How to Tell a Genuine HP Toner Cartridge from a Fake

There are three honest kinds of toner: genuine HP, compatible (a new third-party cartridge sold as compatible), and refilled. The problem is the fourth kind — a counterfeit or a refilled cartridge in a fake HP box, sold at a genuine price. Counterfeits often print faded or streaky pages, leak toner into the printer and give a fraction of the rated yield. Here is how to check what you are buying.

1. Check the HP security label

Genuine HP toner boxes carry an HP security label. Tilt it: the label's printing shifts in colour or shows a moving effect that a photocopy cannot reproduce. Newer labels also carry a QR code and serial number — scan the code with your phone, or enter the details on HP's anti-counterfeit page (hp.com/go/anticounterfeit), and HP tells you whether the label is genuine. Do this before you open the box; a seller of genuine toner will not object.

2. Look at the box and cartridge

• Printing quality: blurred text, wrong colours, spelling mistakes or a box that feels thin are warning signs.
• Seals: the box should be factory sealed; the cartridge inside should be in a sealed foil or plastic bag with its protective strip and clips in place.
• Cartridge condition: scratches, toner dust on the outside, or signs that a fill hole was drilled and plugged mean a used cartridge has been refilled.
• The right number for your printer and region — for example 26A/26X, 59A/59X, 89A/89X/89Y. See our HP toner guide.

3. Ask the printer

Most current HP LaserJets check the cartridge's chip. When a non-genuine or previously used cartridge is installed, the printer shows a message on its control panel, and the supplies status page (printed from the Reports menu) or HP Smart shows the cartridge as non-HP or used. A cartridge sold as 'new genuine' that the printer reports as used is a refill. Older chip-less cartridges cannot be checked this way, so rely on the label.

4. Compare the price

Genuine HP cartridges sell within a narrow price range across reputable sellers. A 'genuine' cartridge offered far below that range is the biggest warning sign of all. If you want to pay less, buy an honestly labelled compatible or a quality refill instead — our refilled toner guide explains when that is a good choice.

Genuine, compatible, refilled or fake: what you are paying for

If you have already bought a fake

• Stop using it if it leaks — loose toner contaminates the transfer roller and fuser.
• Return it to the seller with the box and invoice; a security label that fails HP's check is strong evidence.
• If print quality has dropped since, see common print problems and fixes to tell a cartridge fault from a printer fault.