I don’t know what to call this passport photo business, so I am just going to stick with “stupid ripoff” for now.
During the weekend, we went into a CVS Pharmacy Photo Center to get some passport/ID photos. We wanted a specific size (as they say “from chin to crown”), so we asked the dude who was attending the photo center whether he can adjust the size. Pat came his reply “No, we just print the standard 2″ by 2″ photo and we can’t adjust any proportions“.
I asked him “But, don’t you have a software where you center the face in the photograph and mark the upper and lower boundaries for the face? All we have to do is to adjust those boundaries and then we can cut the photographs to the size we want - and approximately in the proportion we want“. He didn’t seem too impressed with the knowledge and insisted that he won’t do anything other than the standard 2″ by 2″ without any editing.
So we left the shop, and wondered why the heck they charge $7.99 if they wouldn’t do anything other than click the photograph and print it. Camera rental charges or something? - perhaps they use expensive digital SLRs to get good pictures (wishful thoughts).
Anyways, we then visited a Walgreen’s Photo Center and again got the same story. Next, we again tried a CVS - a different one this time - just to see if one of these “Kodak Certified” dudes could get our photographs the way we wanted. But we met with the same disappointment at this location too.
Finally, we surrendered and asked the CVS guy to click passport sized photos for one of us. We confirmed the price and he said $7.99 for two copies - additional copies will cost extra.
We decided to try it out with two copies to start with.
While we waited for the photos to print out, I saw (with my own eyes) that the photographs were printed on a 4″ x 6″ photo paper - and there were 6 copies on it. Then the dude coolly cut away 4 copies, disposed them, and handed us the remaining two copies.
WTF!?
Man, does CVS implement this type of idiotic business at all it’s photo centers?
Plus, the photos he printed didn’t look sharp at all - pretty sure it was some crappy point-and-shoot camera that didn’t do a very good job of focusing. When we pointed that out, he was like “Oh really? don’t worry all photos printed here look like that and no one ever came back because a photo was not accepted“. Wow! that’s an awesome argument to complement a crappy service. 
What’s wrong with these photo centers. Why should a passport photo - clicked by a mediocre digital camera - without any studio-type lighting arrangements - without any professional photographers, cost $7.99?
Just to be sure that I am on the right side of statistics, we checked out another CVS Photo Center and two Walgreens Photo Centers - and got similar less-than-average-quality pictures, overpriced at $7.99 for two copies - topped with a totally unprofessional approach towards clicking good photographs.
Eventually, we gave up on these photo centers and decided to make our own pictures. Bought a 2 yard long white cloth (for background) from Walmart for $2, used our digital camera, adjusted the brightness and contrast in Photoshop, used this free service that lets you size your photos according to your requirements, and printed them again at Walmart (through their online photo service).
Total cost for 32 excellent passport/ID photographs: $2 for the white cloth and about $1 for photo printing = $3 (took a little bit of time with the Photoshop editing, but we were absolutely happy with the end result).
Down with $7.99 for two crappy photos!
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Being able to get a passport photo you can actually not feel ashamed of is a good thing. They don’t seem to have an incentive at the store to actually do what customers want…maybe because it’s a semi-captive market. Lots of people wait until the last minute to get their new passports, after all.
AAA will take passport photos for free, if you have a membership.
OMG, Golbguru, I just recently went through the same thing as you did….. I thought my passport photo was crooked and looked worse than a mug shot.
Excellent post!. I have personally gone through this same story in India. Every time the specification changes we have to get new passport size photo. Also with digital age instead of saving money we spend more every time as the photo guy prints the photo on a printer rather than giving us the negative with which can always print photo’s of our size.
In Singapore this is $6(4.19 USD) for 4 copies!
UPS gave me the same story… the Australian Goverment had highly specific requirements. So I went to a professional in a small photoshop. They had the software etc. to resize the photo. Our first attempt was rejected by the Aussie Consulate in NYC. Second attempt succeeded. It was something like $12 at that store. In Britain there used to be coin operated machines that did this (in the movie Amelie there is one too). Maybe here in Aus too.
