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Why are passport photo prices in Brandon so high? Walmart's photo centre wants nearly $27 for 2 tiny passport photos!!! Go in with a family of 5, and I would walk out paying over $150 (with tax) for 10 tiny photos. So I called around, and everybody else in town is also quite high.  
 
Costco in Winnipeg seems to be about the only reasonably priced place to go. It is hard to want to go out and support your local communities businesses when their pricing is so out of line with what they are actually offering. Five years ago, I recall spending $10.  
 
As of January 15, 2017 Passport photos in Brandon cost:  
 
Brandon Photographics: $22 plus tax  
 
Shoppers Drug Mart Brandon: $15 plus tax  
 
CAA Brandon: Classic Membership: $11.25 plus tax : Plus Membership: $ i:ncluded/Free : Non-Member: $14.64 plus tax  
 
Walmart Brandon: $27 plus tax (Yes, $27 at Walmart!!!)  
 
Costco Winnipeg: $6.99 plus tax  
 
https://www.costco.ca/Canadian-Passport-Permanent-Resident-and-Citizenship-Photos.product.10336106.html

they figure if you can afford to travel, you can afford a passport?

The Family Tree -$15 - kids - only $5

Brenda said "they figure if you can afford to travel, you can afford a passport? "

Wow, Brenda, maybe try going back to bed and waking up on the right side...  
 
Shoppers Drug Mart was where we got ours done. Was $15 got 2 pictures. I didn't think that was too bad. You even said yourself 5 years ago when you did it last it was $10 so I don't see how $15 is that big of a deal. Wal-Mart is designed to give you the lowest possible quality and the lowest of level of service at the highest price you will tolerate. No thanks!

Kirmit said "Why are passport photo prices in Brandon so high? Walmart's photo centre wants nearly $27 for 2 tiny passport photos!!! Go in with a family of 5, and I would walk out paying over $150 (with tax) for 10 tiny photos. So I called around, and everybody else in town is also quite high.     Costco in Winnipeg seems to be about the only reasonably priced place to go. It is hard to want to go out and support your local communities businesses when their pricing is so out of line with what they are actually offering. Five years ago, I recall spending $10.     As of January 15, 2017 Passport photos in Brandon cost:     Brandon Photographics: $22 plus tax     Shoppers Drug Mart Brandon: $15 plus tax     CAA Brandon: Classic Membership: $11.25 plus tax : Plus Membership: $ i:ncluded/Free : Non-Member: $14.64 plus tax     Walmart Brandon: $27 plus tax (Yes, $27 at Walmart!!!)     Costco Winnipeg: $6.99 plus tax     https://www.costco.ca/Canadian-Passport-Permanent-Resident-and-Citizenship-Photos.product.10336106.html "

Now I know I can save a ton of money next time I need passports. Mine is good for 10 years now.  
So Costco Photo:  
$75 in gas  
$55 costco membership  
$7 x 2 people  
Total: $139 for two people's photos  
 
Local:  
$15 x 2 people  
Total: $30 for two people's photos  
 
Awesome savings!!!

Kirmit said "Why are passport photo prices in Brandon so high? Walmart's photo centre wants nearly $27 for 2 tiny passport photos!!! Go in with a family of 5, and I would walk out paying over $150 (with tax) for 10 tiny photos. So I called around, and everybody else in town is also quite high.     Costco in Winnipeg seems to be about the only reasonably priced place to go. It is hard to want to go out and support your local communities businesses when their pricing is so out of line with what they are actually offering. Five years ago, I recall spending $10.     As of January 15, 2017 Passport photos in Brandon cost:     Brandon Photographics: $22 plus tax     Shoppers Drug Mart Brandon: $15 plus tax     CAA Brandon: Classic Membership: $11.25 plus tax : Plus Membership: $ i:ncluded/Free : Non-Member: $14.64 plus tax     Walmart Brandon: $27 plus tax (Yes, $27 at Walmart!!!)     Costco Winnipeg: $6.99 plus tax     https://www.costco.ca/Canadian-Passport-Permanent-Resident-and-Citizenship-Photos.product.10336106.html "

Now I know I can save a ton of money next time I need passports. Mine is good for 10 years now.  
So Costco Photo:  
$75 in gas  
$55 costco membership  
$7 x 2 people  
Total: $139 for two people's photos  
 
Local:  
$15 x 2 people  
Total: $30 for two people's photos  
 
Awesome savings!!!

it must be Monday! Hey Fishin Guy like usual great advice. I doubt someone would drive to Winnipeg to get a Costco membership just to buy $6 passport photos. But I suppose maybe if someone had a membership and they knew they'd be in there it would be a cheap alternative to some of the other places.

Well I learned it is always best to ask before getting them done. Last year myself and the wife went to the photo place on 18th street next to Pizza Hut and after taking the photos we got the price of $50 for both of us for 2 little photos...outrageous.

