What is mystery shopping? How do you do it? How much do you make? Is it a scam? These are all questions that I have heard when I tell people about my mystery shopping assignments. So I’ll start with saying: it’s legit and I like doing it.
If you are interested, here are some of the basic things that you need to know:
- What is mystery shopping? Generally, brand name companies will hire a mystery shopping agency to send shoppers to their locations and evaluate their experience (sometimes the products, but mostly the staff). Mystery shopping is not as simple as going shopping, taking a survey, and getting paid. I have “shopped” for clothes, shoes, flowers, and jewelry, had oil changes, and visited waterparks, museums, hotels, and restaurants, but there was more to it than taking a “survey” afterward. There are often specific requirements for you to complete and writing the report (generally on the customer service) usually takes 30-60 minutes for meals and retail and several hours for more intensive, higher dollar assignments (fine dining, attractions/amusement parks, and hotels).
- How do you do it? This part is pretty easy. You literally just have to submit an application to various mystery shopping websites. Sometimes they do want you to submit a writing sample (be very detailed) about a recent restaurant or retail experience you have had. The websites will then post available assignments and you can search by zipcode. I do these both around my home area, though there are fewer in rural Iowa, and when we go on vacation (there were TONS available around Orlando).
- How much do you make? This one varies depending on the company. Some will just reimburse your meal or purchase, some will reimburse your purchase plus pay an additional fee, and some pay a flat rate to cover all expenses. There is a company that I have used to evaluate a flight (it is the only company that I have found that evaluates airlines), however I do not use for hotel assignments because they only cover half of the hotel cost. Half off is a great deal, but I use two other systems that cover the full hotel bill, plus meals, and additional pay, so I usually opt to check those when I am looking for hotel assignments.
- Is it a scam? To be honest, I have not come across one yet that is a scam. I have accounts with probably a dozen different companies and all of them have been legit. Do your research though, just because I haven’t seen it, doesn’t mean there aren’t scammy ones out there.
What else do you need to know?
You do need to be good at writing, grammar, spelling, etc. You are graded on the quality of your work and they want it written professionally with extensive detail. Also, in most cases, you foot the bill up front then seek reimbursement on your expenses. Some hotels will just reverse the hotel charges after your shop is complete and your mystery shopping company has submitted your work (within a week or two), but most other types of jobs (retail, restaurants, attractions, etc) will reimburse you for your costs. It can take 30-60 days, or more. You would need to be (financially) comfortable with footing the bill until then. Many shops do require a credit card (like making hotel reservations) with enough balance available to cover the deposit. And some require cash, so that you can assess if the staff processes it correctly. There will always be instructions and details to tell you all of this information when you look at available mystery shopping jobs.
*Important note: All of them will ask for your Social Security number (you will have to claim it on taxes if you make more than $600 at any one company) and most pay via Paypal so they will ask for your Paypal email.
My top suggestions for mystery shopping companies to get started with (I have completed assignments and been paid accurately with each of these):
- Bestmark – This company often has automotive shops including payment for inquiring about purchasing a new car at a local dealership and having services completed like oil changes and tire rotations.
- To apply, go to apply.bestmark.com/?r=IA8256, sign up with an email or through your Facebook account, and when it asks who referred you, put in my shopper ID IA8256 *There is a small referral bonus, you can certainly apply without using my code
- A Closer Look – This company often has restaurant and hotel shops.
- If you would like my referral, please send me your name and email address at familytravelonabudget@gmail.com and I will email you the application from my account
- Jancyn – Provides various types of shopping opportunities, many in retail.
- If you would like my referral, please send me your name and email address at familytravelonabudget@gmail.com
- Amusement Advantage – This one is pretty cool, it’s mostly attractions (museums, bowling alleys, skating rinks, etc).
- GigSpot – This one has a whole database of different companies and tons of options, just search by zipcode.
- ISecretShop – Also a database, so more options in one place.
Happy Shopping! Follow us on Social for more tips on this and other travel ideas!
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