Get Costco Passport Photo Results at Home

Now that all in-store Costco photo centers have been closed for some time, customers looking for the retailer’s legendary passport photos (and low prices) have been forced to look elsewhere for document pictures— 

Even the online photo center Costco used to provide for its members has shuttered its online storefront and been replaced by Shutterfly—a third-party photo service.

However, a workaround does exist that allows Costco members to print 2 compliant US passport photos on a single 4x6” template.

Passport photos at Costco—service information

Even though Costco warehouses and Shutterfly’s digital storefront no longer provide passport photo services to Costco members, there is still a way to print passport photos with Costco’s professional quality online.

Here’s how to get it done:

1. Use Passport Photo Online to snap your passport photos and superimpose them onto a 4x6” passport photo template (saved as a JPEG file).
2. Upload the digital template to Shutterfly’s website (requires creating an account).
3. Print the template as a regular 4x6” photo and have it delivered to the address of your choosing (in-store pick-up at Costco locations is no longer possible). 

Important! Since Costco has outsourced its photo center services, free delivery requires a minimum order of $49. 

Given the minimum order requirement for free delivery, you’re much better off getting passport pictures in-person from Walmart or at home with Passport Photo Online—just look at the comparison table below.

How much does it cost to take a passport photo at Costco?

Since Costco no longer provides passport photos in-house—digital or otherwise, using the retail giant’s third-party photo-printing service will require a source image passport photo that has been superimposed onto a 4x6” template.  

Passport Photo Online provides such a template for $16.95, however, you also need to factor in Shutterfly’s printing and delivery costs.

One 4x6 photo costs 20 cents to print with the service.

Next, choose a shipping option to get the total price: 

• $2.49 for economy shipping (usually around 7–9 business days) 
• $4.99 for standard shipping 
• $11.99 for expedited shipping
• $19.99 for rush shipping

Important! Delivery times for each shipping option are calculated during checkout.

Even with the cheapest shipping option, you’re still paying almost $17 (since you have to source a compliant digital passport photo), and the wait time for delivery is more than twice as long as Passport Photo Online.

Where to get a passport photo at Costco?

With Costco no longer offering passport photos in-store or online, the only place to get passport photos taken at Costco is via your phone, tablet, or laptop device—from home or anywhere in the world. 

Still, you might want to visit a warehouse for their famous $1.50 hot dog and soda combo, so type “Costco near me” into your preferred search engine or visit their store locator page to discover your nearest outlet.

Costco vs Walmart & Passport Photo Online

Costco passport photos have now transitioned to an online marketplace (serviced by Shutterfly.com), so the only genuine big-box passport photo provider is Walmart. 

Check out the table below to compare how Costco’s passport photo service stacks up against the competition:

Last update: 9/24/23