RT Holdings said "it must be Monday! Hey Fishin Guy like usual great advice. I doubt someone would drive to Winnipeg to get a Costco membership just to buy $6 passport photos. But I suppose maybe if someone had a membership and they knew they'd be in there it would be a cheap alternative to some of the other places. "

Don't know why the double post. I was trying to say you will always find it cheaper somewhere else. Really it is prices are what they are. Best is to shop around and see where the best bang for your buck is. I am not about to go and get a Costco membership nor drive all the way to Winnipeg. That is like when the dollar was high. People running to the US to buy building materials cause they were so much cheaper. When I asked people about it they needed to pay for gas, time off work, borrow, rent, buy a trailer, wear and tear on vehicle, meals, etc. The response. We are making a vacation out of it so it doesn't matter, we would pay all that anyway. Perfect....how many people plan their vacation around a trip to Menards. Lol.

Okay we get it shop local...  
 
Lots of people in Brandon have Costco memberships and since you only have to renew your passport every 5 years (now 10) its not hard to get it done when you are in the City. I have extra propane tanks I fill for about $7-$8 at Costco compared to $25+ here in town. Obviously I don''t make a special trip for propane but you get the idea.  
 
You kind of got off track when you decided to try the Menards argument but back when the dollar was almost par people, including myself, saved thousands. Although you do need to be a smart consumer and know what you are buying when you buy from Menards but I don't want to get off topic. As for the negatives you listed, I bought my truck to drive so wear and tear is inevitable. I wouldn't take time off work that's silly I would just go on the weekend. Meals? Well I do like to eat everyday regardless of where I am. I mean its really not that hard to do although I don''t think many people are racing to Menards anymore so its kind of a moot point and I don't consider Minot a "vacation" destination but its a nice weekend away with cheaper gas, food, smokes and booze.  
 
Edited by RT Holdings, 2017-01-16 11:58:02

Thanks for the pricing summary, Kirmit. We just renewed our passports last month and it would have been great to see this post when we were shopping around for passport photos in Brandon. It would have saved me a few phone calls, but like you, I found it hard to believe that Walmart charged so much!  
We went with Shoppers and were pleased with the service and price. I am going to start using Shoppers for my everyday photos - I didn't realize you can order online and have them delivered to Shoppers for no charge!

The Walmart photo studio is not run by Walmart just FYI. We had passports done before Christmas there. We paid $10 each if we bought at $27 photo package to be used at a later day. We did and had family photos at Christmas when family was out. Of course we spent an extra $100 on prints on top of the package.  
 
We went to use a Walmart gift card to pay for our extra photos and told they don't take them as they are not ran by Walmart.

I originally posted the CAA non-membership price as being $14.64 (plus tax), which I was quoted. After heading down there to get my photo earlier today, the price ended up actually being $12.95 and came to $14.64 (including tax), which I thought was much more reasonable. The photos were fast and easy, and the service was good.  
 
I personally think people should refrain from supporting businesses that really gouge on pricing, so they will bring this pricing down to something that is much more reasonable for what they are actually providing.  
 
I wanted a photo for my passport, nothing more. I don't need to pay for a studio portrait, for what amounts to a piece of government identification. It's not for my wall, and anybody providing this service needs to recognize that I'm not going to accept paying over $30 (with tax) for two wallet sized portraits in a piece of ID.

If you'd know I paid almost 10K just to come to Canada 35$ for photos was nothing compared to everything else... And I found out everything is expensive here in Canada so I don't know why you complain...

I am curious. So we know the price of Costco Winnipeg. When talking about Brandon gouging does anyone know what these businesses in Winnipeg charge? Walmart Winnipeg, Shoppers Winnipeg, other photo places? How much lower are these comparable stores to Brandon?  
 
Oh and RT Holdings.....I wasn't spewing shop local. I am just trying to point out that using places like Costco and unless you have a membership, going in for other things, etc doesn't make sense. Sometimes shopping elsewhere does cost more in the long run. But people will justify it no matter what. Just like buying a TV off Amazon vs Television City. If huge price difference, is it cause they are gouging? There is a lot at play.

thank you for the price comparison, very helpful and looks like I''ll be visiting shoppers and/or CAA for future passport photo needs.  
 
I too had got the shock from photo store next to pizza hut. I got one Canada passport photo and one international. The international one required a digital copy, and it cost close to $30 (more than the physical print). It was the exact same photo so they had the digital copy anyway, this part I found surprising but learnt my lesson I guess. Final bill was around $60  
 
Edited by allice, 2017-01-16 16:55:32

LeoHdz said "If you'd know I paid almost 10K just to come to Canada 35$ for photos was nothing compared to everything else... And I found out everything is expensive here in Canada so I don't know why you complain... "

Welcome to Canada Leo but I think you got ripped off!  
 