At least the amount of money we are talking about here is small. Just think the outrage if the fee was $250.00!
The county government center charged $14.00 for passport photos. I knew I was being ripped off, but I needed to get my passport renewal in the mail immediately, and there wasn’t another choice around my office. It’s insane.
Dude, man. Your blog was really informative!
I need to get 6 passport photos for filing registration abroad and a bunch of other crap. I’ve come across websites that charge really low fees ($5 registration fee) for creating passport photos but nothing for creating an unlimited number after. I even came across a website that shows photoshop users how to create passport photos.
But since I’m really strapped for time, I’m going to just sit it tight and just print them from CVS. I know, they’ll be expensive and will more likely than using a camera and a photo printer. But the main problem is that I have neither. I’ll be buying my camera at the end of the month as my research on camera purchases is just ending.
I’m assuming that 2″X2″ is the standard size for creating photo IDs. But this is no excuse for a photo to cost more than $0.25. Thus I gotta say, this passport photo scheme is not just a ripoff…it’s a scam. But it’s one I’ll endure. After I come back from Korea, my trip to CVS this week will be my first and last. A year from now, I’ll be looking into a decent photo printer.
Austin,
Good points.
The paper itself for the photo is probably worth a few pennies. The reason they can charge what they do is because the Post Office charges even more. I worked in a Walgreens photo lab and there are extra templates you can use it all just depends on who you get to work with you. But if you were trying to play the DIY passport photo trick on me I would send you to CVS.
Trust me, these photos aren’t all that hard to create on your own! If I need no more than 2 minutes to google and find a website that gives detailed instructions on how to create a self-taken passport photo using photoshop, then something is seriously wrong with the system.
Anyhoo, I called my local CVS early this morning to find out their rates on passport photos. I found that the rate for 3 passport photos was $7.99 before taxes. After I got off work at 8pm, I went and took my photos. The first three supposedly came out dark, so the lady taking the photos had to reprint them. I’m assuming she trashed the dark-looking ones. Note that I told her originally I wanted 6 photos.
For some STRANGE STRANGE reason, I got 6 for the ! I normally try to be honest in how I live my life. Because of that, I was compelled to ask the photo-taker why I wasn’t getting charged for the extra 3. They state that they charge $7.99 for three, but I get 6 for that price. I went home thinking this was rather strange. I’m looking at the photos now, and I’m seeing that the lady didn’t stuff the photos that came out dark with the last 3. She just printed out another 3…???? This is just strange. I’m starting to wonder whether this whole photo-printing business is in any way a set-in-stone scheme.
When I initially bought my $.19 photos at CVS, I was informed online that unless I made a purchase of $4 (or was it 5? I don’t remember, but just for the sake of convo, let’s just note that CVS had a minimum purchase), I would get charged an extra $1.40 processing fee. I sighed inside and said “whatever” as I clicked the checkout button and waited for my confirmation e-mail to be sent to me after that 1 hr informing me that the Joe/Jane at the CVS store had processed them. I didn’t. 6 hours later after I had finished making dinner, I call in. Turns out they finished them. I waltz in casually knowing what to expect. I walk to the front, give them my first/last name, then show them my photo ID (as if this were necessary, who the heck steals photos!). The lady who picks up my photos for me what is commonsense by asking her manager whether she just needs to scan the barcode and charge me. Strange…the manager–a short middle-aged man of Middle Eastern descent–just says no and tells her to enter the photos manually into the cash register. Long story short, I end up walking out with 3 $.19 photos, with NO PROCESSING FEE. /=-/ Something’s weird, and it kind of makes me wonder (once again) what’s the deal here!
golbguru - appreciate your kind words about the ePassportPhoto.com - pleasure to assist…
–tom
http://www.epassportphoto.com - the internet passport photo booth
It’s like $14 at Kinkos where I got mine - I decided to pay just to get it over with. Comparatively, yours was a bargain!
