IT decision-makers are willing to pay a 24% premium for brands they believe won’t let them down, according to new research from Brother UK – with trust now ranked above cost or specifications as the deciding factor in tech purchases

The business technology specialist surveyed 250 UK IT leaders and 250 resellers for its new Tech Trust Index 2026 report. Three-quarters (74%) of IT decision makers said emotional factors such as trust now matter more than traditional rational criteria like cost or product specifications. Nearly as many (72%) said trust in technology vendors is more important today than it was five years ago.

On average, buyers are willing to pay a premium for technology from a vendor they trust. Almost nine in ten (88%) say they have paid a premium in the past, with one in 10 prepared to pay 51–75% more – and a small minority even willing to pay double.

In competitive deals where specifications are closely matched, Brother’s polling suggested trust acts as the tie-breaker. Nine in ten (88%) resellers say it becomes the deciding factor when there’s little to separate products on paper. The research also highlights the importance of trust in the channel partner itself, not just the vendor. More than nine in ten (92%) channel professionals say customers rely on them to validate whether a vendor can be trusted, reinforcing the reseller’s role as a critical bridge between brand promise and buyer confidence.

The findings are published in Brother UK’s new report, The Tech Trust Index 2026, which explores how trust is built – and broken – in technology purchasing decisions.

Phil Jones MBE, managing director at Brother UK, said: “IT leads put their neck on the line every time they introduce new technology into their business. They need to know it will perform and add commercial benefit – whether that’s laptops, AV, software systems or printers – without creating disruption or support downtime.

“As our research shows, they’re willing to pay on average 24% more for a brand they trust. That’s a premium they’ll pay for peace of mind. And brands are earning that trust through the everyday moments – when products do what they’re supposed to do, support shows up without excuses and the relationship is easy.”

Dean Birks, MPS & digital transformation specialist at OfficeXpress, said: “We see it every time we present our options. The trusted brand nearly always gets the nod, even when it costs more. Customers see it as buying confidence. They want to know that if something does go wrong, the vendor will stand behind them. That peace of mind has a price, and most are willing to pay it.”

Trust: do resellers feel it’s easy to earn?

IT buyers revealed to Brother UK the top factors that earn their trust, including better quality products (49%), good customer support (43%), transparent and clear pricing (36%), enhanced cyber security support (32%) and full lifetime product support (29%). By contrast, purpose-led factors – like sustainability – carried far less weight in driving trust.

Encouragingly, resellers overall felt that tech brands had become more trustworthy over the last three years. Around three in five (63%) said it had become easier for brands to earn trust due to increased regulation and consumer protection (42%); greater transparency from brands on pricing, data use and product performance (41%); and improved product quality and reliability (38%).

Yet nearly one in five (18%) resellers felt it had become harder for brands to earn trust, with economic pressures driving buyer caution (55%), negative brand experiences being amplified on social media (51%); and greater competition and choice (47%) among the top factors holding back customers’ trust in brands.

Greig Millar, chief revenue officer said:“Trust drives how technology is sold, not just bought, so the channel is absolutely key. Resellers help customers judge which vendors deserve investment. When a partner trusts us with their customer, it carries real weight in decisions.

“As a channel-centric vendor, we’ve always focused on being easy to work with, dependable in our support, and clear in our commitments – if the channel trusts us, they’ll recommend us.”

To read more insights from the report, visit: https://www.brother.co.uk/business-solutions/trust