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How to write a good mystery shopper report

  • Mystery Shopping

mystery shopper jobs reports

Perhaps the most important part of any mystery shopping job is the report that you turn into the client at the end. This report is what you will be paid for. The client wants to know what happened while you were on assignment and your report is the only thing that will tell them what they want to know. Writing an accurate report is probably the most important thing you will do as a mystery shopper, but beyond accuracy there are plenty of things you can do to improve the reports that you write.

Stay on topic

The client only cares about the job that they are paying you to do. If you stray in your report from the job you were hired for and write about other things, the off-topic portions of the report are useless to the client. A good way to stay on topic is to ask yourself why what you wrote is important. If you can’t think of a reason the client would want to know the information you wrote down, then you probably didn’t need to write it. Everything in your report should be pertinent to the job that you did.

Get the names of staff and products right

Few things are more frustrating than getting things or people confused. When writing a report, make sure you get the names of the staff you talked to right. This can be hard, but it is often required to get the names of the people who you interacted with. The same goes for products. Knowing the names of the products and people you interacted with will make the report easier to write. Pay attention to spelling. If you don’t know the proper way to spell a name, find out, or at least stay consistent. Don’t write “Sarah” one time and then a paragraph later write “Sara.” Mistakes like that can confuse the client and the report may become unusable.

Show, don’t tell

You’ve probably heard an English teacher say this at some point. You want to show things in your writing instead of telling them. Rather than saying “Sarah is a terrible cashier,” write: “Sarah didn’t smile during our entire transaction. She cursed at the cash register when it didn’t open right away, and she gave me the wrong change.” Those details give the client a better idea as to why Sarah is not a good cashier.

Stick to the clients requirements

When you take the job, you will be given report requirements. These requirements can be anything, but most often they deal with things like word or character count or whether the report should be a summary or something more extensive and detailed. Whatever the client says they want, make sure you get it in the report.

No unimportant details

Because mystery shoppers have an eye for detail, they notice a lot. However, not all of what you see needs to be in the report. If you’re hired to go into a store in a mall to make a purchase at a specific clothing store, stating that the mall parking lot was very full probably isn’t needed in the report. The person reading the report probably doesn’t care about the mall parking lot. By keeping unnecessary details out of your report, you will provide the person reading the report with exactly what they need.

Write in complete and clear sentences

Sentence fragments, abbreviations, and other oddities need to be omitted from your report. Write in complete and clear sentences, preferably concise sentences. Long sentences can cause problems when it comes to clarity, and if there is one thing you want to be in a mystery shopper’s report, it’s clear.

Once your report is written and you have everything you need in it, set it aside for a few minutes and take a break. Once you have taken a short break, read through your report carefully. Look for any spelling errors, grammatical errors or awkward phrasing. Once again, clarity is the goal. Change any unclear sentences so that they can be easily understood.

Proofreading is not editing. When you’re proofreading you’re looking for small, easy to overlook errors. When you’re editing you should still keep an eye out for those errors, but also look at the overall report. Is the way you structured your report the best way to do so? Is it following the directions and requirements laid out by the client? While proofreading is about the small details of the report, editing is about the report as a whole.

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29 Best Places to Find Legitimate Mystery Shopper Jobs

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Mystery shoppers are paid to act like regular, everyday shoppers and provide feedback on their experience with a company. To get started, just sign up with mystery shopping companies in your area, choose your assignments, and start shopping.

Trinity Owen

  • Side Hustles

mystery shopper jobs reports

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How would you like to get paid to shop with the best mystery shopping companies?

That’s exactly what thousands of people are doing to earn extra money each month.

The companies that pay these “mystery” shoppers need feedback for their business, and they pay mystery shoppers to collect it.

What Is a Mystery Shopper?

A mystery shopper is a person who’s paid to act like a regular, everyday shopper, and then provide feedback on their experience.

Reputable mystery shopping companies give secret shoppers a list of tasks to complete, such as asking specific questions about a product or receiving a service (e.g. an oil change).

After the tasks have been completed, the mystery shopper reports feedback on things like the store’s cleanliness, the employees’ helpfulness, and other details about their experience.

Companies pay secret shoppers for providing this information. In most cases, they also reimburse shoppers for any expenses incurred.

Related: 18 Best Sites for Taking Paid Surveys

How to Become a Secret Shopper (and Find Mystery Shopper Jobs Near You)

Becoming a mystery shopper is simple. All you do is sign up with the best mystery shopping companies in your area, choose your tasks or assignments, and start shopping.

You can sign up with as many mystery shopping services as you like. The more companies you sign up with, the more opportunities you have to make easy money.

One secret shopper worked for 75 companies (at his peak) and made $14,000 in one year just from performing mystery shops on weekends, during his lunch break, and on the way home from work.

29 Best Mystery Shopping Companies to Work For

Need money now and wondering where to find the best mystery shopper jobs nearby? Check out these companies.

1. Ath Power Consulting

Ath power consulting

Some mystery shopping companies have a wide variety of gigs, while others focus on a certain niche. Ath Power Consulting focuses on the financial and banking industry.

If you complete a mystery shopping gig for the company, you’ll likely have to go into a bank and describe your experience. It also has some jobs that involve going into an airport; these are only available if you already have security clearance.

Ath Power Consulting is a member of the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA) and is an Elite Member for the fifth consecutive year. Its website says the company offers more than 10,000 mystery shopping jobs a month and has more than 500,000 mystery shoppers registered.

Unlike some other mystery shopping companies, Ath doesn’t pay out right away. It only pays twice a month instead of immediately following a shopping gig.

How it works:

  • Sign up to work for Ath.
  • Create an account using your email address.
  • Fill in your personal information such as your name, address, and demographic details (i.e. race, income, level of education).
  • Read its privacy policy.

Related: 11 Best Shopping Apps to Save Money on Everything

bare international

BARE hires mystery shoppers to do in-person or over-the-phone customer chat or video visits. The company was given a Shopper’s Choice award from the MSPA in 2019.

This award is voted on by people who complete mystery shopping jobs, and it means BARE was one of their favorite companies to work for.

When you sign up to work for BARE, you’ll be able to list five area codes in which you want to mystery shop in. This is helpful if you work and live in different area codes and want to maximize your earnings.

  • Sign up to be a mystery shopper.
  • Choose your language.
  • Enter your email address.
  • Pick your country.
  • Enter your demographic information.
  • Read the privacy policy and contract.

Related: 50 Ways to Make Money Online for Free

3. Secret Shopper

secret shopper homepage

Secret Shopper is a well-established company that helps clients improve their businesses using mystery shoppers to gather data.

It has been around since 1993 and are very credible with many awards, including the MSPA Elite award for 2018. It’s free to sign up, and you set your own hours.

  • Sign up to shop on the company’s website.
  • Choose your country.
  • Read and agree to its Shopper Basics rules and guidelines.
  • Complete the basic certification test that verifies that you read all the rules.
  • Fill out your personal information, such as your name, address, date of birth, etc.
  • After entering your personal information, you’ll receive your shopper ID and password. Use your ID and password to log in, then view and schedule available shops to complete.

Related: 16 Ways You Can Get Paid to Shop for Others

4. Market Force

market force mystery shopper job

At Market Force, you’ll complete mystery shop requests for banks, restaurants, and stores. You’ll provide feedback for things such as cleanliness, product selection, and customer service.

Market Force has been awarded MSPA Shopper’s Choice Award, voted on by real mystery shoppers, four years in a row .

  • Create a Shopper Force Account.
  • Answer several questions about your criminal background.
  • Sign and date the Terms of the Agreement.

5. Pinnacle

pinnacle financial strategies homepage

Pinnacle has been around for 20 years. It assists financial institutions by helping them improve service and sales quality.

Its secret shoppers work solely with credit unions and banks, making it a great choice for anybody interested in finance. It’s completely free to become a mystery shopper with Pinnacle.