Yes, I know mine was a “bargain.” But my main complaint and question at the same time is this: Why is the passport photo business so arbitrary? Why do prices differ greatly so much??? I would understand the reason why flash memory prices differ from company to company: (1) Established brands will be likelier to raise their prices and do so with confidence customers recognize their high quality (2) Lower prices could be the result of one company’s ability to offer discounts without sacrificing too much of their profit margins (3) Seasonal holidays.
But with passport photos? It’s a goshdarn ripoff designed to get our money! Luckily I’m getting a camera soon so the next time I go abroad, it’s NO MORE OF THIS NONSENSE.
Don’t they have photo booths in the US that are specifically for taking passport photos; we get them in most bus and train stations and many Chemists in the UK. They give you 4 passport photos, no smart comments and the whole process only takes 5 mins.
I used epassportphoto.com - did it at home with my three children and myself (we needed passports for a upcoming cruise) - I took the pictures at home with a white wall background and uploaded the pictures to Walmart.com and arranged for a pick-up. Total Cost: 84 cents!
I took the photos to the local passport center (post office) and they took them without any problems.
Just sharing my experience.
Try AAA. They can be free for members. The quality that I got was actually pretty good compared to other places that I have seen.
Costco is less expensive… oh, and I’ve heard that certain embassies (namely, Polish) require different types of angles than the standard. If you’re going to a certain country, be sure to check their online consulate for details before you do it yourself.
Hate to say it, but $7 US is a whole lot cheaper than anything in Euros!
I had mine taken at Walgreens back in June. It was $6 for two photos, but they used a digital camera and took several for me to choose from, at least.
Do you really care about the quality of a passport photo? Sounds like the important thing is having the passport. $8 may be a little pricey for the service, but you are paying for the convenience.
How long did it take to make your photos at $3? Do you need 32 photos for your passport?
I’m just giving you a hard time.
I used to work in the photo lab at a Walmart and would routinely do these passport photos. It’s true that they’re printed on 6″ paper, but that’s because it’s on a long roll.
I also know that they do have the ability to resize and do some other basic edits with their software. Not everyone always knows how to do it, but it can be done.
Passport photos are a matter of convenience and you’re not necessarily paying just for the materials & photo. Anyway, I enjoy reading your posts because they are pretty well thought-out. Keep up the good work.
www.TheWalrus.biz
Supply and demand (why do you think those super bowl seats go for 3k a pop?), its also done pretty quick.
Since I travel to some off the beaten track places I regularly have to get passport photos for visa applications. One thing I found out the hard way is to always carry extra passport photos. A rather sudden and radical change in plans required me to take an entirely different route home and suddenly required a visit to a consulate to acquire new transit visas. The hassle of acquiring passport photos in a place where I didn’t know where to go nor speak the language was colossal.
Hello golbguru and everyone
I may have an answer to all your frustrations. The reason they charge you $7.99 (I was at CVS last night and experienced it) is for the feature. To avoid this you have to print as a 6×4 print not as a passport photo.
To do this, convert your passport photo FREE into 6 of 2×2s on this site http://www.portraitbooth.com/
and download to your disk and print at CVS. This would put the grid nicely on a 4×6 format and would cost you only $0.12 for 1 print of 4×6 but you would get 6 US passport size photos. Other countries also available.
http://www.epassportphoto.com/ is simple and free. Follow the directions and you will get 6 2×2 photos on a 4×6 sheet.Print them on your computer and cut them out, pretty simple.
I went to CVS and had my passport photo taken. The guy took the photo, let me look at and asked if it was ok. I thought it was a poor quality photo, but after having it printed, took it home I had doubts of it passing to be a passport photo. I told the guy there was no flash and it looks blurry so he agreed to take it again. After the second round of prints it looked clearer, but he saturated the magenta so high it gave me red eyes making me look like a smoked a blunt before I got there. I wish I would have known about taking my own photographs.
Unfortunately while I was already aware of these low-cost measures, I am not currently in hold of a digital camera…yet. Until I have a 100% guarantee that my school in Korea has secured my position for me, I am NOT making anymore travel-oriented purchases.
