Shopping is one thing that we all have in common. Whether we like to do it or not, shopping has become a part of our normal routine. But this can be used to your advantage because there are a few legitimate companies that will pay you to shop or appear to do so as a mystery shopper. In fact, some of these mystery shopping assignments can be performed right from your home office.
But why would a company pay me to be a mystery shopper, you may ask? That is a fair question that has a logical answer. Every year thousands of companies pay mystery shoppers to conduct secret shops to give unbiased reviews about a particular establishment, store or business and reveal their overall experience with that company. This information is invaluable to a company that seeks to be competitive with other business rivals and improve their customer satisfaction. This data would be impossible without mystery shoppers and that is where you come in.
Your job as a mystery shopper is to give an honest review about the company including how clean the establishment was, how you were greeted and treated, the accuracy of the service and any other details that may be needed from the company to evaluate it accurately.
What kind of person should be a secret shopper?
Anyone who enjoys shopping, pays close attention to details and/or likes to get free stuff including money. This means that you do not have to be certified to be a mystery shopper, so if you see a mystery shopping company asking for you to get certified to complete shops for them you may want to question the legitimacy of the company and do further research.
What will I need as a mystery shopper?
It will always be to your advantage to invest in or have a computer with fast internet access and a camera or smartphone to take pictures if photos are required as part of the shop. You may also need a printer in your home to print your shopping assignment with all the details included so you will not miss or overlook any tasks in your shop. If you don’t have a printer or other items, you can purchase one here. You will also need a valid email address that you check regularly to stay in constant communication with your mystery shopping company. Although there are some mystery shopping companies that still pay by check, there are some that send your payments via PayPal so it wouldn’t hurt to acquire a PayPal account and make sure it is verified so that you will get paid on time. PayPal accounts are free.
Are there any fees?
There are never any fees associated with mystery shopping. If a mystery shopping company asks you to purchase a membership, please report the company immediately to the FTC or Federal Trade Commission. Also never deposit a check from a mystery shopping company or someone you don’t know to your bank before you complete a shop. Please watch this video about a mystery shopping scam that I made a few years ago.
How much can you make as a mystery shopper?
It depends on how many shops you complete and how much the shops pay. I have completed various mystery shopping assignments in the past and the most I earned was $50 for one cell phone shop. Most shops pay around $11 and may even reimburse you for your gas, food, etc. Some shops will even give you free items just for trying the product or item out. Please don’t expect to get rich but you can use mystery shopping as a way to earn extra cash in your spare time.
How soon can I start working as a mystery shopper?
The faster you join and sign up, the quicker you will get access to those mystery shopping assignments. You may even get to start today! Now that you have all the details, you are ready to get started as a secret shopper. Here are at least 8 legitimate mystery shopping companies that will pay you to do this.
9 Companies that will Pay you to be a Secret Shopper
I love this company because they have a variety of mystery shopping assignments that may involve you visiting a retail store to inquire about a laptop, visit a restaurant and eat lunch, get your automobile serviced or visit a car dealer. They also have several other shops including phone shops that do not require you to leave your home and pay a flat rate. The calls only take a few minutes. They send out checks every other Friday but towards the end of the year you will get paid every week.
As we get closer to the warmer months, many people will be visiting outdoor amusements to have fun and spend time with the family. Amusement Advantage has so many unique opportunities for shoppers in the US and Canada to visit zoos, museums, bowling alleys, theme parks, trampoline parks, skating, water parks, arcades and so much more. This company pays you through your PayPal account and will give you a cash bonus if you enter your results the day after your shop. You will know the name of the establishment and all the details before you agree to complete or be a backup for the shop. Amusement Advantage also has telephone shops available on a first-come first serve basis. The phone shops go very fast!
If you would prefer to complete shops strictly over the phone, then Call Center QA is the company for you. They are looking for telephone mystery shoppers with good listening and writing skills to call various companies and ask questions. There is no experience or background check required. You can even use your cell phone with this company. After the shop is completed, you will fill out a brief online form that will be submitted to Call Center QA. The calls last from 5-10 minutes each and you will get paid $5 per call. Payments are always made to your PayPal account.
Mobee is a free app that pays secret shoppers to complete assignments in their area. In order to be a mystery shopper you must have a mobile device to download the app from the App store or Google Play. You may be required to take pictures on products while you are engaging in a shop. Use my code QQPD to get 300 points when you join. You only need 50 or 200 more to get free gift cards that you can use just like cash!
Would you like to call various apartment communities reading from a script asking them a variety of questions about rent, specials and other details? If so, Yardi Matrix is currently hiring rent surveyors to do just that. This is a temporary work at home job that will last about 8 weeks. It is hourly pay plus piece rate depending upon how the call was answered. Please keep in mind that you must play the role as a potential renter and are very accurate and thorough. This is one of the few work at home jobs that allow background noise so if you have children at home or pets, you are encouraged to apply. Watch this recent video for details about the application process for Yardi Matrix here.
Work from home conducting market research that will require you to call businesses and gather information about the cost of an oil change, the price of a tire, warranties and any other details related to the automobile industry. This company requires that you have a pleasant phone demeanor, a land line or mobile phone with unlimited long distance service and can work 10-30 hours per week. Preference is given to those who have 6 months experience in telesales, call center, telemarketing, data entry or administrative duties. Most shoppers average $9 to $14 per hour. Hiring in the US and Canada. Read a full review about Intelichek here.
This company needs shoppers to evaluate the healthcare industry by making appointments to visit providers to access wait times, check the provider’s office, interaction with staff, checkout process and other details related to the shop. Other healthcare shops can include placing calls from your home to a provider to get pricing information on specific healthcare services by competitors, evaluate prices and determine their customer service standards. You can earn about $15 per hour or close to $100 extra dollars each month as a mystery shopper for Perception Strategies.
Another company that will pay you to complete telephone mystery shops from your home to inquire about prices, products and other information from businesses and companies. This company pays you between $3 to $10 for every mystery shopping assignment you complete. In order to apply to this company, you will need to send them a resume indicating which home-based position you are interested in and wait to hear back.
This company has a mobile app that you can download on Google Play or the App Store that will match you with available mystery shops where you visit businesses to gather information that you will submit through your smartphone or online. Once the data has been submitted you will get paid cash, get reimbursed for meals, be sent free gift cards and more. Please keep in mind that you will need a PayPal account in order to get paid.
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