  • Click the button that says New Shopper Sign Up .
  • Add your basic personal information, including bank account details (so you can get paid).
  • Answer demographic questions to help Pinnacle find the best jobs for you.
  • Agree to the terms.

6. A Closer Look

become a mystery shopper with a closer look

A Closer Look has won several awards from the MSPA, including the “Elite Company” award for 2018 and the Shopper’s Choice Award in 2019. It specializes in industries such as restaurants, specialty retail, senior living, hotels, and entertainment.

  • Click the red button that says Become a Mystery Shopper .
  • Provide a current email address.
  • Once your email has been approved, you’ll receive a link to the application page (the link expires within 48 hours).
  • You’ll have to fill out personal and demographic information, and write a sample essay with “a minimum of two full paragraphs describing your last casual or fine dining restaurant experience.” This essay will be partially used to determine your eligibility, so try to do a good job on this.
  • Submit and wait for a response.

7. Quest for Best

quest for the best homepage

Quest for Best provides mystery shopping opportunities in over 40 states in the US, mostly concentrated in the Midwest and Southwest states. You can see its full map here . Its opportunities include things like eating at a restaurant, bowling, and going to a movie theater.

  • Click the Become a Shopper link .
  • Read the Independent Contractor agreement.
  • Fill out the Online Shopper Profile, including contact and demographic information such as gender, which languages you speak fluently, if you have camera access to do hidden video shops, and if you have airport security clearance.
  • If there’s a job in your area, Quest for Best will give you the info for the shop. If not, it’ll store your profile until a shopping opportunity is available for you.

8. IntelliShop

intelli shop homepage

IntelliShop serves an extensive list of over 50 industries, so you’re bound to receive mystery shopping jobs that interest you.

The company also received a 2019 Shoppers’ Choice Award from the MSPA, as chosen by actual mystery shoppers. This means they voted IntelliShop as one of the best mystery shopping companies to work for.

  • Click the button that says “Go”   on the Shopper Sign-Up page.
  • Enter your email.
  • Read the independent contractor agreement.
  • Add your basic personal information, including your bank details (so you can get paid).
  • Complete the demographic questionnaire.
  • Enter your tax information.
  • Agree to the terms and contract.

9. Perception Strategies, Inc.

perception healthcare mystery shopping company

Perception Strategies, Inc. focuses on healthcare mystery shops. The company has performed over 150,00 healthcare mystery shops since 1998.

Its mystery shopping gigs range from calling a doctor’s office to get a quote for a particular service, doing an in-person visit without making an appointment, or completing a full-length visit.

This mystery shopping company focuses on giving healthcare providers the feedback they need to make their patients’ experience the best possible. It has a list of the cities and areas where it needs mystery shoppers the most.

  • Visit the Shopper Application .
  • Check out the list of immediate openings.
  • If your location doesn’t have an immediate opening, you’ll be notified of any that come up once your application is on file.
  • Fill out the information in the application such as if you’ve ever had a felony or worked for a healthcare provider, and submit.

10. Sinclair Customer Metrics

sinclair customer metrics homepage

Since 1987, Sinclair has helped thousands of businesses improve their overall customer experience. It offers a wide variety of tasks, including video, phone, and in-person mystery shops. Sinclair is a member of the MSPA.

  • To sign up with Sinclair , enter your name and email.
  • Read the provided Information for Mystery Shoppers document.
  • Review and agree to the Independent Contractor agreement.
  • Fill out the secure online application.
  • Take the Sinclair New Shopper Challenge.
  • Take the New Shopper Survey.

11. Ipsos (formerly GfK)

ipsos international mystery shopping

If you live outside the US and are looking to mystery shop internationally, check out Ipsos. Your secret shops will be either in person, by phone, through email, or using web chat.

Ipsos secret shoppers perform mystery shops ranging from gas stations, to banks, to restaurants.

Supported countries include:

  • United States
  • Czech Republic
  • Netherlands
  • United Kingdom
  • New Zealand
  • Sign up here.
  • Enter your email, country, and ZIP Code.
  • Enter your address, contact information, and gender.
  • Fill in more personal details such as height, weight, marital status, occupation, and the type of equipment you have.
  • Read its agreement.

Related: DollarSprout’s Ipsos i-Say Review

12. BestMark

bestmark homepage

BestMark is one of the largest mystery shopper companies and has been around since 1986. It’s a member of the MSPA and offers 10,000-plus mystery shop assignments each month for restaurants, hotels, and resorts. The payment will differ based on the assignment that you choose.

  • Click the “Sign Up Now” button on the right-hand side of its become a shopper page .
  • Fill in your basic personal information, demographic questions, work history, ethnicity, and create a password.
  • Read and agree to the independent contractor agreement, guidelines, and policies.
  • Once you submit this information, you’ll be able to see which in-person or phone/web mystery shopping gigs are available.

13. Second to None

Second to None

Second to None looks for mystery shoppers for a couple of specific jobs. Right now the company is looking for those who are AARP members or willing to talk to insurance brokers and organizations. Check in often to see when it updates its requirements.

  • Apply to be a Second to None mystery shopper .
  • Fill in your contact information, and create your login.
  • Submit your application.

14. ACPVIEW

ACPVIEW

ACPVIEW, which stands for a customer’s point of view, does mystery shops for retail, grocery stores, casual and fast food dining options, airports, public transportation, retail banking, and government agencies.

  • Type in your email address and country.
  • Read the Services Agreement and Release.
  • Add your contact and demographic information, and sign the privacy policy.

15. AboutFace

AboutFace

AboutFace has been around for 20 years and is a member of the MSPA. It has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and offers mystery shopping jobs in all 50 states. According to the site, it pays 15% more than the industry average, but its rates aren’t clearly stated.

  • Sign up to be an AboutFace Mystery Shopper .
  • Type in your contact information.
  • Read the Independent Contractor Agreement.
  • Wait to verify your email.
  • Add information such as your PayPal email address, a picture of your driver’s license, a picture of yourself, and answer a few basic questions.

16. Confero

Confero

Confero offers mystery shopping opportunities in food service, retail, banking, automotive, healthcare, consumer products, airports, movie theaters, theme parks, and tourist attractions.

  • Sign up to be a Confero Mystery Shopper.
  • Type in your email address and select your country.
  • Read and agree to the Independent Contractor Agreement.
  • Fill in your contact and demographic information.
  • Choose which area codes you live and work in. This will determine what opportunities you get.

17. Amusement Advantage

Amusement Advantage

Amusement Advantage is a mystery shopping company that pays people to mystery shop at amusement parks, bowling alleys, zoos, museums, aquariums, and other popular attractions. You have to be just as detailed-oriented for these gigs, even though they can be more fun than going to a grocery store.

In some cases, you’re only paid via free admission for the mystery shop assignment and free tickets afterward. You can earn an extra $5 if you fulfill the mystery shop by 10 a.m. the day after your assignment.

You’ll also earn $20 if you refer new mystery shoppers to Amusement Advantage. The downside is that it takes 30 to 45 days to receive payment, which is longer than other companies. Amusement Advantage is a member of the MSPA.

  • Sign up to join Amusement Advantage here .
  • Create an account.
  • Fill in your contact information and birthdate.
  • Submit and see which opportunities are available in your state.

18. SeeLevel

SeeLevel homepage

Mystery shoppers who complete gigs for SeeLevel will find opportunities within the fast food, retail, financial services, and automotive industries. If you want to get a free meal while you complete a mystery shopping job, then you should sign up with SeeLevel. Payments are sent via PayPal. 

  • Register with SeeLevel using your email address.
  • Fill in your contact and demographic information including birthday, gender, household income, height, weight, and area codes near where you live and work.
  • Read and agree to its privacy policy and Independent Contractor Agreement.
  • Submit and wait to hear back.

