How to Mystery Shop

How to Mystery Shop

Have you ever thought about trying to make a little money in your spare time? Maybe you’ve seen some ads for mystery shopping and been intrigued but thought “That can’t be real.” Well you won’t become a millionaire or get a free car from mystery shopping but you might be able to score a free meal or some free snacks for your time.

Mystery shopping is a real job. It’s not something where you can go to a restaurant, take a couple notes, and get a free meal. It will require skill, good memory, and good typing skills to be able to get paid. You will also need to remember that mystery shopping companies don’t pay up front so you will have to wait to be reimbursed for the meal you purchased as part of the shop.

In a typical mystery shop you will be asked to look out for certain things while you do a specific task. You might have to go to a convenience store, use the bathroom, and buy a snack and remember what the signage looked like, what was being advertised, the quality of the bathroom cleanliness, and the cashier’s name. After you get home from the shop you will have to type all these details up in a report and answer specific questions about the shop. They could be as detailed as the cashier’s height and physical appearance or as broad as the condition of the bathroom. After you type up your report it gets sent in where it will have to be approved. If not approved you may need to add more details, if approved then you wait for your check or Paypal deposit.

One downside to mystery shopping is that you generally won’t get paid for 30 to 60 days after your shop. This is because the mystery shopping company has to create the report which they then send to the company that you shopped at and that company has to pay the mystery shopping company before the mystery shopping company pays you.

The plus to mystery shopping is that you can get free snacks, free meals, free activities, even free motel rooms if you work for the right companies!

Some things to remember…never pay a company to start working for them. Legitimate mystery shopping companies are hiring you, not getting money from you. Pass by any that say they charge a fee to join and to see jobs.

Have you ever tried mystery shopping? What companies have you found good to work for?