Costco no longer offers passport photos. The warehouse chain discontinued its passport photo service in 2024, closing one of the cheapest retail options that existed at the time. If you're searching for "Costco passport photo," you'll need a different plan.
Before it was cut, Costco was the best deal in retail passport photography — under $5 for a set of prints, with quality that rivaled CVS and Walgreens at a third of their price. That deal is gone. But the need for affordable, compliant passport photos hasn't changed.
Here's what happened, what your current options look like, and which alternative makes the most sense depending on your situation.
Why Costco Stopped Offering Passport Photos
Costco never made an official public statement explaining the decision. Based on industry trends, the move aligns with a broader retreat from in-store photo services across retail. Film processing labs have been closing for over a decade. Dedicated photo counters occupy retail space that could be used for higher-margin products.
Costco's photo centers had already been scaling back. They shut down their online photo printing service (Costco Photo Center website) before eventually pulling passport photos from stores. The few remaining photo kiosks at some locations handle standard prints but not passport-compliant photos.
The bottom line: even if you have an active Costco membership and there's a warehouse with a photo kiosk near you, passport photos aren't on the menu anymore. The kiosks that remain handle standard photo prints — not passport-sized, compliance-checked images.
Get a compliant passport photo online
What Costco Passport Photos Used to Cost
For historical context, here's what Costco offered before the discontinuation:
| Feature | Costco (Before 2024) |
|---|---|
| Price | ~$4.96 for two prints |
| Format | Two 2×2 inch prints |
| Turnaround | Same day |
| Digital copy | No |
| Membership required | Yes |
At under $5, Costco was the cheapest retail option by a wide margin. CVS and Walgreens both charge $16.99. Walmart charges $7.44. Costco was in a category of its own.
What Any Costco Passport Photo Alternative Needs to Get Right
Regardless of where you get your photo, the State Department requires the same standard:
- Size: 2 × 2 inches (51 × 51 mm)
- Digital resolution: 600 × 600 pixels at 300 DPI
- Background: plain white
- Head height: 50–69% of the frame
- Glasses: not allowed
- Expression: neutral or natural
- File format: JPEG, maximum 240 KB for digital submissions
Any alternative to Costco needs to produce a photo that meets every one of these specifications. The difference between options is how reliably they achieve that.
Best Costco Passport Photo Alternatives in 2026
With Costco out of the picture, here are the options worth considering — ranked by total cost and convenience.
1. Passport Size Photo (Online) — $4.99
The closest thing to Costco's old price point, without the membership requirement or the drive. Take your photo at home with your phone, upload it, and get AI verification against all US passport requirements in 30 seconds. Download the compliant digital file for $4.99.
The key difference from retail: you also get a digital copy for online applications (DS-160, passport renewals) and unlimited retakes at no extra cost. Print at home or at any photo kiosk for under $1.
| Feature | Passport Size Photo |
|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 |
| Digital copy | Yes |
| Compliance check | AI verification (9 checks) |
| Retakes | Unlimited, free |
| Guarantee | 100% acceptance |
| Membership needed | No |
2. Walmart Passport Photos — $7.44
The cheapest remaining retail option. Available at Walmart stores with active photo centers, though availability has been declining. No digital copy, no compliance guarantee. You'll need to confirm the service is available at your local store before making the trip.
3. Rite Aid Passport Photos — $12.99
Mid-range pricing with a straightforward in-store process. Rite Aid has fewer locations than CVS or Walgreens, but the stores that offer passport photos typically have dedicated photo equipment.
4. USPS Passport Photos — $15.00
Available at select US Post Office locations. The advantage: you can get your photo taken and submit your passport application in the same visit. The disadvantage: not all post offices offer the service, wait times can be significant, and you still don't get a digital copy.
5. CVS and Walgreens — $16.99 Each
The most widely available retail option. Nearly every CVS and Walgreens location offers passport photos. The price is steep — more than three times what Costco used to charge — but convenience is high if there's a location near you.
Costco Passport Photo Alternative Comparison Table
| Option | Price | Digital Copy | Compliance Check | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passport Size Photo | $4.99 | Yes | AI (9 checks) | Yes |
| Walmart | $7.44 | No | Employee visual | No |
| Rite Aid | $12.99 | No | Employee visual | No |
| USPS | $15.00 | No | Employee visual | No |
| CVS | $16.99 | No | Employee visual | No |
| Walgreens | $16.99 | No | Employee visual | No |
If You Need Printed Passport Photos Without Costco
One reason people liked Costco: they walked out with physical prints, ready to staple to a passport application. If you need prints and don't want to print at home, here are your best paths.
Option A: Use an online tool like passportsize-photo.online to get a compliant digital file ($4.99), then print it at a Walmart, CVS, or Walgreens self-serve photo kiosk ($0.25–$0.50). Total: about $5.50. That's actually cheaper than what Costco used to charge.
Option B: Go directly to Walmart ($7.44) or another retailer and let them handle everything. More expensive but requires zero effort on your part.
Option C: Print at home on 4×6 glossy photo paper using a color inkjet printer. A pack of photo paper costs about $10 and gives you enough sheets for dozens of photos. Combined with a $4.99 digital file, the per-photo cost drops to almost nothing. Make sure to print at actual size — do not let your printer scale the image to fit the page, or your 2 × 2 inch photo will come out the wrong dimensions.
Why Retail Passport Photo Services Are Disappearing
Costco's exit from passport photos reflects a simple reality: the retail passport photo model is fading. Stores don't want to maintain specialized equipment and train employees for a low-margin service that most customers need once every five to ten years.
Online passport photo tools have filled the gap. They're cheaper than most retailers, faster than any in-store visit, and more reliable because they use software — not a tired employee's quick glance — to verify compliance against the State Department's exact specifications. The technology that used to require a trip to a store counter now runs in your browser.
Get a Compliant Passport Photo Without Leaving Home
Upload your photo to passportsize-photo.online and get a compliant result in 30 seconds. It's the closest replacement for Costco's value — same price range, better verification, and no membership card required.
Review the full US passport photo requirements or compare all the best online passport photo options to find the right fit.