19. Shopper’s View

Shopper's View

Shopper’s View is a founding member of the MSPA and offers mystery shopping opportunities. It offers mystery shopping gigs with food, retail, and even sporting events.

It also offers telephone mystery shopping gigs, which is perfect if you can’t drive or don’t have regular access to a car. Shopper’s View has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

  • Start your Shopper’s view profile.
  • Select your language.
  • Type in your email address and choose your country.
  • Fill in the contact and demographic information.

20. iSecretShop

iSecretShop

iSecretShop is available both as a phone app and on a desktop browser. If you use the app, you can usually fill in all the required information so you don’t have to type everything in separately on a computer.

You can choose from in-person shops, web and phone shops, and polls. Look through the job board once you’ve registered to see the list of available opportunities.

iSecretShop pays via PayPal.

  • Visit iSecretShop’s site.
  • Fill in your contact and demographic information including gender, number of children, and address.
  • Read the Terms of Use and Privacy Statement.

RBG

RBG, or RealityBasedGroup, is a member of the MSPA. It offers video, written, phone, and online mystery shopping opportunities. Some of its clients include Goodwill, Texas Roadhouse, Cinnabon, and SportsClips.

It says other clients include department stores, bookstores, banks, gyms, and restaurants. There’s a wide variety of gigs available, so you’re more likely to find something you enjoy.

  • Register with RBG by filling in your email address and selecting your country.
  • Read the privacy policy.

22. Mercantile Systems Inc.

Mystery shopping Mercantile Systems

Mercantile Systems Inc. is a member of the MSPA. It offers mystery shopping opportunities including restaurants, hotels, storage facilities, golf courses, retail, healthcare, and financial service providers.

It pays within 45 days of the assignment being completed, which is a little longer than normal. Shoppers have 24 hours to complete the assignment.

  • Sign up for Mercantile Systems here.
  • Type in your contact and demographic information.
  • Sign the Independent Contractor/Shopper Agreement.
  • Verify your email address.

Mystery Shopping Jobs by Phone

If in-person shopping isn’t your thing, or if you don’t have time to visit stores, then secret shopping by phone may be a better fit for you.

23. Call Center QA

Call Center QA

Call Center QA helps organizations improve the quality and helpfulness of their call centers. This company is a good option if you like chatting on the phone and have excellent reading and writing skills and attention to detail.

You can complete all your calls from home using your landline or mobile phone. It pays $5 per call, and each call and feedback form takes around 15 minutes to complete. You’ll receive payment within seven business days.

  • Fill out the application including basic information questions, education, homeownership, if you own or lease a car, and how you heard about the company.
  • You must be a resident of the US and be at least 18 years old.
  • Click submit. You’ll receive further information after completing the application.

24. ARC Consulting

ARC Consulting

With ARC, you’re paid via PayPal per mystery phone call. How much work and pay you receive depends on the opportunities it has available at the time.

The application says it’s hiring from select countries and looking for people who speak a variety of languages.

  • Complete the online ARC Consulting application .
  • Enter your contact details, PayPal payment information, gender, and birthdate.
  • Add your login details and submit.

25. Yardi-Matrix

Yardi Matrix

Yardi-Matrix provides a job opportunity for those interested in taking surveys for the commercial real estate industry. If hired, your job will be to call apartment communities pretending to be a renter. The company will provide you with specific questions to ask.

To complete the tasks, you’ll need high-speed internet access and a phone. You’ll be paid $6 per hour with additional pay as follows:

  • $0.50 for completed surveys
  • $0.30 for surveys with a wrong number
  • $0.20 for partially-completed surveys
  • $0.07 for surveys with an answering machine or no answer

Users must complete 75 surveys the first week and 100 surveys each following week. You’ll have to call between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. in its surveyed time zones.

  • Send a copy of your current resume to the Yardi Matrix contact .
  • The company will contact you with further details.

26. Observa

Observa

Observa is a mystery shopping app available on both iPhone and Android devices. You have to download the app to receive mystery shopping gigs.

It has a 4.3 rating from the App Store and a 4.4 rating from the Google Play Store. Its official app description says that payments are between $4 and $20. Payment is made within 24 hours via PayPal. You can also choose to be paid in Bitcoin.

27. Field Agent

Field Agent

Field Agent is a mystery shopping app where you can get assignments once you create an account. Previous companies and assignments include AutoZone, Amazon Fresh Pickup, Walmart convenience stores, and Dollar General’s new DGX store.

Field Agent has a 4.8 rating on the App Store and a 4.0 rating on the Google Play Store.

According to the app description, jobs pay between $3 and $20. The app will review photos and descriptions and pay out two days after you submit them.

28. Merchandiser

Merchandiser

Merchandiser is an app available on both iPhone and Android devices. The app has a 4.3 rating on the App store and a 4.1 rating on the Google Play Store. It’s not exactly a mystery shopping app. The gigs available on Merchandiser are more retail-related, like:

  • Restocking shelves
  • Putting stickers on items
  • Counting inventory
  • Setting up promotional displays

Download the app, fill in your information, and wait to get gigs in your area. Shoppers are paid via PayPal, and most gigs take about 15 minutes to do.

29. Gigwalk

Gigwalk

Gigwalk is a member of the MSPA, unlike some of the other apps on this list. The app has a 4.6 rating on the App Store and a 3.7 rating on the Google Play Store.

The app pays via PayPal. According to the site, gigs can take between five minutes to several hours and pay between $3 and $100. Not all gigs are mystery-shopping related. They range from taking pictures of a house for insurance purposes to double checking prices at the grocery store.

You can complete assignments straight from the app, so you don’t have to go home and log onto a computer to complete an assignment.

How to Avoid Mystery Shopping Scams

Our list of mystery shopping companies only includes legitimate options. However, not all companies are as high caliber, and some are complete scams. Here’s what to watch out for.

Only choose from a trusted list of mystery shopping companies.

When searching for reputable mystery shopping companies, make sure you sign up for companies recommended by trusted sources.

Check to see if the company is a member of the MSPA. You can find a list of its member companies here . If it’s not on here, check Trustpilot or the Better Business Bureau. If you don’t see any online footprint, then it’s probably not worth doing business with.

Never wire money.

If you’re asked by a mystery shopping company to deposit a check into your personal account, withdraw the amount in cash, and wire it to a third party, don’t do it. The check is fake, and it’s a scam.

The check may look like it’s gone through and the money has appeared in your account, but it hasn’t officially cleared. It can take banks weeks to uncover a fake check.

Once the fake check is discovered, you’ll likely be held responsible for paying back the bank for the amount you deposited and withdrew. Play it safe and never deposit a check from someone you don’t know if you’re going to wire the money back.

Never pay in advance to become a mystery shopper.

All of the mystery shopping companies listed above are completely free to sign up for, and that’s for a reason. If you ever come across a mystery shopping company that asks you to pay money to join, it’s a scam.

Related: 6 Common Work-from-Home Scams to Look Out For

Find Your Ideal Mystery Shopping Niche

Mystery shopping is a fun side hustle because you can often get free food or be reimbursed for buying specific products. If you already work near a mall, shopping plaza, or busy downtown area, then you don’t have to worry about driving around a lot.

Like most side hustle apps and websites, you can sign up with several different mystery shopping companies to maximize your rewards. This also lets you see which have the highest hourly rate and are worth completing.

Because some jobs take longer than others, it can be hard to gauge which companies are better until you’ve had some experience.

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How to Become a Mystery Shopper? The 10 Best Companies to Work For

Becoming a mystery shopper is often included in lists of ways to make extra money.

But how does mystery shopping work?

Can you really get paid to shop and test products or services?

How do you find legit mystery shopping gigs?

How much can you realistically earn as a mystery shopper?

I had the same questions — and in this post, I’ll answer them all. I even got to make some money as a mystery shopper myself!

