What Ink Does the HP OfficeJet Pro 8138e Use?
Last Updated:Correction (October 2026): an earlier version of this guide said the 8138e was sold at Best Buy and that compatible cartridges work normally if you declined HP+. It was sold through Sam's Club and Costco, and HP's dynamic security blocks cartridges with non-HP chips whether or not HP+ is on.
Quick answer: the HP OfficeJet Pro 8138e uses HP 923 ink — four individual pigment cartridges. The high-yield tier is spelled HP 923e. There is no such thing as an HP 923XL, and any listing selling you one is relabelling something else.
Worth knowing up front: the 8138e is a club-channel version of HP's OfficeJet Pro 8130e series, sold through Sam's Club and Costco rather than HP.com. It is in the same 8130e series as the 8135e and 8139e, and what differs between them is the bundled Instant Ink term, not the printer. All of them take the same cartridges.
CastleScore · October 2026
76/100 — Recommended
HP OfficeJet Pro 8138e
| Pillar (weight) | Score | What it is based on |
|---|---|---|
| Owner ratings (28%) | 74 | 3.80★ average across 1,788 ratings at Walmart (3.8) |
| Expert reviews (18%) | — | No published numeric expert score we could verify. |
| Cost per page (24%) | 68 | About 6.7¢ per page blended (black + color) with our remanufactured 923 (500 black / 400 color pages; we do not sell 923e). Docked because the printer can reject cartridges without the maker's chip. |
| Reliability (13%) | 85 | Most-reported problems: shows offline and won't print even though HP Smart reports it connected to Wi-Fi; new Costco unit would not recognise cartridges during setup, so the owner could not finish setup; inkjet can clog or dry out with infrequent printing |
| Features (12%) | 92 | Print, copy, scan, document feeder, auto two-sided printing, fax, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, touchscreen, fast (20+ ppm). |
| Value (5%) | 71 | Running cost and owner satisfaction |
Limited data: We could not find enough published expert scores for this printer, so that weight is spread across the other pillars.
No longer sold new. Costco cleared the 8138e at $49.97 in June 2026 and now sells the non-e OfficeJet Pro 8138, which takes the same HP 923 cartridges.
CastleScore is Castle Ink’s own editorial rating, built from retailer star ratings, expert reviews, real cost per page and owner complaint patterns, checked October 12, 2026. It is not a customer review. See every ranked printer or how the score works.
The cartridges, pictured
HP 923 4-packBlack + Cyan/Magenta/Yellow
HP 923 Black4K0T3LN · OEM chip · ~500 pages
HP 923 Cyan4K0T0LN · OEM chip · ~400 pages
HP 923 Magenta4K0T1LN · OEM chip
HP 923 4-pack
HP 923 Black
HP 923 Cyan
HP 923 MagentaOur own remanufactured cartridges, photographed in-house.
HP OfficeJet Pro 8138e ink at a glance
| Cartridge | Family | Part Number | Approx. Yield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black (standard) | HP 923 | 4K0T3LN | ~500 pages |
| Cyan (standard) | HP 923 | 4K0T0LN | ~400 pages |
| Magenta (standard) | HP 923 | 4K0T1LN | ~400 pages |
| Yellow (standard) | HP 923 | 4K0T2LN | ~400 pages |
| Black (high yield) | HP 923e | 4K0T7LN | ~1,000 pages |
| Cyan (high yield) | HP 923e | 4K0T4LN | ~800 pages |
| Magenta (high yield) | HP 923e | 4K0T5LN | ~800 pages |
| Yellow (high yield) | HP 923e | 4K0T6LN | ~800 pages |
Those are HP's own ISO figures. The 923e tier roughly doubles both the black and the colors, which is a bigger jump than most HP families offer and makes it the obvious choice if you print steadily.
Four individual cartridges: why it matters
This printer uses one cartridge per color rather than a combined tri-color. When magenta runs out you replace magenta, not a three-color block with usable cyan and yellow still inside it. Over a year of mixed printing that is one of the largest savings a printer design can offer.
All four are pigment inks, which is why plain-paper output looks crisp and resists smudging and highlighter better than dye-based ink. It is also why this class of machine suits documents rather than glossy photos.
Read this before you buy third-party ink
The 8138e is an HP+ eligible printer and ships bundled with Instant Ink months. If you accepted HP+ during setup, HP requires Original HP cartridges for the life of the printer, and third-party cartridges will not work. HP+ printers also need an active internet connection to print. If you declined HP+, the printer still uses HP's dynamic security: HP says it is intended to work only with cartridges that have a new or reused HP chip, and it blocks non-HP chips. We sell remanufactured HP 923 in all four colors that keep their original HP chips. We don't sell 923e. Our guide to printers that do not lock you into OEM ink covers the trade-off.
