Mystery shopping is a great way to bring in additional income, receive free products, and get your meals paid for! I have been working as a secret shopper for over two years and absolutely love it! I enjoy the flexibility that it offers. You are able to work once a month or every day. Here are the most frequently asked questions about mystery shopping…
How much do you make mystery shopping?
Each job pays on average $7 – $40. There are some restaurant shops that will only reimburse you for your food and there are other shops that will pay a higher commission rate. The highest I have received for one shop was $75, but that is rare.
Is mystery shopping a scam?
No. Mystery Shopping is a legitimate way to bring in additional income. You are hired as an independent contractor which means you are responsible for your own taxes, expenses, and you are self-employed. There are mystery shop scams out there, but it is easy to avoid them if you stick to the companies listed on the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA) website. If a company ever tells you to deposit a larger amount of money into a bank, it is a scam.
What are the best mystery shopping companies?
It depends on the city you live in. I suggest signing up with multiple companies and you will slowly learn who pays the most and who has the most jobs in your area.
What industries use Secret Shoppers?
All industries use secret shoppers to conduct research on their business. It gives the company information on what a regular customer experiences. You will be able to find mystery shop jobs for retailers and restaurant operators, banking and financial services, travel and hospitality, healthcare organizations, governmental agencies, etc. The most common are retail, fast food, and restaurant jobs.
How do I become a mystery shopper?
You will need to apply to each mystery shop company individually which can be time consuming. I also suggest earning a silver certification from MSPA. It is $15 and proves to the mystery shop companies that you are serious about doing this as a job.
What are some legitimate mystery shopping companies?
These are a few of the mystery shopping companies that I have worked for that have reasonable pay and pay on time.
- Market Force – www.marketforce.com
- Corporate Research International - www.mysteryshops.com
- Bestmark - www.bestmark.com
- A Closer Look - www.a-closer-look.com
- Second To None, Inc. - www.second-to-none.com
- Beyond Hello – www.beyondhello.com
- Bare International – www.bareinternational.com
- Coyle Hospitality Group (Luxury) – www.coylehospitality.com
- Intelli-shop – www.intelli-shop.com
- Marketing Endeavors – www.meshoppers.com
What do Mystery shop reports consist of?
There are two forms of reports: narrative and yes/no questions. The jobs that pay the least usually only require simple yes/yo answers and a brief 3 sentence overview of the shop. The more complex jobs require long narratives that can be up to 6 pages in length and can take several hours to write. Narratives generally need to be done for hotels, restaurants, banks, and cruises.