If you love shopping or testing products, becoming a mystery shopper will be a natural side hustle for you.

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What Do Mystery Shoppers Do?

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Mystery shoppers get paid to provide feedback on products, services, and experiences.

Your mystery shopping job may take you to stores, restaurants, or even hotels. Sworn to secrecy, you’ll create a report on items like:

  • Product displays and inventory levels
  • Cleanliness
  • Staff behavior
  • Staff knowledge
  • Customer service

Often, you’ll be taking pictures of product displays and packaging.

A couple of my mystery shopping jobs even involved buying a product, taking it home, and providing my feedback. (I got reimbursed for the purchase costs.)

Companies hire freelance mystery shoppers to get firsthand reports of how their brand is being represented at the retail level.

Headquarters could be thousands of miles away, and mystery shoppers serve as eyes and ears on the ground. Are the company’s corporate ideals and strategies making down to the frontline employees?

Your feedback as a mystery shopper directly impacts training, branding, and merchandising decisions.

One thing that was surprising to me, was that mystery shopping is still super popular, even in the age of Yelp , TripAdvisor , and other crowdsourced user review platforms.

According to Forbes , brands spend an estimated $1.5 billion a year on mystery shoppers!

Let’s explore how you can get a piece of that pie.

Becoming a mystery shopper is pretty easy. You’ll need to register with one or more mystery shopping services (listed below), or a mystery shopping app.

The requirements are typically:

  • Being at least 18 years old (21 for alcohol-related mystery shopping gigs)
  • Being eligible to work in your specific location
  • Having reliable transportation
  • Having a workable smartphone

Once you sign up, you can look for available jobs nearby.

After applying for a shopping gig — if selected — you’ll be provided with all the instructions for the task.

The Best Mystery Shopping Companies to Work For

These companies specialize in providing secret shopping jobs. We chose these based on their:

  • reputation and history
  • shopper feedback
  • payout rates
  • industry associations

The best mystery shopping companies are free to join, though some may offer an optional paid membership tier.

The Mystery Shopping Professionals Association is a good starting point for your mystery shopping side hustle.

When you join as a free independent contractor, you’ll get access to their Opportunity Board, where member companies post their mystery shopping gigs.

The $35 a year Plus membership includes additional benefits, including:

  • A listing in the MSPA independent contractor database (so providers can find you)
  • Access to the MSPA Americas Members-Only Facebook Group
  • Complimentary Intro to Mystery Shopping course

When I searched the Opportunity Board, there weren’t many mystery shopping gigs nearby, but membership in this industry association shows you’re serious about your mystery shopping side hustle.

With over 1 million members, iSecretShop is one of the largest mystery shopping companies in the world.

Once you create your account, you’ll receive email and optional push notifications for mystery shopping gigs you may qualify for.

Field Agent is one of my favorite money-making apps . The app connects you with paying mystery shopping gigs, including:

  • Buy and trys: purchase and test a product
  • Shelf audits: locate a product on the shelf and take pictures
  • Employee knowledge tests: pose as a customer and ask a few questions

field agent mystery shopping

Over the last 10 years, they’ve paid out over $20 million dollars to mystery shoppers!

In my Field Agent review , I found that you can make $3 to $10 per task, with most tasks only taking a few minutes.

At press time, Field Agent was rated 4.7-stars in the App Store with over 11,000 reviews.

Market Force works with a variety of companies ranging from food restaurants and coffee shops to movie theatres.

market force mystery shopping

They have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau , and have been a long-time MSPA member.

Use their app to complete tasks on the go and earn some extra cash. You can make $3 to $10 per assigned task based on its complexity and the time required.

Market Force pays monthly via direct deposit.

For decades, BARE International has been matching mystery shoppers with local assignments. In total, they’ve helped facilitate over 250,000 evaluations!

BARE evaluators call the work fun, fair, and flexible.

Another MSPA Elite member is CXE .

mystery shopping company cxe

To join as a mystery shopper, you need to submit an application that includes a sample narrative of a recent shopping experience.

CXE is looking for your skill in storytelling, as well as proper punctuation and grammar. This barrier to entry likely means fewer shoppers complete the application, possibly translating into less competition for the mystery shopping gigs on this platform.

BestMark has been a mystery shopping mainstay since 1986, and they have a very good reputation with a Better Business Bureau rating of A+.

They’re members of the MSPA as well, which marks their legitimacy.

Most BestMark tasks last 30-60 minutes, and pay $10 to $20 each. 

After completing your free application, you can look for available tasks online. There’s no experience required, but you should be detail-oriented and a strong written communicator. BestMark also provides some basic training to set you up for success as a mystery shopper.

They pay their shoppers twice a month through PayPal, direct deposit, check, or gift cards .

Earn an average of $22.67 an hour with Elite CXS . The service is free to join and you just might be matched up with mystery shopping gigs for some of the world’s biggest brands.

Elite CXS counts GM, Starbucks, Burger King, T-Mobile, and more on their client roster:

elite cxs mystery shopping clients

Established in 1990, Secret Shopper is another long-running mystery shopping company and a charter member of the MSPA. Secret Shopper has mystery shopping tasks in-person, online, and over the phone. 

The service is free to join and usually pays $10 to $15 per task.

They’ll also reimburse you if you need to make a purchase for the task. (Just make sure to keep the receipt for proof of purchase.)

The most common complaint? That the super-detailed reports take too much time to fill out.

IntelliShop counts Disney, Jack in the Box, and Kia among their mystery shopping clients.

Once you register with them and become a mystery shopper, you’ll start receiving mystery shopping job opportunities via email.

You can choose the jobs you like and earn $10-20 an hour for your work. They pay via PayPal after 30 days of completing the job.

After each job, you also get a rating for your work. More thorough reports leads to earning better ratings, which can lead to higher-paying mystery shopping gigs.

One word of caution: being detail-oriented is a must. On Glassdoor , reviewers claim the company will refuse payment if you don’t follow the instructions exactly.

According to ZipRecruiter , mystery shoppers can $ 24/hour or $4,200/month if you get regular work.

In this video, I connected with Jenn Trinidad , a mystery shopper in Hawaii. She reported earning up to $2,000 a month as a part-time mystery shopper.

Mystery shopping jobs are generally paid through PayPal, Tipalti, or direct deposit. A few companies also pay by check on a monthly or bi-monthly basis.

Mystery shoppers are almost always considered independent contractors — not employees. That means you’ll likely receive a 1099 for your earnings, if you earn over $600 in a calendar year.

On the plus side, it also means you can deduct relevant expenses (like mileage) related to your mystery shopping work.

Common Mystery Shopping Scams to Avoid

Remember your mom’s advice: if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is?

Well, for many people, the idea of getting paid to shop can start to raise some eyebrows. And while mystery shopping is a legitimate way to earn extra money , there are some common scams and red flags to be on the lookout for.

Don’t pay upfront to join a mystery shopping company. Aside from the MSPA industry organization, all the options listed above are free to join.

Legit mystery shopping companies make their money from brands and corporations — not individual mystery shoppers.

According to Jenn, one of the most popular scams is getting a check in the mail — supposedly to help mystery shop a bank.

The accompanying letter will instruct you to go to the bank and deposit a portion of it into a specific account. The balance — it will say — is yours to keep.

“The check is obviously going to bounce because it is a scam,” Jenn explained. “No mystery shop company will pay you up front, they will always have you do the shop first.”

Jenn described another mystery shopping scam where you’ll be instructed to go buy gift cards from the store. Then, you’re supposed to mail the gift cards to a specific address.

“Mystery shop companies will never do that,” Jenn said. It’s a scam and you’ll never get paid for the shop or reimbursed for the money you spent on the gift cards.

For each mystery shopping job, you should know:

  • Roughly what work is involved
  • How much you’ll earn

That way you can make an estimate of the hourly rate and decide if it’s worth your while. Avoid the gigs that don’t show you the rate upfront.