About the HP OfficeJet Pro 8138e
A small-office all-in-one: print, scan, copy and fax, with automatic duplex printing, a 35-sheet ADF and a 225-sheet input tray. Rated at 20 ppm black and 10 ppm color, with a 2.7-inch touchscreen, Ethernet and dual-band Wi-Fi. HP puts the recommended monthly volume at up to 800 pages.
If your unit says 8135e or 8139e, or HP's support site calls it an 8130e, you are in the right place: in the U.S. the whole series runs on HP 923. The printer sold as the 8130e in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore takes HP 924 instead.
Common problems on this model
Streaks, banding or a missing color
Print the Print Quality Diagnostic Report from the printer's reports menu. Streaks or gaps in the test boxes mean clean the printhead; crooked lines mean align it.
"Cartridge problem" after a firmware update
Reseat the cartridge and power-cycle first: unplug at the wall for 60 seconds. If it persists, our guide to firmware updates and third-party ink explains what changed and how to stay ahead of the next one. HP warns that firmware updates on this series can block cartridges with non-HP chips that worked before, with or without HP+. Reseating won't fix that. A cartridge with an original HP chip will.
Printer shows offline
Restart the printer, the computer and the router, then confirm the printer is on the same network name your computer uses. This model has Ethernet, which is the durable fix if the Wi-Fi keeps dropping.
Paper jams
Turn the printer off before you reach inside, and pull paper out slowly in the direction it travels. See our paper jam guide.
What OfficeJet Pro 8138e owners ask
These are the questions that come up most for this printer on retailer Q&A pages, HP's support forum and owner reviews, answered in our words.
Where was the 8138e sold?
Through warehouse clubs: Sam's Club and Costco. Costco cleared it in stores at $49.97 in June 2026.
What is the OfficeJet Pro 8138 without the e?
It is what Costco sells now (item 2063822), at $199.99 with 6 months of Instant Ink when we checked in October 2026. It takes the same HP 923 cartridges.
My new printer won't accept cartridges during setup. What should I do?
An HP agent on HP's forum advised putting the original setup cartridges back in and unplugging the printer for a minute or two. Finish setup with the cartridges that came in the box before switching to replacements.
What does a 923e black cost and how far does it go?
About $73 at retail for roughly 1,000 pages. The color 923e cartridges are rated at 800 pages. We sell standard 923 only, not 923e.
Does Instant Ink bill me if I don't print?
Yes. Instant Ink is a monthly plan, and Costco buyers point out that it bills whether or not you print. The months in the box are a trial, so cancel before it ends if you don't want it.
OfficeJet Pro 8138e quirks worth knowing
- The 8138e is the warehouse-club model, product number 40Q50A. HP's support site files it under the "OfficeJet Pro 8130e series", so HP agents often call it an 8130e.
- The starter cartridges print fewer pages than retail ones, so owners face a full replacement set soon after buying it.
- One Costco buyer says clone cartridges kept working after firmware updates, but HP warns that updates on this series can block cartridges that worked before. Don't count on a non-HP chip.
- It takes legal-size paper in the 225-sheet main tray, but the 35-sheet document feeder scans one side only.
FAQ
What ink does the HP OfficeJet Pro 8138e use?
HP 923 in black, cyan, magenta and yellow, or the high-yield HP 923e equivalents. Four individual cartridges.
Is there an HP 923XL?
No. The high-yield tier is HP 923e. Listings advertising a 923XL are using a part number that does not exist — some of them ship a standard 923.
Does the 8138e use HP 924 or HP 925 ink?
No. The 8138e is a U.S. model and takes HP 923. HP 924 is for the 8130e sold in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, and HP cartridges are region-coded, so a U.S. machine will not take it.
Does the 8138e use HP 910 ink?
No. HP 910 and 910XL belong to the older OfficeJet 8010 and OfficeJet Pro 8020 and 8030 generation.
Is the 8138e the same as the 8135e or 8139e?
For ink, yes. All three are the OfficeJet Pro 8130e series; the differences are the sales channel and the bundled Instant Ink term: 6 months on the 8138e, 3 on the 8135e and 12 on the 8139e.
Other printers that use HP 923
HP OfficeJet Pro 8139e · HP OfficeJet Pro 8135e · HP OfficeJet Pro 8120e · HP OfficeJet Pro 8130e
More HP ink guides: HP OfficeJet 3830 · HP Envy 5000 · HP OfficeJet Pro 8610 · find any printer
Replacing it? Our highest-rated alternatives
- Epson EcoTank ET-2980 (cheapest to run) — CastleScore 90
- HP Color LaserJet Pro 3201dw (laser) — CastleScore 82
- HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e — CastleScore 79
Sources
Ratings and prices were checked on October 12, 2026 and will change over time.
Need replacement HP ink cartridges? Shop HP ink cartridges at Castle Ink. Remanufactured, up to 70% less than OEM, and shipped the same day when you order by 4 PM ET.