Shoppers Drug Mart Passport Photo: Is $19.99 Worth It?

What Does Shoppers Drug Mart Charge for Passport Photos?

Shoppers Drug Mart charges $19.99 CAD for a set of two Canadian passport photos (50mm × 70mm). This price is fairly consistent across locations, though it can vary slightly since each Shoppers is independently owned and operated.

For your $19.99, you get two printed photos taken by store staff using their in-house equipment. Some locations will also give you a digital copy on a USB drive at no extra charge—but you'll need to ask, as this isn't advertised.

To put this in perspective: at $10 per photo, a family of four renewing their passports would spend $80 just on photos. One RedFlagDeals user reported paying nearly $60 for a family of three and called it "a ripoff."

What Customers Actually Say About Shoppers Passport Photos

We analyzed discussions on RedFlagDeals, Canada's largest deal-sharing community, to see what real customers think about Shoppers Drug Mart passport photos. The feedback wasn't great.

Complaint #1: The Price Is Too High

The most common complaint is the price. At $19.99, Shoppers is more expensive than Walmart Canada ($16.97), London Drugs ($14.99), and Jean Coutu ($13.80). Multiple users described the pricing as "a ripoff" and questioned why they were paying so much for what amounts to a simple photo against a white backdrop.

One user noted that when they asked Shoppers to price-match Walmart, the store refused. Unlike their regular merchandise, passport photo services apparently don't qualify for price matching.

Complaint #2: Inconsistent Quality

The second most common issue is quality inconsistency. Since passport photos are taken by regular store staff rather than trained photographers, results vary dramatically depending on who's working that day.

One RedFlagDeals user described the experience bluntly: staff "use a template and keep taking photos like a misaligned robot." Another reported their daughter's photos were rejected by the passport office because the dimensions were wrong—meaning a wasted trip and more time spent getting retakes.

Complaint #3: No Real Guarantee

While Shoppers will retake your photo for free if Service Canada rejects it, they won't refund your money. This means if you're in a time crunch and need to go elsewhere for an acceptable photo, you're out $19.99.

Compare this to London Drugs, which offers a $50 compliance guarantee—if your photo is rejected, you get a $50 gift card. Shoppers offers no such protection.

"SDM said they can re-take rejected photos for free, but when I asked if they guarantee the photos won't be rejected, they said no—just a 10% discount if I need to come back. Why would I pay $20 for that?" — RedFlagDeals user

A Better Way: $1.54 Instead of $19.99

Here's something most people don't realize: you can use Shoppers' own photo printing service to get the same result for a fraction of the cost. The trick is to create your passport photo online first, then print it as a regular 4×6 photo.

Our tool, 1 Dollar Passport Photo, lets you take a photo with your phone against any background. Our AI automatically removes the background, crops to the exact Canadian passport dimensions (50mm × 70mm), and validates that your photo meets Service Canada requirements—all in about 2 minutes.

You get a 4×6 print sheet with 6 passport photos (not 2) for $1.35 CAD. Then you walk into the same Shoppers location, use their photo kiosk or online ordering, and print that 4×6 sheet for $0.19. Total cost: $1.54 CAD for 6 photos.

Why This Works Better

You control the quality. Instead of hoping the Shoppers employee knows what they're doing, you take the photo yourself. Don't like how it looks? Take another one. Our AI checks compliance in real-time, so you know your photo will be accepted before you even print it.

You get more photos. Shoppers gives you 2 photos for $19.99. We give you 6 photos for $1.54. That's enough for your passport application plus extras for visa applications, citizenship documents, or just to keep on file.

You save time. No waiting for staff to be available. No standing in front of a white backdrop while someone fumbles with a camera. Just snap a selfie at home, process it in 2 minutes, and pick up your prints when it's convenient.

How to Get Your Passport Photo for $1.54

The process takes about 5 minutes total, including printing. Here's exactly what to do:

Shoppers vs Other Canadian Options

If you're set on getting your photo taken in-store, here's how Shoppers Drug Mart compares to other Canadian retailers:

As you can see, Shoppers Drug Mart is the second most expensive option in Canada—only Staples charges more. The only advantage Shoppers has is convenience: with 1,300+ locations, there's likely one close to you. But if you're willing to spend 5 minutes doing it yourself, you can save over $18.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Bottom Line

Shoppers Drug Mart is convenient, but at $19.99 for 2 photos, you're paying a significant premium for that convenience. The quality is inconsistent, there's no real guarantee, and you're limited to just 2 photos.

For most people, spending 5 minutes to create your own photo and printing it at the same Shoppers location makes a lot more sense. You'll get 6 photos instead of 2, you control the quality, and you save $18.45—money that's better spent on your actual trip.