Can You Get a Costco Passport Photo?

Loyal customers look to Costco for convenient, affordable services and groceries. For example, Costco offers vehicle maintenance and pharmacies, as well as travel discounts and packages to Costco members. 

Another Costco service that customers always enjoyed was access to their photo centers. However, this is no longer guaranteed with a Costco membership. Costco used to be a great place to go to save money while getting exceptional prints done, whether for wedding photos or passport photos. But can you get a Costco passport photo anymore? This is everything you need to know about Costco’s photo center in 2024. 

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Related: Here’s Everything You Need to Know About Costco 2-Day Delivery 

Does Costco Offer Photo Services? 

As of February 2021, Costco no longer offers photo services of any kind. Right after closure, Costco still allowed customers to print photos. Costco would direct customers to Costcophotocenter.com where customers could still store their images and place orders for Costco printing. 

However, in January 2023, Costco completely did away with all photo services, including their storage system and printing. In lieu of this shutdown, Costco members now have a discount of 51% on regularly priced items from Shutterfly.com, or in the Shutterfly app. Members also get free economy shipping (6-10 business days) on orders of $49 or more. 

Why Did Costco Shut Down the Photo Service?

While there wasn’t a clear reason behind this shutdown, many customers believe that it was due to the shrinking demand for physical prints. Now that so many have turned to digital photos, especially when it comes to saving photo albums on a hard drive, physical copies are less common these days. 

The closure was most likely a way to save money so the warehouses could continue to offer heavily discounted rates on other products and services. 

Where to Get Passport Photos

Now that you no longer have to wonder,  “Can you get a Costco passport photo?” we can move on to stores that offer these photo services. There are several options for picking up photo prints and even getting passport photos taken. 

When you first think of passport photos, the DMV is probably what comes to mind. While the prices might vary for different locations, the average cost for a passport photo at your local DMV is around $15. However, the long wait and drive to these locations may deter you. So instead, you can look towards local stores. 

A few options include Walmart, CVS, FedEx, and UPS. Walmart is known for being cheap and accessible — its photo center is just the same. You can get two passport prints on the same day for $7.64. On the other hand, drug-store CVS has the more expensive option, with two passport prints costing $16.99. 

The delivery services, FedEx and UPS, are quite similar with their photo pricing. For two passport prints, FedEx offers their rate at $14.95 while UPS sits at $14.99 for the same package. The delivery services will do just that as well, delivering the passport prints directly to you so you don’t have to worry about driving anywhere. 

Read More: Why Is Costco Gas So Cheap?

What are your thoughts on Costco closing down its photo centers? Do you miss the convenience of photo printing while shopping? Let us know your thoughts on the recent photo center shut down in the comments. And if you have any experiences with other photo centers at different retailers, help your fellow shoppers by letting us know! 

Don’t forget to keep checking back at Costco97 for an inside look at everything there is to know about Costco. From their amazing services to hidden discounts, like the .97 deals.