CVS vs Walgreens Passport Photos (and Walmart)

CVS and Walgreens are the two places most Americans think of first for a passport photo. Both have photo counters in most stores, both take the photo in a few minutes, and both print two 2x2 photos. The differences are in the price, the digital copy, and how consistent the result is. Walmart is worth a look too, because it is still the cheapest of the three where it offers the service.

All details below come from each company's own website, checked in October 2026. Prices and services vary by location, so confirm with your store.

CVS vs Walgreens vs Walmart: side by side

Want every option in one place, including post offices and online services? See where to get a passport photo.

Price: Walgreens is cheaper once you add the digital copy

On sticker price, Walgreens is about a dollar cheaper than CVS: about $16.99 versus about $17.99 for two prints. The gap grows if you need a digital file. Walgreens includes an emailed copy with the purchase. At CVS, the digital copy costs about $3.99 more and is offered only at select stores, which puts the total around $22.

Walmart lists about $7.64 for two prints, less than half of either pharmacy. If a Walmart Supercenter with a working Photo Center is close to you, it is the budget choice for prints. Walmart has cut back staffed photo departments over the years, so call before you drive.

For a wider price table that includes USPS, FedEx Office and online services, read how much passport photos cost.

Digital copy: the deciding factor for online renewal

If you are renewing online, you upload a digital photo instead of mailing prints. This is where the three chains differ most:

• Walgreens emails you a digital copy as part of the standard price.
• CVS sells a digital copy at select locations for about $3.99, or your files on a USB for about $10.99. If your store does not offer it, you leave with prints only.
• Walmart offers a USB with digital images as an option.

Whichever you choose, check the file before you upload. The State Department accepts JPG, JPEG, PNG, HEIC and HEIF files within a set size range, and the photo must still meet every rule. A photo that looks fine as a print can still fail as a file if it was scanned, compressed or cropped badly. Our guide to digital passport photo size explains what the upload needs.

Quality and consistency

None of the three publishes acceptance statistics, and we will not make any up. What we can say is how the process works, which tells you where problems come from.

At all three stores, the result depends on the employee and the setup at that location: the backdrop, the light, and how carefully the head is sized in the frame. Walgreens says its photos are printed and analyzed with tools that check size, background, head position and placement. Walmart says its newer kiosks with built-in cameras scan the image for compliance. CVS describes its photos as meeting government requirements.

Whatever the store says, look at the print before you leave. Check for:

• Shadows behind your head or under your chin.
• Glare on your forehead or on jewelry.
• A head that looks too small or too large in the frame.
• A gray or uneven background instead of white or off-white.
• Glasses. They must come off unless you have a signed medical statement.

If you spot a problem, ask for a retake on the spot. It is much easier than fixing it after a rejection letter arrives. Our guide to why passport photos are rejected shows the most common failures.

Availability and hours

Photo services are only offered at stores with a photo counter, and counter hours can be shorter than pharmacy or store hours. Late evenings, weekends and holidays are when you are most likely to find the counter closed or understaffed. Both CVS and Walgreens have store locator pages that show whether a store offers passport photos; use them, then call to confirm someone who can take the photo is working when you plan to go. The same applies to Walmart Photo Centers.

What if the photo is rejected?

Rejection policies at store counters are not spelled out in detail on the pages we checked. Practices vary by store and manager. If the State Department rejects a store photo, bring the rejection letter to the store and ask whether they will retake it at no charge; many will, but it is not a published guarantee.

The bigger cost of a rejection is time. Your application pauses until you send a new photo, so a free retake does not give you back the lost days. If timing matters, consider an option with a written guarantee, or check the photo yourself first with our free passport photo checker.

How to get a better photo at any pharmacy counter

You cannot control the backdrop or the camera at a store, but you can control a lot of what ends up in the frame. These small steps make a rejection much less likely, whichever chain you pick.

1. Go at a quiet time. Mid-morning on a weekday usually means a shorter line and an employee who is not rushing.
2. Wear a darker top. A white shirt can blend into the white background. Avoid uniforms and camouflage.
3. Remove glasses, hats and headphones before the photo is taken. Religious head coverings are allowed under the official rules.
4. Keep your hair off your face. Both eyes and the edges of your face should be visible.
5. Use a neutral expression or a natural smile, mouth closed or lightly open, both eyes open.
6. Ask to see the image on screen before it prints, and ask for another shot if anything looks off.
7. Ask for the digital file now if there is any chance you will renew online later.

Which one should you choose?

For most people renewing online, Walgreens is the better pharmacy pick because the digital file comes with the price. For mail-in renewal on a budget, Walmart wins where it is available. CVS is a convenient fallback, especially if it is the closest store and you only need prints.