Store prices re-checked October 2026 · independent site
Staples passport photo: $19.99 prints, $21.99 digital, $24.99 both
Staples is the most expensive chain for prints, and the only one publishing an explicit compliance guarantee with a free retake. A Staples passport photo costs $19.99 for two 2 x 2 inch prints, offered at every Staples location with no appointment, ready in about 10 minutes (Staples' own product pages; prints-only option). Staples sells a digital file for $21.99, or a $24.99 bundle with both prints and the file. If your application is online (a DS-160 visa upload or online passport renewal), price the digital file, not the prints; you can also check a phone photo against the official rules free right now.
How it works at Staples
- Walk into any Staples; per Staples' own pages, passport photo services are offered at every location with no appointment needed.
- Staff take the photo; prints are ready in about 10 minutes. Choose prints ($19.99), a digital file ($21.99), or both ($24.99).
- Staples publishes its own compliance guarantee: photos that fail State Department requirements are retaken free of charge.
The USB drive detail
Per Staples' own product listings (checked October 2026), the digital option is handed over on a USB drive in store rather than emailed, and the service is listed as non-refundable; the guarantee is a free retake, not money back. If the destination is an online form like the DS-160, budget the extra step of getting the file off the drive and checking its dimensions against the published rule. A file delivered by email or direct download skips both steps.
The Staples guarantee, in its own words
Staples states that photos purchased in its stores will meet the State Department's requirements, and that failures are retaken free of charge. A free retake still costs a second trip, which is the gap between a guarantee and a measurement: a checker that shows the head measured against the published band before anything is submitted removes the retake scenario instead of compensating for it.
Every store, ten minutes, three prices
Staples' pitch is availability: every location, no appointment, about ten minutes. The three-tier pricing is what to watch: $19.99 for prints, $21.99 for a digital file, $24.99 for both, meaning the full print-plus-file need costs $24.99 at Staples versus $9.99 for the same pair online.
Staples vs doing it online
| What you get | Staples | Online maker ($9.99) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $19.99 | $9.99 |
| Prints | Two 2 x 2 photos | Printable 4 x 6 sheet with six copies |
| Digital file for online applications | Sold separately, see above | Included, checked against the published rule |
| Checked against the official figures | Staff judgment | Every published figure, shown to you |
| Leave the house | Yes | No |
| Digital delivery | USB drive, in store | Email and direct download |
| If the photo is rejected | Free retake, second trip | 24-hour money-back guarantee |
Store prices as published in 2026 comparisons and the chains' own pages, first checked September 2026 and re-checked October 2026; they vary by location and change. We are independent and not affiliated with Staples.
Staples passport photo questions
How much are passport photos at Staples?
- $19.99 for two printed 2 x 2 photos (prints-only option), $21.99 for a digital file, or $24.99 for the bundle with both, per Staples' own product pages (re-checked October 2026). That makes Staples the most expensive of the big chains for prints. Prices can change; confirm at your store.
Do I need an appointment for Staples passport photos?
- No. Staples' own page states passport photo services are offered at every Staples location with no appointment needed, ready in about 10 minutes.
Does Staples give digital passport photos?
- Yes, as its priciest options: a $21.99 digital file or a $24.99 print-plus-digital bundle, delivered on a USB drive in store per Staples' own listings. For comparison, a compliant digital file plus a printable six-copy sheet costs $9.99 online, checked against every published figure with the result shown to you.
Skip the counter: $9.99, previewed free
The digital file plus six printable copies, checked against every published rule, with a 24-hour money-back guarantee.
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