Passport Photo Cost: Store Prices vs. Free DIY
Price Comparison (2026)
| Option | Cost | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
| Kindro (DIY) | Free + ~$0.35 print | 4 photos (4×6 print layout) |
| Walmart | $7.44 | 2 photos |
| CVS | $16.99 | 2 photos |
| Walgreens | $16.99 | 2 photos |
| USPS | $15.00 | 2 photos |
| AAA (members) | Free | 2 photos (members only) |
| Online services | $5–$15 | Digital file only |
In-Store Passport Photo Services
Most pharmacies and retail stores offer walk-in passport photo services. An employee takes your photo against a white backdrop, prints it on the spot, and hands you two 2×2 photos. The convenience is real, but so is the markup.
At $16.99, CVS and Walgreens charge roughly $8.50 per photo for what's essentially a small print on glossy paper. If your photo gets rejected, you'll pay again for retakes.
Online Passport Photo Services
Online services like ePassportPhoto, iVisa, and PhotoAiD typically charge $5–$15 for a digital passport photo. Some offer compliance guarantees or money-back policies. However, most still require you to take and upload a photo yourself.
Kindro does the same thing — AI background removal, face centering, compliance checking — for free.
The Free DIY Method
Here's how to get four compliant passport photos for under $0.50:
- Take a photo at home with your phone
- Upload it to Kindro's free tool
- Download the 4×6 print layout
- Print it at any drugstore as a regular 4×6 photo ($0.25–$0.50)
- Cut along the guides to get four 2×2 photos
Total cost: $0.25–$0.50 for four photos, compared to $16.99 for two at most stores.
Family Savings
The savings add up quickly for families. If you need passport photos for a family of four:
- CVS/Walgreens: 4 × $16.99 = $67.96
- Walmart: 4 × $7.44 = $29.76
- Kindro DIY: 4 × $0.35 = $1.40
That's over $66 saved compared to pharmacy prices — enough to put toward your actual passport fees.
Passport Application Fees (2026)
For reference, the passport itself costs significantly more than the photo:
- New adult passport book: $130 + $35 execution fee = $165
- Passport renewal: $130
- Child passport (under 16): $100 + $35 execution fee = $135
- Expedited processing: additional $60
With passport fees this high, saving on the photo makes sense.