These scams are prevalent enough, the FTC has even published some guidelines and warnings for them .

Again, protect yourself by working through an established mystery shop company — ideally an MSPA member organization.

woman inspecting produce

How to Make More Money as a Mystery Shopper

Like most side hustles, there are a few best practices to make the most of your mystery shopping efforts.

Before looking for jobs, it’s important to fill in your profile as completely and accurately as possible. This will include information like your:

  • marital status
  • parenting status
  • household income

This can be somewhat tedious, especially if you’re doing it for multiple platforms, but this information is how the companies will match you to the most relevant mystery shopping jobs available.

When you’re chosen for a mystery shopping task, the employer has a few specific things on the agenda that they want you to do.

Luckily, you don’t have to go in blind. You’ll get a list of all the things you need to perform. Make sure that you are thorough with the list and do all the required tasks and answer all the questions.

It may help to jot down a few notes in your phone while you’re on the job to help you remember the details later.

Doing the onsite job is the easy part for most people — filling out the reports is where many give up.

This attention to detail will earn you positive feedback, which can translate into more (and higher-paying) mystery shopping jobs.

Mystery shopping tasks are often on deadlines. You need to perform a task and provide the written report within the time limit.

This will keep the employer happy, and make sure you get paid on time as well.

Mystery shopping gigs involve posing as a real customer, so you need to look and act the part.

For example, if your task is at a car dealer, you might need to pretend to be someone planning to buy a car. That means engaging with the sales staff, taking test drives, and asking relevant questions.

Be prepared to take up the role according to the job requirements to get honest and accurate feedback.

While there might be a lot of mystery shopping opportunities available, not all are profitable.

Before taking on a task, calculate how much profit you’ll make and how much time it will take to complete.

One tip that Jenn gave was that sometimes the rates are negotiable. If the deadline is approaching, you might respond to the request but ask for a better rate.

The worst thing that happens is they say no!

With Field Agent in particular, I like to look for gigs that are at the same stores I’m already running errands at. It may add a few minutes to my trip, but can offset the cost of whatever I was shopping for.

Alternatives to Becoming a Mystery Shopper

Of course, mystery shopping isn’t the only side hustle in town. If you enjoy shopping, sharing your opinions , and making money on a flexible schedule, here are a few other options to consider.

Almost every list of side hustle ideas will include online surveys. Even though most don’t pay much at all, they’re simple to do and you can do them whenever your schedule allows.

Here our some of our top picks.

  • Swagbucks – Earn up to $35 a survey with this mega-popular app, and get a $10 bonus  just for signing up!
  • Survey Junkie – Take 3 surveys a day and earn up to $100 a month.
  • KashKick – Get paid to answer surveys, test games, and try new products.
  • InboxDollars  – Get a  $5 bonus just for signing up!
  • American Consumer Opinion – Join millions of free members and earn up to $50 per survey.
  • Branded Surveys – One of the best-rated survey sites with millions paid out.

Beyond that, you can drastically improve your hourly rate with online paid market research studies .

Among my favorites are User Interviews and Respondent , which often pay $50-150 an hour.

user interviews

A quick way to get paid to shop is sign up with Instacart . The popular shopping app will have you shop for and deliver customer’s groceries around town.

instacart shopper app

This side hustle is best if you have a fuel-efficient car and already know every corner of the grocery store. There’s nothing worse than wasting time trying to find some random item on your list!

Typical earning power is in the $15-20 an hour range, but can vary based on location. Check out our full Instacart shopper review for more.

If you have an eye for a deal, a reselling side hustle could be a good fit.

This is the age-old business model of buy low, sell high, and side hustlers do it in every niche imaginable, including:

  • online products
  • flea market finds
  • even peaches !

You can even start with items around your house. For inspiration, here’s our list of the best items to flip for a profit .

Mystery shopping can be a fun way to make extra money, but it’s not likely to be a full-time income stream.

Still, it’s pretty cool to be able to make money checking out stores, restaurants, or products, taking pictures, and asking a few questions.

Plus, there can be a bit of a treasure hunt feel to it, almost like getting paid to play games .

Have you tried mystery shopping as a side hustle? Let me know in the comments below!

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mystery shopper jobs reports

************** Big thanks to Sumeet Kumar for helping research and draft this article! Sumeet runs MoneyFromSideHustle.com and helps people find gig economy jobs to add to their bottom line.

**************

Frequently Asked Questions

No, most secret shopping gigs do not require any special degree. However, there will be some tasks where they might ask for people of a particular age, like 20 to 30 years old, to look like college students.

The Mystery Shopping Professionals Association (MSPA) provides a certification that might help you score more jobs.

If someone is sending you a check before doing a job, it is a scam.

Real mystery shopping companies only send you money after you have completed the task and you have sent the report. In most cases, you’ll receive payment 30 days after completing the job.

Yes, in most cases, secret shoppers get to keep the products they buy.

You’ll usually need to pay upfront with your own money though. After submitting the receipt and report, you get reimbursed.

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Nick Loper

About the Author

Nick Loper is a side hustle expert who loves helping people earn more money and start businesses they care about. He hosts the award-winning Side Hustle Show, where he's interviewed over 500 successful entrepreneurs, and is the bestselling author of Buy Buttons , The Side Hustle , and $1,000 100 Ways .

His work has been featured in The New York Times, Entrepreneur, Forbes, TIME, Newsweek, Business Insider, MSN, Yahoo Finance, The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, Hubspot, Ahrefs, Shopify, Investopedia, VICE, Vox, Mashable, ChooseFI, The Penny Hoarder, GoBankingRates, and more.

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Hi, Can I become a mystery shopper in Andorra? I have done this work before. Thanks

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30 Best Mystery Shopper Jobs (Legit Mystery Shopping Companies)

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Table of Contents

30 Best Mystery Shopper Jobs

i-say logo

i-Say Summary

  • You can earn as much as $50 each month
  • Earn $1 for each friend you invite
  • Low minimum cash out threshold of $5
  • Instant cash out for e-gift cards

Ipsos iSay is widely regarded as one of the largest consumer panels with a large number of assignments. There are no lengthy applications to complete, simply register on the site and click the green button to get started. 

This company is a little different to other mystery shopping platforms because the reporting process can be very time-consuming. However, the extra effort is worth it because Ipsos offers some of the best paying, legitimate mystery shopper jobs on the market. In general, you can expect to earn around $10 or more per assignment.

Field Agent

fieldagent logo

Field Agent Summary

  • Earn between $3 to $15 for every job
  • 10+ different types of jobs available
  • 3 to 5 day processing time for payouts
  • Get 10% of what your referrals earn

Field Agent is a mobile app that you can use to earn money by completing small tasks on your phone.

Some of the tasks that you can complete to earn extra cash include:

  • Mystery shopping
  • Doing market research
  • Performing audits at retail stores
  • Checking prices at local stores
  • Taking pictures of landmarks, food, menus and more
  • and many more

Thus, Field Agent is a great mobile app to boost your regular income. With a wide range of earning opportunities in addition to mystery shopping, you can stand to earn up to $30 per hour. Some of these jobs don’t even require you to leave your house, so you can complete them from the comfort of your own home.

Marketforce

marketforce logo

Market Force Summary

  • Earn additional income
  • Select assignments
  • Shop with purpose
  • Flexible schedule

Marketforce , formerly known as Retail Eyes, is one of the best-known mystery shopping platforms with almost 300,000 members. 

One of the best things about the platform is that there is always a huge range of legitimate mystery shopper jobs to choose from. Thus, you are likely to find earning opportunities local area and it’s easy to make a little extra money when you’re out shopping anyway. 

The only real downside to using Marketforce is that they are not very responsive to member concerns. With average earnings of between $5 to $10 per store visit, the rate of pay is relatively low compared to some other platforms on this list. In some cases, you only receive reimbursement for any products you purchase.