I am in the process of getting my criminal background check report authenticated by another organization. Since the turnaround time is about a week, I will be lucky if I can get ALL of my documents sent out by the end of this month. Even if I send it out by the end of the month, my package will take a week or two for it to arrive at its destination. After that gets okayed, I will have to make two assisted visits to the Korean consulate in LA. Hopefully all goes well. Personally, I’m a little annoyed my company didn’t arrange this for me earlier, but what can I do?
I work at a CVS Pharmacy and I agree that 7.99 is outrageous; we just print out 6 2×2 photos on a 4×6 print (this is because the system is designed for 4×6 to be the size printed). Normally, at our store, if 2 or 3 people in family want their passport photos taken, we will just put them all on one 4×6 — charging them for just one photo. This definitely isn’t company policy, but it makes our customers happy and hopefully that keeps them coming back. I guess it just depends on who is working at the time you go, and how strict the store manager is.
Good article. As far as $7.99 for convenience? It’s NOT convenient at most drug stores. My local Walgreens has nary an employee to be found, the place is a madhouse of caterwauling kids, and it would take me forever to track someone from cosmetics down and I’d most likely have to help THEM run the software.
Plus they can’t even spell “passport” correctly on their sign:
http://www.futuregringo.com/index.php/2007/12/10/receipt-refusals/
I learned my lesson with my passport photo. Instead of going to CVS, I went straight to the post office, they did a great job and there were no hassles.
My brother had went to CVS and almost encounted the same problem!
Good grief! It’s just a passport photo. Do you guys get all hyper about your drivers license photo too?
That is a funny, and true story! And, my last passport photo from the post office 10 years ago is worse than my last mug shot
Nevertheless, your time must not be very valuable because it sounds like you wasted a good 5-10 hours on this menial task. For the value of my time, that would have been $500-$1,000 + the $7.99 that you paid at 3 different stores + the $3.00 you paid at Walmart.
Hmmm…$1,026.97…$7.99 is starting to sound pretty cheap to me! Today I’m going for a passport picture and I’ll be happy to pay the poor guy working at CVS working for minimum wage to snap a mug shot and be done with it!
Just my two cents - happy travels!
Yeah! I think all of those passport “photo” places are like that, crappy! It’s like Polaroid drivers license image. I remember when had my first one done in the military same kind of crappy image with my military green shirt, then I went to the on base photographer who kindly did some very nice black and white images back then. After reading your post, I see the technology has not changed on that end, so I’m going to take my own picture and work it in Photoshop.
Unfortunately this is par for the course. I knew someone who worked in a photo lab like this and that is exactly what they did too. I went to my local post office to get my photo done. I can’t remember how much it cost but I do remember that the passport itself (aside from the photo) was insanely expensive too. I know it was at least $100 but may have been more. Ouch.
http://travel.state.gov/passport/guide/guide_2081.html
US photographers’ guide. It’s nice to see that we are no longer *required* to have a photographers’ seal on the back! (photos for my first passport, purchased in 1993, were $14. second time around, Costco was in town and they were an accepted vendor. $5.)
With this, and the post link and photo booth* link I found in the comments, I’ll totally do my own from now on!
____
*photo booth photos, however, are generally not accepted, acording to http://travel.state.gov/passport
I own a portrait studio in Queens NY, I have been doing passport photos for the past 17 years.
I use a specialized passport camera and printer, especially designed for passport photos and ID photos.
I have a dressing room where my customers can check their hair, then I have them sit. I use a white background with a back light to eliminate shadows on the background. After I take the picture they can check it on my monitor, if they are not happy with it I will continue to take another until they are satisfied. I print the pictures on a special paper that is approved by the US State Department.
I then cut the photos with a special die cutter witch cuts exactly 2″x2″ inches. I put the photos in an envelope. I ask my customers if they would like a free copy of a US Passport appliction. I also specialize in doing passport photos for children. My charge for this service is 2- Photos for $10 tax included. I have many people who spend money at CVS and then come to me to re-do their photos. Best Wishes Peter
I remember being in that same state of disbelief when I had my last passport photos taken. I couldn’t believe they printed so many and only used two, then charged me like I was paying for all of them. Arghh! It’s a rip-off. I didn’t realize that AAA provides them for free if you’re a member, though — I will try them next time!
the post office would have charged u alot more something like $15
It is NOT about the looking good on the pic, it’s about getting the service you paid for!
