What is the difference between an X and XC cartridges?

[Phill_Easley]

I know that the 'X' cartridges have a higher printing capacity than the 'A' cartridges, but what mkaes an 'XC' differ from an 'X' or an 'AC' from an 'A'? Is it simply nomenclature differences from manufacturing periods?

[GaryL1 · Accepted solution]

The X and XC are the same thing as far as toner goes.  But the XC is from a "big deal" program.  They are usually in a plain white box.  If anyone is selling the XC outside of the Big Deal they can catch some grief from the reseller program.

[Phill_Easley]

Thank you, that makes since since I find them in white, contractor boxes; instead of the standard retail boxes.

[GaryL1]

HP has various programs for large companies, governments, etc...  You have to figure that if someone buys 10,000 toners of the same model, why bother paying for retail boxes.  Those boxes cost a couple bucks, the fancy labels cost, it all adds up. 

On the flip side, the company buying/reselling them has to promise to not start reselling them to everyone and undercut the retailers.  We sell them but we have a special section that each toner can only go to the specific company for which they were bought.  We even serial number the boxes.

Even if we run out of regular supply, anyone who takes even one toner from a BD section will get in trouble and if they do it again, they can lose their job.  It's that important to maintain the division.