National Consumer Panel

ncpmobile logo

NCPMobile Summary

  • High-quality consumer panel
  • Offers many earning opportunities
  • Free to download and use
  • Easy to get rewarded

The National Consumer Panel or NCP is a well-established market research company that pays its users to take part in product testing , barcode scanning and taking online surveys. 

Acceptance into NCP is not automatic. They are only interested in certain demographic groups and this can limit your earning potential. So, it’s important to complete an accurate demographic profile to get the best matches for work. 

NCP users earn points for various tasks that you can exchange for gift cards from participating brands, including: 

In general, new users earn 150 points (worth $0.25) each time they upload data from their shopping trips. However, the longer you use the platform, the more you can earn. Experienced anonymous shoppers with NCP can earn up to 280 points (worth $0.47) for a single store visit.

Although the platform doesn’t have the highest paying mystery shopper jobs, it is a great way to earn money if you are already making regular shopping trips.

BestMark is a leading mystery shopping company and they have been in business since 1986. They offer around 10,000 legitimate mystery shopper jobs each month at hotels, restaurants and resorts. 

The rate of pay varies a great deal depending on the type of assignments you choose and their complexity. 

The platform is also relatively easy to join. Simply click the “Sign Up Now” button on their website, fill in your information and create a unique password. 

As soon as your account is approved, you can start browsing the platform for in-person or phone and/or web mystery shopping gigs. On average, you can expect to earn up to $20 per hour. 

Sinclair Customer Metrics

Sinclair Customer Metrics is one of the oldest mystery shopping platforms on the market and it has been in business since 1987. They have helped many businesses to improve their customer services. Sinclair offers a wide variety of tasks that users can complete to earn money, including phone, video and in-person mystery shopping. 

It is free to join Sinclair as an anonymous shopper, and the process is relatively straightforward and should take no more than 10 minutes. Do note that as an anonymous shopper, you are an independent contractor of the company and will thus not be entitled to any benefits.

You can expect to earn an average of $10 per hour. 

Ath Power Consulting

Unlike the other mystery shopping platforms on this list, Ath Power Consulting focuses purely on the financial and banking niche. This means that any jobs you take with Ath will be based on going into a bank or other financial institution and reporting back on your experience. 

This company is an elite member of the Mystery Shopping Providers Association or MSPA. This trade body ensures that all members comply with a code of standards.

Ath Power Consulting offers over 10,000 legitimate mystery shopper jobs each month and they have over 500,000 registered mystery shoppers.

The amount you can earn will vary greatly based on the job details. Thus, you will need to check the rate of pay for each job on the platform’s mystery shopper portal before you sign up for a job. Ath only pays out twice per month rather than each time a mystery shopping task is completed.

Some Ath jobs are also sensitive in nature and you may need to receive security clearance before you can work on those. 

Intelli-shop

Intelli-shop is a top customer experience research company with many high profile clients in various industries. As a result, they have a wide variety of mystery shopping jobs available. 

There are three main Intelli-shop methods of mystery shopping, they are: 

As an Intelli-shop anonymous shopper, you will be paid approximately 30 days after the last day of the month in which the shopping trips were complete. You can expect to earn an average of $11 per hour. 

The usual payout day is the 20th and payments are made via Paypal. 

In addition, the more you work for the platform, the more likely you are to be given priority for newly posted mystery shopping jobs.

Second to None

Second to None is an interesting platform for those interested in mystery shopper jobs in the US and Canada.

At the moment, the company has a focus on insurance brokers and associated organizations. As a result, they are currently focusing on hiring AARP members. Nonetheless, it’s always worth checking their requirements because they are consistently updated. 

The amount you can earn with Second to None is not fixed or based on a flat rate. Instead, the pay will vary based on the complexity and time taken to complete a particular task.

Some jobs on the platform can pay up to $10 or more for a single shopping trip, making Second to None one of the best platforms to earn some extra income as a mystery shopper.

Mystery Shopper America

One of the most renowned companies in the mystery shopping industry is Mystery Shopper America . The company offers a great way to get paid to shop . As a member of Mystery Shopper America, you will be an independent contractor whose job is to visit various stores and establishments in your area and provide feedback about them.

The company is a great fit for a variety of people, including: 

  • College kids
  • Stay at home moms 
  • Anyone else that wants to make some extra cash on the side

If you’re interested in this kind of work you need to have good attention to detail because your feedback will play an important role in helping business owners improve their products and services. A typical store visit will last around 30 minutes and the rate of pay is in the $10 to $20 range depending on the complexity.

BARE is one of the highest-paying platforms that is offering legitimate mystery shopper jobs.

This is a newer company that received a Shopper’s Choice award in 2019 from the MSPA. Thus, it is safe to say that mystery shoppers throughout the country have had nothing but positive experiences with the company.

The different types of tasks that BARE mystery shoppers have to perform include:

  • Phone shopping
  • In-person shopping
  • Video shopping
  • Testing live customer support chats

When you sign up with BARE, you will need to choose your language, enter your email address, pick the country where you’re shopping and enter your demographic details. You can also list up to five area codes where you would like to do your mystery shopping.

This feature can be very useful and is not something that all other mystery shopping platforms offer. Choosing your preferred shopping area beforehand can enable you to stick to areas that you know well, which saves time and fuel on shopping trips to other areas. 

Once your account has been approved, you are ready to start looking for legitimate mystery shopper jobs in your area. As a mystery shopper with BARE, you can also expect to earn an average of $20 per hour.

Secret Shopper

Secret Shopper has been in business since 1990. They are also a charter member of the MSPA, giving the company a high level of credibility.

Some visits to stores or restaurants may also include a reimbursement of your meal or products purchased. To receive this reimbursement, all you need to do is scan your receipt and submit that with your report. 

To start looking for mystery shopper jobs on the platform, you must:

  • Be at least 18 years old 
  • Have good writing skills to complete your report 
  • Be a detail oriented person

Simply visit the Secret Shopper website, sign up, agree to the terms and conditions. You’ll need to complete a certification test and fill in your personal demographic information.

As a mystery shopper with Secret Shopper, you can expect to earn between $15 and $25 for every shopping assignment that you complete.

Pinnacle is one of the longest-running mystery shopping platform that has been in operation for over 20 years. The company specializes in helping financial institutions to improve their services. 

As a Pinnacle mystery shopper, you will primarily be working with banks and credit unions. Thus, this is an ideal fit for anyone that enjoys working in the finance industry. 

It’s easy to sign up for mystery shopper jobs on Pinnacle:

  • Click the “New Shopper Sign Up” button
  • Enter your email
  • Add your basic information (including bank details to receive payments)
  • Answer the demographic questions
  • Agree to the terms and conditions

In addition, the company also has one of the highest pay rates on the market and it is possible to earn up to $75 per visit to a bank or credit union. 

Perception Strategies, Inc.

Perception Strategies, Inc has been in business since 1998. To date, the company has carried out over 150,000 mystery visits, with a focus on the healthcare sector. 

The earning opportunities offered by the company may include a visit to a health care provider in-person, making a phone call for an appointment or even completing an entire visit. 

The feedback that you provide will help these healthcare providers to improve their services and make the patient experiences better. To join, visit the site, click the “Shopper Application” link, fill out your demographic information and check for a mystery shopping opportunity. 

You can also expect to earn up to $17 per shop. 

A Consumer’s Point of View

A Customer’s Point of View , also known as ACPVIEW, is a mystery shopping platform that caters to a wide variety of industries, including: 

  • Grocery stores
  • Retail outlets
  • Public transport
  • Restaurants
  • Fast food diners 
  • Government agencies

The amount you can earn for each job will vary based on the nature of the particular assignment. Nonetheless, the reimbursement rate for each job will be shown before each job. Thus, you can maximize your earnings by only taking on the higher-paying secret shopper jobs on the platform.

