Becoming a Real Secret Shopper: A Guide to the Best Mystery Shopping Companies

Do you want to become a mystery shopper? If so, you've come to the right place. In this article, we'll provide you with all the information you need to know about mystery shopping, from the best mystery shopping companies to work for, to the average salary, how to avoid scams, and more. Most positions require individuals to be at least 18 years old. However, some mystery stores require the purchase of age-sensitive products, such as alcohol or tobacco, which requires the mystery shopper to be at least 21 years old.

Most mystery shopper assignments also require you to provide your own transportation. Workers can get everything from free food to extra money when working for a Mystery Shopping company. You'll provide valuable feedback to the company, from how clean the store was to how employees interacted with you. In exchange for your comments, you are paid a fee and, in most cases, you will be asked to buy something and then you will be refunded up to a certain amount.

You'll know that amount before you buy. After submitting the application and approving your application, simply log in to the company's website and select the jobs you want to perform. These companies will provide you with all the instructions, and once you've completed the store, you'll need to enter your comments on their websites. Some pay by direct deposit, but most will send you a check in the mail at the end of the month. It varies by company, but you usually need to be 18 or older to be hired by a mystery shopping company.

For tasks related to alcohol or alcohol, you must be at least 21 years old. For example, a company may request someone between the ages of 18 and 30 to make it look like they are a college student. Some mystery shopping jobs also require you to have reliable transportation. It's important to note that, as a mystery buyer, you'll be an independent contractor. That means you're responsible for paying your own taxes.

You can control deductions (such as paying for gas to get to a job) to help with your tax burden at the end of the year. Many companies require buyers to sign an independent contractor agreement (rather than signing it as a W2 worker), so keep this in mind if you're looking for a full-time situation that offers health insurance and other benefits. On the bright side, since you're not an employee, you should be able to make mystery purchases for several companies at once.

The Best Mystery Shopping Companies

Similarly, it depends on the company you hire for the task, each has its own rules about payment, from how it's issued to how often you'll see your money. Many mystery shopping companies pay through PayPal, although some also perform direct debits and physical checks. Some offer gift cards instead of cash payment too. Elite CXS is an award-winning veteran-owned mystery shopping operation based in Hudson, Florida.

The company has partnered with major brands such as Porsche, T-Mobile and Gold's Gym. Jobs vary by region in the U. S., but Elite CXS places evaluators in video, phone and purchasing jobs in a variety of industries. IntelliShop is a research and customer experience improvement company. The firm's specialties are customer experience, online reputation management and loss prevention and compliance industries.

IntelliShop Covers Over 18,000 U. S. Cities. Mystery Shopping Service has existed for more than 20 years. The company serves real estate, senior housing and healthcare, retail and hospitality industries in the U.

S.

Mystery shoppers could be tasked

with calling a company and reporting on the conversation or walking around an apartment building in the guise of a potential tenant. BestMark is one of the largest mystery shopping companies so you'll have a wide variety of jobs to choose from based on payment. A mystery shopper is someone who is paid by a company to perform certain tasks they set out to perform. Mystery shopping is a flexible paid job that involves visiting businesses anonymously to check if specific standards are being met (e.g., customer service).

Mystery shoppers are tasked after joining one of many consumer research panels. That includes fitness, food service, household items, insurance real estate shopping malls sports teams & locations transportation companies and more Above you can see a screenshot I took of Bestmark secret store lists inside mystery shopping apps.

Secret Shopper

Secret Shopper is a legitimate mystery shopper company operating since 1990 and is a founding member of the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA), the professional trade association for the Mystery Shopping industry. As a secret shopper I tried cars ordered delivery looked at mattresses ate at restaurants tried fitness chains toured apartment complexes and even played in a game room for a few hours I mostly used Bestmark for my mystery secret stores in fact I don't remember using anyone else since it was one of the top mystery shopping companies.

How To Find Real Secret Shopping Jobs

The best way to find real secret shopping jobs is to browse MSPA's international directory of secret shopper service providers Remember to request only secret shopping jobs from a list of reputable companies and beware of scammers who only claim to pay for mystery purchases.

Bestmark

Because of that when you learn how to become a mystery shopper and how to be a secret buyer I recommend that you research and find a company like Bestmark Personally they almost always accepted me as there are TONS of mystery stores available and they really need more legitimate mystery shoppers.

Payment For Secret Shopping Jobs

Typically you'll receive payment for secret shopping jobs via direct deposit check PayPal or gift card about 2-4 weeks after completing an assignment.