You’re walking past the food court, ready to grab a hot dog, and you realize you need to renew your passport. Or maybe you have a USB drive full of vacation shots that need to become physical prints for your grandma’s birthday. You look toward that corner near the pharmacy where the whirring of printers used to live.
It’s gone.
Honestly, it’s been gone for a while, but the confusion persists. If you’re wondering does Costco have a photo center in 2026, the short answer is no—at least not in the way you remember. You can’t drop off a roll of film or wait an hour for 4x6 prints while you shop for a gallon of mayonnaise. The physical kiosks are history.
What actually happened to the kiosks?
Costco didn't just wake up one day and decide they hated photography. It was a slow burn. Back in February 2021, they shut down the on-site photo departments at all warehouse locations. They blamed the rise of social media and smartphone cameras. Basically, people stopped printing every single photo they took.
Then came the second shoe.
In early 2023, Costco announced they were shuttering their dedicated website, CostcoPhotoCenter.com, too. They didn't want to manage the servers or the logistics anymore. Instead, they handed the keys over to Shutterfly.
The Shutterfly era: How it works now
If you go to the Costco website today and click on "Photo," you’re going to be redirected. You aren’t on Costco’s turf anymore; you’re in a specialized corner of Shutterfly’s ecosystem.
For a lot of long-time members, this felt like a betrayal. You used to get those insanely cheap Costco prices. Now? You’re dealing with a third party. But there is a silver lining. If you link your Costco membership to your Shutterfly account, you get a massive discount—usually 51% off regular prices.
Is it the same? No. Is it still a good deal? Kinda. Here is the breakdown of what you can and can't do:
- Standard Prints: You can order them online, but they ship to your house. No more warehouse pickup.
- Passport Photos: These are completely dead at Costco. Don't even bother asking at the membership desk.
- Ink Refills: Also gone. Those little stations that filled your HP or Epson cartridges vanished along with the photo lab.
- Photo Books and Calendars: These are still very much alive via the Shutterfly partnership.
- Home Movie Transfers: You can still do this (digitizing old VHS tapes), but again, it’s an online mail-in process through their partner.
Why the change still stings
The biggest gripe I hear from people is the loss of "same-day" convenience. There was something uniquely satisfying about uploading photos from your phone in the parking lot and picking them up before you finished your rotisserie chicken.
Now, you have to wait for the mail. Even with "Free Shipping" (which usually requires a minimum spend of $30 or $59 depending on the current promo), you're looking at a 5-to-10-day window. If you're in a rush for a funeral or a last-minute school project, Costco isn't your solution anymore.
Where to go instead for "Right Now" prints
If you need a photo in your hand within the hour, you’ve got to look at the survivors of the retail photo wars.
Walgreens and CVS are the big ones left standing. Their quality is... okay. It’s not professional-grade, but it’s fast. Interestingly, Walmart has also kept many of its in-store kiosks, and their prices often rival what the old Costco used to offer.
For the "pro" crowd who used to love Costco’s archival paper and color profiles, many have migrated to Mpix or Nations Photo Lab. They’re more expensive, but the quality blows a standard drugstore print out of the water.
Making the most of the membership
If you’re a die-hard Costco fan and want that 51% discount, you have to link your accounts properly. Don't just go to Shutterfly.com and pay full price.
- Go to the Costco Photo landing page.
- Click the "Link Account" button.
- Log in with your Costco credentials.
- Verify your membership number.
Once you're linked, the discount is supposed to apply automatically. Just watch out for the shipping costs. Shutterfly is notorious for "free" products that have $15 shipping fees attached. Always check the final tally before you hit buy.
💡 You might also like: Donald Trump Bans Tesla Production: What Really Happened
The final word on Costco's photo footprint
The days of the local Costco being a one-stop shop for everything from tires to 8x10 glossies are over. The warehouse has shifted its focus to high-volume, high-margin goods. Photos just didn't make the cut in a world where we all have 10,000 images sitting on a cloud server we never look at.
It’s a bummer for the hobbyists, but it’s the reality of 2026.
Next Steps for You
If you still have photos stored on the old Costco servers, unfortunately, the deadline to migrate them to Shutterfly has passed. Your best move now is to check your old hard drives or cloud backups. If you need prints today, head to a local pharmacy. If you want the best price and can wait a week, link your Costco ID to Shutterfly and take advantage of that 51% member discount.