Does Sam's Club Do Passport Photos in 2026? (No — Closed Since 2020)
Sam's Club shut down every in-club Photo Center on June 29, 2020. There is no walk-in passport photo service at any Sam's Club today — ironically, its own parent company Walmart still runs one for $7.64. This page covers the timeline and the cheapest 2026 alternatives.
Sam's Club no longer takes passport photos.
Every in-club Photo Center closed permanently on June 29, 2020. There is no in-person photo counter, no staff photographer, and no same-day printing at any Sam's Club location.
Why Sam's Club closed its photo centers
Sam's Club cited a long-term decline in demand for in-club photo printing as customers moved to storing photos digitally. The June 2020 closure was chain-wide and covered every photo-related service — passport photos, same-day canvas prints, 1-Hour Photo, the self-serve Photo Kiosk (Freeosk), and index CDs all ended at the same time. Costco followed with its own photo center closures the next year, in 2021, and Target closed its Photo Centers in January 2022 — all part of the same industry-wide retreat.
The Walmart irony
Sam's Club is a Walmart Inc. warehouse-club subsidiary — a separate storefront, but under the same parent company. Walmart itself never closed its photo counters and still runs a full walk-in passport photo service today at $7.64, the cheapest of any national chain. So the fastest fix if you're near both is simple: skip the Sam's Club building and walk into the Walmart instead. No membership required.
What Sam's Club online photo still offers
Sam's Club members can still order prints through samsclub.com/photo, including a standard 4×6 print at roughly $0.19 — genuinely one of the cheapest print prices anywhere. The catch: every order ships to your home (no in-club pickup), ground delivery runs about 6–10 business days, and you need an active membership to order at all. It works for the print hack if you can plan a week ahead; it's not a same-day option.
Cheapest 2026 alternatives
| Where | Service price | 4×6 print hack | Walk-in | Available 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Print at Home | $0.40 | $0.40 | Yes | Yes |
| Walmart | $7.64 | $0.16 | Yes | Yes |
| FedEx Office | $15.95 | $0.49 | Yes | Yes |
| USPS Post Office | $15.00 | — | By appt | Yes |
| CVS | $17.99 | $0.39 | Yes | Yes |
| Walgreens | $16.99 | $0.38 | Yes | Yes |
| Costco | Discontinued | — | — | No |
| Rite Aid | Discontinued | — | — | No |
| Target | Discontinued | — | — | No |
| Sam's Club | Discontinued | $0.19 | — | No |
| The UPS Store | $12.99 | — | Yes | Yes |
| AAA | — | — | Yes | Yes |
Service price = standard passport-photo service. 4×6 hack = print a self-formatted 4×6 photo and cut out the 2×2; the listed price is the print only — the print-ready sheet is a $2.99 one-time unlock, so add $2.99 once for the all-in total. Prices are 2026 retail and may vary by location.
Same-day and no membership needed: format the photo yourself with a free online tool, lay it out as a 4×6 print (our print-ready sheet is a $2.99 one-time unlock), and order that 4×6 at Walmart — about $3.15 all-in.
The print-hack method
- Take a photo against a plain wall in good light.
- Use the free passport photo maker to remove the background and format to U.S. 2×2 spec.
- Unlock and download the 4×6 print layout ($2.99 one-time).
- Same-day: order a standard 4×6 print at Walmart ($0.16). Have a membership and can wait a week: order through Sam's Club Photo online instead ($0.19, ships to home in 6–10 days).
- Cut along the crop marks. Done.
Printing the hack sheet at home instead?
A pack of 4×6 glossy photo paper runs the print hack dozens of times on any inkjet — cheaper per sheet than any photo counter.
Browse on Amazon →Affiliate link · we may earn a small commission, no extra cost to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Sam's Club still do passport photos in 2026?
No. Sam's Club permanently closed every in-club Photo Center on June 29, 2020. Along with passport photos, that closure also ended same-day canvas prints, 1-Hour Photo, the Photo Kiosk (Freeosk), and index CDs. There is no photo counter left at any Sam's Club location.
Why did Sam's Club close its photo centers?
Sam's Club cited declining demand for in-club photo printing as customers shifted to digital photo storage — the same trend that led Costco to close its photo centers the following year, in 2021. The closure was chain-wide and permanent, not a pause.
Can I still print photos through Sam's Club online?
Yes, but with real limitations. Sam's Club's online photo service (through samsclub.com/photo) lets members upload a photo and order prints, including standard 4×6 prints at roughly $0.19 each. Every order ships to your home — there is no in-club pickup — with ground delivery typically taking 6–10 business days, and you need an active Sam's Club membership to order.
Is Walmart the same as Sam's Club for passport photos?
No — they're separate stores, even though both are owned by Walmart Inc. Walmart itself still runs a full walk-in passport photo service at $7.64, the cheapest of any national chain, even though its warehouse-club sibling Sam's Club offers no in-person photo service at all. If you're near either, the standalone Walmart is the one to visit.
What's the cheapest way to get a passport photo without a Sam's Club membership?
Walk into a Walmart — no membership required, and it's $7.64 for the standard service. Cheaper still: format the photo yourself with a free tool, unlock the $2.99 print-ready sheet, and print a 4×6 at Walmart for $0.16 — about $3.15 all-in, same day.
Can I use my Sam's Club membership for a cheaper hack?
Yes, if you can wait for shipping. Format the photo yourself, download the 4×6 print layout ($2.99 one-time), and order it through Sam's Club Photo online at about $0.19 per print — roughly $3.18 all-in. Just budget for the 6–10 business day ground delivery since there's no in-club pickup.
Sources
- Sam's Club Photo Site FAQ (help.samsclub.com) — Photo Center closure, June 29, 2020
- Sam's Club Photo (current online-only printing service)
- U.S. Department of State — Passport Photo Requirements
Skip the trip — Walmart's next door.
Format yourself, print at Walmart — about $3.15 all-in, same day.