I went with my family to Walmart to get our “passport” pctures taken for a trip. When I took them to office to apply for the passport I was told they were not correct since the face has to be within the oval circle and the correct size too.
Went back to Walmart and they wanted to charge me again! It is as simple as either having a program for it or use the little thing the office use to size the picutre…BEFORE charging the customer!
It is NOT about the looking good on the pic, it’s about getting the service you paid for!
I went with my family to Walmart to get our “passport” pictures taken for a trip. When I took them to office to apply for the passport I was told they were not correct since the face has to be within the oval circle and the correct size too.
Went back to Walmart and they wanted to charge me again! It is as simple as either having a program for it or use the little thing the office use to size the picture…BEFORE charging the customer!
By the way….we had a baby and you can imaging how that went. Can someone explain to me how “SIT” still a 3 month old baby while the take the picture? And look in the camera with no holding of the head?
Thanks for the info on this post and comments. I went CostCo last night and got my passport photos for $4.99. They seemed like they knew what they were doing - had a very official-looking digital camera and a retractable white backdrop. The guy let me approve the picture before printing and the whole process took about five minutes total. If you have a CostCo nearby I would recommend them.
This passport photos of CVS and Walgreens is really stupid. It looks like an underdeveloped system in developed country. I had gone thru this couple of time but next time I will definitely try this site and print photos…
I don’t know anyone who likes their passport photo - much less having it taken!
You can DIY using www.123PassportPhoto.com to get 6 passport photos on a 4R sheet.
I think I’ll end up going to Costco, too much time spent doing it myself, but thanks for the info for NOT going to CVS.
BTW, here in CA, this is what the website says for AAA (it’s NOT free):
Passport photos are available at any AAA Travel office: $8 to members, $15 to non-members.
Wow! That’s quite an ordeal you went through for a less than spectacular picture from CVS. Good for you for figuring out a less expensive and better image quality picture!!
I HAD MY PASSPORT PHOTOS DONE AT A RITE AID, SAME PRICE 7.99 FOR 2 PHOTOS–MY APPLICATION WAS REJECTED BECAUSE THE PHOTOS WERE OVEREXPOSED. I THEN WENT TO A PROFESSIONAL STUDIO ON RED LION ROAD IN PHILA–BEST PICTURES I HAVE EVER SEEN OF MYSELF–FOR THE SAME 7.99
I had my passport pics done at Walgreens, the worst pics ever I thought until they were accepted by to post office, you can’t even tell what color my eyes are and my mouth and nose look like one big smore. I received my passport a week ago. Go figure.
I’ve since invested in a professional setup for doing passports in my current business, I figure I can do a better job than those chain stors. My service is free to my clients and $10.00 to non-clients. Film and paper costs are not cheap for my system.
I find this article very informative especially because I need photographs for applying visa to Ireland. They require a different size of photos than the passport photos.
I never had this problem before back when I was still in Indonesia. The photo labs there could do pics with any kind of size you want… and LOT cheaper! For 6 pics, it will cost only $2.
i just used the free online passport photo tool and it was so easy. so i went to cvs to print out my one print, and they tried to charge me the $7.99 instead of the $0.29 (the guy asked me if the photos were for a passport, and i just told him yeah). i tried to explain to the guy at the counter that it was my photo and i just printed it, but he explained to me that it was part of their “service”. i flipped out. i refused to pay and just took the photo to another store across the street.
i had to pay 17$ for 4 pp photos at wallgreens. It sucks and they took picture with a $50 camera. What a rip off. I came home and felt that i could have done the same with this online PP photo webware. Just go to his website http://www.epassportphoto.com/ upload your picture and then either get it through snapfish or download it to your system and send in for web print. So easy..
Yep… stupid ripoff sounds about right.
Always take your own photo’s (if possible).