Costco Wholesale is known for offering a wide range of goods and services, from bulk groceries to eye care to tires. But what about photo services? If you’re wondering whether you can get your passport photos taken or printed at Costco, keep reading to find out.
Unfortunately, since shutting down their in-store photo centers at the beginning of 2021, Costco no longer offers passport photo services. Costco Photo Center does still exist online, but they do not offer any passport-specific services.
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Why Did Costco Close Its Photo Center?
Due to the ongoing transition toward online photo services and storage systems, Costco was experiencing a decline in business at their photo centers for several years. In order to cut down on costs that weren’t generating enough profit, Costco decided to close down its in-store photo centers in 2021.
What Are The Alternatives To Get A Passport Photo?
Thankfully, there are plenty of other options for getting your passport photos taken and printed. From major retailers to DIY options, you’ll definitely be able to find an option that works for you. Keep reading to find out what retailers and online services offer passport photo services.
Retail Store Alternatives
Here’s a list of retail stores where you can get your passport photos taken and printed in person, plus what you can expect to pay.
- Walmart ($7.44)
- UPS ($11.99)
- FedEx ($14.95)
- Staples ($14.99)
- Walgreens ($14.99)
- Bartell’s ($14.99)
- CVS ($16.99)
Online Alternatives
If you’d rather not go somewhere in person to get your passport photos, not to worry. There are plenty of options for getting your passport photos online. Here are some online services to try.
Places like Walmart and Costco also offer online photo printing services where you can upload your passport-ready photo, then simply pay to have them printed (usually for less than 20 cents per print!).
Just remember that whenever you’re using an online passport photo service or submitting your own passport photos to be printed, you’ll have to make sure they adhere to the US State Department’s official passport photo requirements.
Can You Take Your Own Passport Photos?
A little known fact is that you can actually take your own passport photos, as long as you adhere to all of the official requirements, including using a white background and good lighting. You also have to make sure the photo format is high resolution and not blurry or grainy. If you have a photo printer at home, you can theoretically take care of the whole process without ever having to leave your home. Even if you don’t have a printer, you can still take your photos at home (using an iPhone or Android phone is fine) and then have them printed online via Costco Photo Center or a similar photo printing service.
FAQs
Does Costco give digital copies of passport photos?
No. Costco does not offer passport photo services as of 2021.
How long does it take to get passport photos at Costco?
As of February 14th, 2021, Costco stopped offering passport photo services.
Does Costco take Chinese passport photos?
No. Costco does not take passport photos of any kind.
Does Costco take passport photos for infants?
No. As of 2021, Costco stopped offering all in-store photo services, including passport photo services. Costco Photo Center online does not offer passport-specific services, though you can get passport-ready photos printed through Costco.
What is the cheapest alternative to get passport photos?
The retailer offering the cheapest prices on passport photos is Walmart, followed by UPS. You can also technically take your own passport photos with the help of a friend or tripod (selfies are not allowed) as long as you adhere to all of the official requirements. If you have access to a high quality color photo printer, then you could theoretically get your passport photos taken and printed for free at home.
Conclusion
We weren’t happy to see the Costco Photo Centers disappear from Costco’s Warehouse locations, but I guess all things change eventually. And with so many online passport photo services available, plus affordable prices from other retailers like Walmart and UPS, it’s still super easy to find somewhere to get your photos.
If you’re feeling adventurous and open to DIY, you can even take and print your passport photos at home. Whatever method you choose, make sure to adhere to all of the official requirements and you should be good to go!
