Originally Manufactured vs Remanufactured MICR Toner: Which Is Best?

When it comes to printing checks and other financial documents, the choice of magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) toner is critical. MICR toner ensures that characters are printed with magnetic properties, allowing them to be accurately read and processed by bank systems.

However, when it comes to acquiring MICR toner, businesses are often faced with the decision between originally manufactured and remanufactured cartridge options. In this blog, we'll delve into the differences between these cartridges, exploring their pros and cons to help you determine which option best suits your needs.

What Is Original Equipment Manufacturer MICR Toner?

Original equipment manufacturer (OEM) MICR toner refers to specialized toner cartridges produced by the original manufacturer of the printing equipment specifically designed for printing checks, bank documents, and other financial instruments.

MICR toner contains iron oxide particles that allow the printed characters to be read by magnetic ink character recognition devices commonly used in financial institutions.

OEM vs Remanufactured Toner for Secure MICR Check Printing

OEM MICR toner cartridges are manufactured to meet strict quality standards and ensure optimal performance and reliability in MICR printing applications. They are designed to work seamlessly with the corresponding MICR printing equipment, providing consistent and accurate results for secure and compliant check printing.

On the other hand, a remanufactured MICR toner cartridge begins as a non-MICR, standard toner cartridge, which is emptied, disassembled, cleaned, reassembled, and refilled with MICR toner. 

This toner is not held to the same quality standards as originally manufactured toner, and this can lead to poor reliability, printer damage, or bank reject fees.

Source Technologies offers only originally manufactured MICR toner cartridges, supported by a MICR Guarantee that ensures the quality of the documents printed when used with our MICR printers. This guarantee cannot be found with remanufactured MICR toner.

In addition, Source Technologies' toner cartridges typically offer twice the yield of remanufactured MICR toner cartridges and a significantly lower cost-per-page, which is the true measure of a consumable cost.

Can you print on a Source Technologies MICR printer with remanufactured MICR toner cartridges?

Over the many years we’ve been providing quality MICR check printing solutions, we get this question often. From 1986 to now, our answer has not changed: For reasons beneficial to our customers, we advise against this.

An OEM MICR toner cartridge is built from the ground up to work with specific imaging units (printers) and to perform to Source Technologies’ high-quality guarantee.

What about recycled cartridges?

As stated, MICR toner contains iron oxide, which over time can eat away at toner cartridge components. If a cartridge is recycled, and the proper parts are not replaced, you run the risk of printer damage and print quality problems.

Unfortunately, most vendors use inferior toner formulations and poor-quality cartridges that could damage your printer and the quality of your MICR documents.

We do not recommend using recycled MICR toner cartridges and suggest you ask your recycled supplier these questions before buying:

• What check readers/sorters have you used to verify the MICR toner?
• What are the expected character signal strengths throughout the life of the toner?
• What cartridge components, if any, did you replace while recycling?

While the costs of remanufactured or recycled MICR toner cartridges appear attractive, it’s typically not the best value when the cost-per-page is calculated. Also, the potential for costly printer damage or check reject fees — or both — make OEM cartridges the optimum cost, low-risk solution for printing checks.

Choose Source Technologies for Your Secure Check Printing Solutions

At Source Technologies, we stand behind our commitment to providing only originally manufactured MICR toner cartridges, backed by our MICR Guarantee.

Our cartridges are meticulously designed and manufactured to meet the highest quality standards, offering superior performance and reliability compared to remanufactured alternatives. With twice the yield and a significantly lower cost-per-page, Source Technologies' MICR toner cartridges provide exceptional value without compromising on quality or reliability.

To learn more about how our MICR solutions can benefit your business or financial institution, reach out to our team of experts.