The company pays its mystery shoppers for completed assignments via PayPal around 45 days after the job is completed. Some assignments will also offer reimbursements for the amount you spend on food or shopping.

AboutFace is a well-established mystery shopping platform that is also a member of the MSPA. They have been in business for 20 years and they have an A+ rating with the BBB. 

According to the company’s website, they pay up to 15% more than most legitimate mystery shopper jobs on other platforms. This can add up to as much as $25 per shopping assignment. Thus, becoming a mystery shopper with AboutFace is one of the best ways you can earn some extra cash in your free time.

Mercantile Systems Inc.

Mercantile Systems Inc is a top customer experience research company. The company uses data and feedback provided by its anonymous shoppers to help businesses improve their customer experience and services.

The company offers mystery shopping jobs in a wide range of industries, including:

  • Financial service
  • Golf courses
  • Storage facilities 
  • And many more

When a mystery shopper receives an assignment, it must be completed within 24 hours. The company pays its mystery shoppers within 45 days of the completion.

Reality Based Group

Reality Based Group , also known as RBG, is an MSPA member with high profile clients, such as:

  • SportsClips
  • Texas Roadhouse

RBG provides written, phone, video and other types of secret shopper jobs. There are always plenty of opportunities available in a variety of locations, including banks, bookstores, gyms, restaurants, department stores and more. 

With the sheer variety, it’s likely that you will always be able to find suitable mystery shopper jobs in your location. On average, you can expect to earn about $12 per hour as a mystery shopper with RBG. 

iSecretShop

iSecretShop is a mystery shopping platform that offers both an app and desktop browser. You can use either of these to look for and complete secret shopper jobs to earn some extra cash. 

When signing up as a mystery shopper on the platform, you can choose your preferred mode of shopping. Some of the options available include online shopping and in-person shopping. Once you’ve registered, you can browse the job board to find an opportunity that suits your needs. 

In general, most mystery shopper jobs on the platform typically pay around $5 and all payments are made through your Paypal account.

Although the rate of pay may be somewhat lower than the rates offered by competing platforms on this list, iSecretShop is a great platform for beginner mystery shoppers due to how easy the platform is to use. In addition, the availability of a mobile app makes the platform a great way to earn money from your phone.

Shopper’s View

How to Join Shoppers Voice

Shopper’s View is an MSPA founding member. The company also has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and there is no shortage of interesting mystery shopper jobs available. 

Some of the best opportunities features on the platform are in the retail, food and sporting events sectors. 

If you don’t have access to a vehicle or you don’t want to work in person, you can also opt for phone-based mystery shopping jobs only. The company claims that with dedication and by working full-time hours, it is possible to earn $20,000+ per year as a mystery shopper.

SeeLevel has opportunities in the retail, fast food, automotive and financial services industries. If you want to get free food when you’re working on a mystery shopping job, SeeLevel would be the ideal fit for you. 

It is free to join SeeLevel as a mystery shopper. Simply visit the company’s website and fill in your application form. You will then be notified when your application has been approved.

In addition, SeeLeve offers one of the highest pay rates for mystery shopper jobs on the market. It is possible to earn up to $200 per day and the company pays all of your earnings via your Paypal account.

Amusement Advantage

Amusement Advantage is a unique mystery shopping platform that caters specifically to entertainment locations. The company pays people to visit a wide variety of attractions and provide feedback on their experiences.

Some of the places you can get paid to visit include:

  • Amusement Parks
  • Bowling alleys 
  • and other attractions

This can often be more fun than mystery shopping gigs at the grocery and retail stores. Nonetheless, you still need to be detail-oriented as your feedback will play an important role in helping these attractions improve their services.

In certain cases, you may also be reimbursed for the price of the tickets and admission after you’ve completed the mystery shopping gig. You can also earn an extra $5 if you complete your assignment by 10 am on the day after you received your assignment. 

Amusement Advantage also has a referral program where you can earn an extra $20 by recruiting new anonymous shoppers. The only real disadvantage is that it can take up to 45 days to receive your earnings via PayPal.

Confero offers mystery shopping jobs in many industries, including: 

  • Theme parks
  • Movie theaters
  • Food service
  • Automotive 

It’s easy to sign up as a mystery shopper with Confero. Simply fill in the application form on the company’s website with the required information and accept the company’s independent contractor agreement. Then, you can choose the area codes where you would like to work and this will help to filter the opportunities that you receive. 

In addition, you can stand to earn $100 per week or more depending on how actively you take on mystery shopper jobs on the platform.

Globis Survey

Globis Survey is one of the largest mystery shopping companies with thousands of clients in a wide range of industries. As a mystery shopper, you could earn anywhere from $10 to up to $40 per assignment, depending on the complexity of the task. 

Registration is free and you can accept any job that you want. There is no obligation for you to accept any job that you have no interest in. However, the more mystery jobs that you accept, the more you will be offered. Thus, it can be rewarding to be an active member of the platform.

Globis expect high-quality work and you will receive updates about new assignments via email. Alternatively, you can also search the marketplace for secret shopper jobs.

GAPbuster is a mystery shopping platform that has been active since 1994. It has an HQ in Melbourne, Australia and offices in Europe and across Asia. GAPbuster is active in 105 countries worldwide and they have over 480,000 mystery shoppers. 

If you want to work at home, GAPbuster also has plenty of mystery shopper jobs online in over 10 different sectors. They provide a number of services for their clients, including consulting, benchmarking, analytics, audits and surveys. 

The hours that you work and your pay will depend on the complexity of each assignment. However, you tend to need to work during regular business hours. 

After signing up as a mystery shopper, you will receive notifications of new mystery shopper jobs via email. Payments are made directly to your bank account from the 25th through to the 30th of every month.

AQ Services

AQ Services are always looking for new mystery shoppers that are at least 20 years old and have a good eye for detail. 

Opportunities may be available in your area and there are many varied and challenging tasks. In addition, new mystery shoppers with the platform will also have to undergo a training process that includes:

  • Studying a detailed briefing manual
  • Passing an online comprehension test
  • Attending a training session

An AQ Services mystery shopper receives payment for each visit that they complete successfully. Your earnings will vary based on the difficulty of each job, although you can expect to earn up to $25 or more per assignment. Earnings are paid directly to your bank via a cash deposit.

Shoppers Confidential

Shoppers Confidential is a mystery shopping company based in Toronto, Canada. They are also a member of the Independent Mystery Shoppers Coalition or IMSC and they provide a wide variety of services to meet their clients needs. 

It’s free to join Shoppers Confidential and anonymous shoppers can earn between $15 to $20 per visit, plus any expenses that they may have incurred. 

Certain mystery shopping jobs on the platform may also not have a financial reward, but may instead reimburse shoppers with rewards such as free meals or free cruises.

Intouch Insight

Intouch Insight provides mystery shopping services to a wide variety of stores, making it easy to find opportunities that match your schedule. 

When you take on a mystery shopping assignment with the platform, your job is relatively easy. Simply visit the store, evaluate and record your experience and submit a form. 

You can expect to earn an average of $15 per hour. The company makes payments to mystery shoppers every 2nd Friday. This includes any visits to stores that you made up to the last day in that weekly pay period. 

Payments are sent via Paypal by noon on the payment date and you can consult the payment schedule on the website if you’re unsure when it is due.

Customer Impact

Customer Impact is a retail merchandising service that operates across the entire nation. They offer third party support for many different types of industries and they have been in business for 25 years. 

The platform has built a strong reputation with clients and mystery shoppers alike and there are always opportunities available. Mystery shopper jobs on the platform vary in terms of payouts, which can go up to $10 or more per assignment. The company automatically deposits funds into your Paypal account.

