Becoming a mystery shopper requires you to get a bit more hands-on and involved, however, this side hustle has the potential to be very rewarding. Channel your inner James Bond but without the danger by posing as a normal shopper and report your findings back to the business. You’re actively contributing to helping businesses improve different areas of their customer experience by going through their purchasing process.
Mystery shoppers buy a product, service, or recreate a scenario such as asking for assistance or making a complaint; and report the findings and experience back to the company.
Many businesses do this, from restaurants to retail stores, so the income potential/rewards can range from cash, free products, gift cards, or a free meal. Online sales are growing and so are the demand for mystery shoppers, so this is a great time to get started!
Advantages of being a mystery shopper
- Get paid to shop, who doesn’t like that?!
- No jobs are the same so it’s not boring.
- Potential to get free stuff (products/services/meals etc).
- Huge income potential.
- Highly flexible work hours, work whenever you like.
- Tasks are on weekends, opportunity for extra income.
Disadvantages of being a mystery shopper
- Income flow is not very steady.
- Beware of scam websites.
- Be ready to write feedback and reports in detail.
- You might not get paid if you don’t complete the task.
- Not the most ideal for full time workers, and can be quite time consuming.
Here are 4 top tips and tricks to help you when becoming a mystery shopper
- Beware of scam websites and always check who’s offering you the job. (Check who’s sent the email, is it from a spammy email address? Is it written properly? Can you contact them?)
- Becoming a mystery shopper is FREE, so if anyone is asking you for payment (bank transfers and money orders), it’s probably a scam.
- Your phone is your best friend when you’re a mystery shopper (Use your camera and apps like Quick Voice Pro to record your findings).
- Log your findings as much as you can (screenshots for entry and exit time, extra findings etc)
Mystery shopping income potential
Depending on how involved you get, Mystery shoppers get paid between $200 and 400 for an 8-hour day of visiting stores (between 5-10).
The more involved you are in the job, such as using a concealed video camera to film their experience, the higher pay you could receive.
Some companies even offer extra benefits such as petrol and car use reimbursement, hotel stays and more, so it’s always worth checking if it’s offered.
Sites to use to become a mystery shopper
- Second to None
- iSecretShop
- Become a mystery shopper with BestMark
- A Closer Look
- Become a Mystery Shopper | Secret Shopper
- RBG Mystery Shopping
- Market Force
- Mystery Shop Forum
- ABa – Mystery Shopping
- GBW Mystery Shopping Jobs
My list of the best side hustle ideas for 2024 that'll make you extra income
- Become a freelance writer
- Get paid searching the Internet
- Do retail arbitrage online
- Become a Fiverr freelancer
- Become a social media moderator
- Become a tasker
- Become a virtual assistant
- Become a website & app tester
- Get paid listening to music
- Earn money on Reddit
- Create online courses
- Get paid using apps
- Publish articles on Vocal
- Get paid to give expert answers
- Peer-to-peer renting sites
- Join marketing focus & research groups
- Become a "micro" tasker
- Join research studies on Respondent
- Become a voiceover actor
- Become a transcriber
- Do paid surveys online
- Join WFH Facebook Groups
- Become a customer service representative
- Become a mystery shopper
- Become a resume writer
- Start a blog
- All side hustle ideas >>
