan with advance exchange can be good value.

How to make a printer warranty claim

1. Print a configuration page, write down any error code exactly, and try one full power cycle.
2. Gather the model, serial number and proof of purchase.
3. Start from the brand's official support site, never from a contact in an ad or pop-up. Our guide to printer support scams explains why.
4. Work through the diagnostics support asks for, and note the case number.
5. If an exchange is approved, keep the box and follow the return instructions exactly. Ask whether to keep your cartridges, since exchange units often arrive without them.

What to do if your warranty claim is refused

1. Ask for the reason in writing, including the specific exclusion in the warranty terms.
2. If they blame third-party ink, ask how that supply caused the fault. A refusal based only on the brand of ink you used runs against the federal rule described above.
3. Ask for an escalation to a supervisor or case review team, and resend your receipt if the dispute is about dates.
4. Check your other cover: the store's return window, a protection plan or your credit card benefit.
5. File a complaint with your state attorney general's consumer protection office, or report it to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The FTC's guide to warranties explains your rights in plain language.
6. Weigh the cost. For a cheap inkjet, a replacement may cost less than your time; see whether a printer is worth repairing.

Before you use up a warranty claim, make sure the fault really is hardware. If you would rather have someone check, our independent remote printer support plan covers every printer in your home or office for $79 a year, and we will tell you when a problem is a warranty job. For out-of-warranty options, see where to get a printer repaired.