I understand Fishin Guy and I was just saying that not all of us make special trips for passport photos. I only maybe make it to Costco 5 or 6 times a year but the savings are definitely noticeable when we do get to use it. You are right there are a lot of variables at play. And for the record I would never buy a TV off Amazon I would go see Jamie first

Holy crap.  
 
Last time I got my passport pictures it cost me $60 :/

Thank you for posting. Good to know as our are close to expiring. Have done Walmart in the past but sounds like fees really have gone up. Also did Shoppers when it was still $9.99. Only trouble at Shoppers was that they do not have a designated area so had to set up and move stuff to take photos in amongst items...felt dissorganized but maybe different now. Also had to go back twice to have retakes on photos not accepted by Canada Passport office so was time consuming.

Bran said "Thank you for posting. Good to know as our are close to expiring. Have done Walmart in the past but sounds like fees really have gone up. Also did Shoppers when it was still $9.99. Only trouble at Shoppers was that they do not have a designated area so had to set up and move stuff to take photos in amongst items...felt dissorganized but maybe different now. Also had to go back twice to have retakes on photos not accepted by Canada Passport office so was time consuming. "

The wife and I had that happen to us at the East end Shopper's the last time we had photos done. They had to move some coke cases around and a couple boxes of granola bars but all in all maybe took an extra 30 seconds. I mean really it is just a selfie...it really is too bad our government wants it to be exactly 47.6mm by 15.39mm or no you get rejected. I understand the need to have a standard but to make it so difficult just seems so silly. Really if you are trusting Walmart to declare a photo an official "photograph" then I think you should be allowed to take your own selfie and attach it.  
 
Edited by RT Holdings, 2017-01-17 01:47:48

RT Holdings said "it must be Monday! Hey Fishin Guy like usual great advice. I doubt someone would drive to Winnipeg to get a Costco membership just to buy $6 passport photos. But I suppose maybe if someone had a membership and they knew they'd be in there it would be a cheap alternative to some of the other places. "

That is exactly what we did, we were going to Costco anyways, got my photo done, was a 30 min time for development, did my shopping and was on my way.

RT Holdings said "    LeoHdz said "If you'd know I paid almost 10K just to come to Canada 35$ for photos was nothing compared to everything else... And I found out everything is expensive here in Canada so I don't know why you complain... " Welcome to Canada Leo but I think you got ripped off!     I understand Fishin Guy and I was just saying that not all of us make special trips for passport photos. I only maybe make it to Costco 5 or 6 times a year but the savings are definitely noticeable when we do get to use it. You are right there are a lot of variables at play. And for the record I would never buy a TV off Amazon I would go see Jamie first "

Yeah ripped off by the government!

I just had mine done last week, and spent the $25. It was a hard one to take, since I didn't remember them being anywhere near as expensive last time either.  
 
And just because I can afford to travel doesn't put me in some other world of earning. It just means that my priorities rest in places that are different from yours Brenda. It's probably cheaper for me to go to Mexico for two weeks, than it would be for a lot of people to go to Winnipeg for a weekend.

I didn't say, if you can afford to travel you can afford a passport.  
 
I said, THEY figure if you can afford to travel, you can afford a passport? (so that is why the prices are so high)

What I find funny is how people complain about the price of a photo yet I had to pay $160 for my passport. A few pages of paper stapled together.

Brenda said "they figure if you can afford to travel, you can afford a passport? "

They'll drop $27 at Wendy's tomorrow for lunch but passport photos should be the price of a coffee and a donut...I mean they have $5000 to fly to wherever...paid $50 to select their seats but god danmed if they'll pay someone $27 for a passport photo!!!

pm5k said "    Brenda said "they figure if you can afford to travel, you can afford a passport? " They'll drop $27 at Wendy's tomorrow for lunch but passport photos should be the price of a coffee and a donut...I mean they have $5000 to fly to wherever...paid $50 to select their seats but god danmed if they'll pay someone $27 for a passport photo!!! "

Yea.....What I was questioning is what is Winnipeg prices? I called Don's and they are $17 bucks. Doesn't sound so far off from Brandon. It would be different to complain about Brandon if average was $10 in Winnipeg and $20 in Brandon but that doesn't seem to be the case. I never use Costco as a comparison as I need to buy a membership there. Every time we have been in there with others we come out with about $50 bucks in stuff for the year. Otherwise most stuff we buy on sale here and it is cheaper. It is that mentality of $6 at Costco but you need to make it worth while so you will spend another $300+ in groceries to get that $6 photo. It is all justified now because you needed groceries anyway. The OP complained of spending $150 for 10 photos and actually using Shoppers pricing the average is around $15 bucks it seems. That is about $75 for 10 photos yet the 5 passports themselves for 2 adults and 3 kids under 16 will cost almost $500 for 5 year ones but no complaints lol.