Services that are used only occasionally are often those for which people are reluctant to spend time finding the best rate. Take printing for example. It's not an area with which most people would be overly familiar. As a result, they run the risk of paying over the odds.

A Consumers' Association of Ireland (CAI) survey of high street printing costs has identified significant price variations.

The report in Consumer Choice magazine compared prices for black-and-white photocopying, colour photocopying, printing from a disk, business cards and invitations.

The survey reveals inconsistencies in prices charged for disk printing. Some firms charge a small fee for opening a disk, some charge a lot, while others charge nothing at all.

The highest "disk handling fee" was £12, charged by Snap Printing in Dublin and Cork.

When ordering business cards or flyers, the CAI advises customers to think carefully about colour schemes and materials.

The price for 100 business cards generally increases by around £20 for each additional colour.

In Dublin, the prices included in the survey ranged from £66 for 100 black-and-white cards at Baggot Print to £42 for 250 at Print World. At Print World, 250 one-colour cards cost £60, while in Galway the same order cost £38.40 at Comma Print.

The variations in pricing provide opportunities for consumers to shop around for the best deal.

The cost of any printing job depends on the complexity of the job - on factors such as black-and-white or colour inks and thickness, weight, finish and colour of the paper itself.

Prices for colour copying ranged from 55 pence to £1.80 per page, with most stores charging less than £1. In many cases, the stores charging higher prices offer a bulk price at a fraction of the regular price.

Some businesses are much more competitively priced for high-volume jobs because they are targeting the corporate market.

Improved technology and increased competition have reduced the cost of printing, but if you are getting a big job done or expect to use the service regularly, it may be cheaper to buy a colour printer.

The CAI report gives an example of a student who needed a full project printed in colour.

Having hunted around for the best price, a Dublin store accepted the job using an inkjet printer, at a cost of 50 pence per page.

The total job cost the student £80 and that was the cheapest deal he could find.

Colour printers range in price from £80 upwards.

The CAI suggests that you can get a good printer for light to moderate use for £120 - cartridges included.

In half of the businesses surveyed, copying and printing prices were quoted exclusive of VAT.

The CAI emphasises that quoting prices exclusive of VAT is not consumer-friendly and is only acceptable when the target market is corporate.

It's just one more thing to bear in mind when you ask for quotes.