Plenty of U.S. locals were used to getting all passport photos taken at Costco. Since their price to quality ratio was arguably the most reasonable, it remained the best choice for many over the years. So where can you take a good quality passport photo now, when Costco photo services are closed? Thankfully, you’ve got a few options to choose from.
Why Did Costco Close Their Photo Centre Services?
While for Costco membership cardholders, the price of $4.99 per photo was a huge bargain, it wasn’t as profitable for the corporation. With everything getting digitized these days, an offline photo service like that was only losing, which is clearly not what an organization of their scale wants.
Everything you need can be done through a smartphone or by using your laptop, so no wonder Costco decided to cut their photo centers. Meanwhile, they are keeping the printing services, so if you get your photo done online, you can still come and print it out at your local Costco store.
Costco Photo Service Alternatives
So, to get your passport or visa photo taken, you can go one of two ways: either choose a different offline outlet or try a service online. Get your picture taken at one of the following stores:
- CVS Pharmacies. Two photos will cost you $14.99
- Walgreens. Prices for the two photos remain the same as above.
- Photography Studios. You may want to go to a professional studio if you like, but their prices are a little higher than most and go from $20 to $50 at some places.
- USPS & FedEx. Both offer rather good quality passport photos that cost around $15 for two prints. No digital option is offered.
Can I Take My Passport Photo Online?
Nothing says comfort just as much as getting boring errands done without leaving your home.
Not only is it faster and cheaper, but you also get a money-back guarantee if it doesn’t comply and can even check that the final result is up to standard.
Among many other benefits, one stands out the most. By using an online passport photo service, you are in charge of how you appear in them. So no more getting stuck with an ID, where you resemble a gremlin more than a human.
Besides, for the cost of $7, you get a picture with four images in it for print out and a separate one you can use for online applications and such. Add approximately $0.35 for printing, and there you get 50% off for having your photos done the smart way.
How Can I Take a Better Passport Photo?
Just a couple of handy tips that may save your life when having your photo taken.
- Use a plain or off-white background. There should be no creases, shadows, or spots visible in the photo.
- Ensure the quality is high and the original photo has no over or underexposure.
- According to government authorities, having a slight natural smile is allowed.
- Wear “no make-up” make-up to save time on editing.
- Put on something contrasting to the background to stand out in the photo.
- No glasses are allowed for U.S passport photos.
- Wear a headscarf only if it’s for religious reasons.
It’s up to you whether you want to go digital or keep the old habits of going to the store to take your photos. Either way is absolutely fine, although taking a passport photo at home for half the price sure sounds like a sweet deal.
Featured Image by cytis on Pixabay
