Photocopier locations

Paying for Photocopies

Help with Photocopiers

Am I being overcharged?

Printing is free for members of the MIT community. See Printers for more information.

Self-service book scanners are available at no cost for all library visitors.

Self-service copiers in Barker, Dewey, Hayden, and Rotch libraries can scan files to e-mail.

Current MIT Faculty, Students, and Staff: $.10 per copy when you pay with your MIT ID and TechCASH account   

MIT Visitors: $.15 per copy through Guest TechCASH

The cost incurred by the MIT Libraries for each photocopy is more than $.15 per copy. Use of the photocopiers within the MIT Libraries has decreased by 80% in the past decade; as the number of copies decreases, the cost to provide photocopiers at all of our library locations goes up.

The MIT Libraries have chosen to discount the cost for MIT faculty, students, and staff to support scholarship and research at MIT by charging only $.10 per copy to the MIT community. Unfortunately, the MIT Libraries cannot afford to provide the same discount to visitors from outside of MIT.

The funds that you spend to acquire a Guest TechCASH card as the payment method for guest photocopying and printing can be used elsewhere on the MIT campus, to pay for coffee, purchases at the MIT COOP, and more. We hope that the convenience of using Guest TechCASH for payment will be mitigated by the ease and convenience of using TechCASH, and the investments we've made to improve copying and scanning equipment across the MIT Libraries.

Self-service black and white copiers accepting MIT TechCASH, Guest TechCASH, and TechCASH Copy/Print Only cards:

• Barker Engineering, 1 copier on the 5th floor
• Dewey Management and Social Sciences, 1 copier in the circulation area
• Hayden 2 copiers in the basement
• Rotch Architecture and Planning 1 copier near the circulation desk

You can also use photocopiers as scanners in all of the above library locations.
Purchase a Guest TechCASH card in any of the above libraries.

Limited, free self-service photocopying and scanning in support of scholarly work:

Lewis Music, 1 copier/scanner, circulation area

Map of library locations

MIT ID Card

Members of the MIT community can open a TechCASH account at any time through the MIT Card Office. Once your account is active, use your MIT ID to purchase copies. Library copies cost $.10/page for current faculty, students, and staff. (Note)

Card is valid at all TechCASH vendors on the MIT Campus. Value must be added with a credit card through the TechCASH website. TechCASH account expiration and refund policies apply.

Guest TechCASH

Purchase your Guest TechCASH card from vending machines in the MIT Libraries.  Library copies cost $.15/page for MIT visitors.

Valid at all TechCASH vendors on the MIT Campus. Value must be added with a credit card through the TechCASH website. Guest TechCASH accounts expire 1 year from last day of use. TechCASH refund policies apply.

See also: Register your TechCASH card

Copy/Print Only cards for MIT departments

MIT departments, labs or centers can purchase copies for research groups to use at the MIT rate of $.10/ copy:

• Visit or phone the MIT Card Services Office between 8:30 AM - 4:30PM, Mon-Fri.  A requisition or your MIT SAP account information is required. 
• Visit the TechCASH web site, paying with an MIT Procurement Card.

Valid at MIT Libraries self-service copiers only - not valid for other TechCASH transactions.  Value must be added with an MIT Procurement Card through the TechCASH website. Accounts expire 1 year from last day of use.

TechCASH refund policies apply.

• A copy may fail due to a lack of paper or toner in the copier/printer, or a paper jam. Please report the problem to the nearest service desk.
• Once the paper/toner has been replaced or the jam cleared, copy your document again, or re-send it to the print queue.
  • Library staff will allow you make make use of a staff Guest TechCASH card provided by the MIT Libraries to pay for a replacement copy or print.
• If it is not possible to re-print or copy your document, request a refund from the MIT Card Office by email: techcash@mit.edu.

Note: If you lose your guest TechCASH card it's like losing cash, unless you register it with the MIT Card Office. Unregistered cards cannot be replaced if lost or stolen. See Register your Guest TechCash card for more information.

All purchases, including prints and copies, made by TechCASH or Guest TechCASH are subject to the TechCASH refund policy.

I'm a member of the MIT community. The copier says a copy or print is $.15, instead of $.10. Am I being overcharged?

Members of the MIT community receive a discount of $.05 on each copy made, and are charged $.10 per copy when paying with TechCASH through an MIT ID.

Please note:

Members of the MIT community will receive this discount only when paying with an MIT ID.
This discount does not apply to Guest TechCASH cards purchased at library vending machines, because the vending machines have no way of determining MIT affiliation.

The MIT-only discount is applied behind the scenes in the TechCASH database, after you've made all of your copies or prints.
While the card reader may display a cost of $.15 per copy, the system counts the number of copies made, and applies the discount after all of your copies or prints are finished.

• Example: If you start with $10 in TechCASH, and make 1 copy, you'll be charged $.10, despite what the screen may say. It can take up to a minute for the discount to be applied after your transaction is completed.
• If you want to check your TechCASH balance, EXIT your transaction, and then swipe your card again to see your new balance.
• You may also monitor your TechCASH, Guest TechCASH, and Copy/Print Only balance online through the TechCASH web site: MIT-Only or visitors.
• If you are concerned that you've been overcharged, contact techcash@mit.edu via e-mail. Include your full name, TechCASH Card # or ID#, and the date/time/location of last use in your e-mail message.