Helion Research

Many well known international brands engage customer experience researchers to measure the quality of their service to their customers. Helion Research is one such company that sends its shoppers to try out and evaluate the efficiency and quality of services and products.

Posing as a regular customer may seem tough, but after a few tries, you should be able to assume the role with ease.

You can earn up to $70 per assignment. Helion Research pays around the 20th of the month after you have completed your evaluation period.

Highest Paying Mystery Shopper Jobs

What is a mystery shopper.

You may have heard of mystery shopper jobs, but you don’t know much about how this process works. A mystery shopper is paid to act like any other shopper and present feedback based on their shopping experience. 

Most companies that provide mystery shopping services give their workers a list of tasks that they need to complete such as asking staff questions on products and services. Once this set of tasks have been completed they provide feedback on their experience including factors, such as: employee helpfulness, store cleanliness, speed or service and more.

For example, the company may ask you to complete an order at McDonalds. You’ll be expected to monitor the time it takes for your order to arrive using a stopwatch. In return for a free lunch, you’ll just need to complete a questionnaire detailing your customer experience.

How Much Money Can You Make as a Mystery Shopper?

A mystery shopping trip can vary in earnings depending on how much work is involved, but a typical assignment could be worth $5-$25. 

In most cases the mystery shopper will pay for this service but they will often reimburse the shopper for any purchases and/or expenses they incurred during their visit.

How Do You Become a Legitimate Mystery Shopper?

  • Research: It is crucial to choose legit platforms for mystery shopper jobs. The platforms I’ve listed below are certainly legit. But, it is worth checking the terms and conditions to ensure that you are comfortable before starting work.
  • Be Honest: Many secret shopper jobs rely on demographic information to match shoppers and gigs. Although it may be tempting to try and game the system to get more jobs, this is counterproductive. Companies are looking for honest opinions, so if you are caught lying you’ll be penalized. 
  • Be Prompt: Most secret shopper jobs require completion within a certain time frame. So, it is important to be prompt. Demonstrating your reliability will help you to secure more work. 
  • Read the Instructions Carefully: Finally, be sure to read through all the instructions carefully to ensure that you get paid and the client is happy. 

How to Avoid Mystery Shopping Scams?

Every mystery shopping company on our list is a legitimate option but not every company can be trusted. In fact, some are outright scams and it’s very useful to spot and avoid them.

  • Only choose mystery shopping companies: When you consider a mystery shopping opportunity on sign up for a company that belongs to trusted sources. Many of the companies on this list belong to the MSPA and you can find a full list of the member companies on their websites. Two other great resources are the Better Business Bureau and TrustPilot and if you cannot find a reputable online footprint they must be avoided.
  • Never pay in advance: Every mystery shopping company on our list is free to join for a very good reason. If you even encounter a mystery shopping company that wants you to pay money to join them it will be a scam.
  • Don’t wire money: Never, deposit a check in your personal account, withdraw it and then wire it to a third party. Any company that asks you to do this may be sending you a fake check and you will be scammed. Sometimes the check may even appear to have cleared, the money seems to be in your account, but it may take weeks for the bank to discover the fake check. 

If your bank discovers a fake check, you will probably be held responsible to pay the deposit amount back to the bank. So, make sure to never deposit a check into your account from someone that you don’t know if they ask you to wire it back.

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Shop on-the-go

Our mobile app, Eyes:On™, allows Market Force mystery shoppers to complete shops on-the-go. From the convenience of your iPhone, iPad or Android device, you can view a map of available shops near you, schedule a shop, complete the shop, enter your report and even take pictures.

Awards and Accreditation

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Better Business Bureau

A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau®. We are proud of our A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, which we've maintained over the years and which was renewed in 2019. When you sign up for our mystery shopping program, you know it's a company you can trust.

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Mystery Shopping Providers Association

Market Force has belonged to the Mystery Shopping Provider’s Association (MSPA) for more than a decade. The MSPA establishes professional standards and ethics for the industry and educates providers, clients and shoppers to improve quality of service.

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Our reviewers evaluate products and services based on unbiased research. Top Consumer Reviews may earn money when you click on a link. Learn more about our process.

The Best Mystery Shopping Companies

The 11 best mystery shopping companies.

  • Market Force
  • IntelliShop
  • Second To None
  • Secret Shopper
  • Shopper's View
  • Sinclair Customer Metrics
  • Mystery Shopping Service
  • Service Evaluation Concepts

Where Should You Sign Up as a Mystery Shopper?

In today's economy, everyone's got a side hustle, from making crafts to sell on Etsy to delivering people's takeout meals. What if you could get paid to eat at your favorite restaurant, get your oil changed, or scope out the newest coffee shop in town? That's what hundreds of thousands of mystery shoppers have been doing - for decades.

This is no "here today, gone tomorrow" gig: companies have relied on the intel gathered by mystery shoppers to get first-hand perspective on their signage, customer service experience, product quality and more. What does it take to be a "secret shopper" ? Attention to detail is crucial: some evaluations may have just a few aspects to track (like cleanliness of an entryway and a particular ad's signage), but others require more.

Saturday, February 24th

2024 Mystery Shopping Company Reviews

Top Consumer Reviews Best-In-Class Blue Ribbon Award

  • Over 200,000 mystery shoppers and panelists
  • Jobs available for both mystery shopping and shop editing/scheduling
  • Payment made via PayPal 30-45 days after shop is submitted
  • "A+" rated and accredited by the BBB
  • In business for over 20 years

AboutFace is proud of its 20-plus years as a female-led mystery shopping company. Some of the brands you may encounter as you mystery shop with AboutFace include Bass Pro Shops, Centex Homes, and Shiseido.

Mystery shopping and more

A really good reason to choose AboutFace is the fact that they offer multiple ways to participate. Not only can you be a mystery shopper here, but you can consider opportunities as a field researcher, survey panelist, product demonstrator or focus group participant - or apply to work with mystery shoppers as an editor or scheduler.

Check out social media for current jobs

AboutFace does a terrific job of keeping their social media channels active. In fact, their Facebook page is one of the best ways to see what kinds of jobs they're currently assigning, even before you jump on board as a secret shopper. During this review, some of the opportunities included hotel audits, pest control, even court-ordered drug test scenarios.

Lots of info before you sign up

Another great pre-application resource is AboutFace's FAQ section. Want to know how much you can expect to make, how you're paid ( psst... it's via PayPal within 30-45 days after you've completed a shop ), or how many mystery shops might be available? You guessed it: just read up on the FAQ.

Best Mystery Shopping Companies

Simple online application

Ready to apply? You'll enter your name, birthdate, address, phone number and email to create an account. Next, read through AboutFace's contractor agreement and sign it digitally. Once you've confirmed your account through the verification email you'll receive, you're good to go.

Mystery shopping jobs

Some of the mystery shopping opportunities offered by About Face include Women's Lifestyle (Beauty, Health, Goods, Services), Retail (Boutique, Big Box, Grocery), Trades (Home Improvement, Commercial), Oil/Gas/Convenience, Technology, Education, Automotive (Dealers, Service), Real Estate, Health/Pharma, Food & Beverage, Transportation, Telecom, Residential (Home Services/Electronics), and Luxury (Goods, Services, Retail).

High praise from mystery shoppers

Whether you choose to be a mystery shopper, evaluator, or editor, you can expect a professional, reliable experience with AboutFace. We really respect their transparency: on some reviews when shoppers left complaints about late payments, AboutFace reps responded apologetically and took responsibility for the delay. Those kinds of complaints are few and far between, though: most of this company's contractors - including those who have been part of the team for years - say that this is the best choice out there, with ample support, generous payments, and easy scheduling.

#1 among mystery shopping companies

We agree. The best mystery shopping companies make it super-clear what you can expect before you sign up, make it easy to apply, and even easier to find assignments and (most importantly) get paid. AboutFace has a top-notch reputation in all of those regards, and we're pleased to give them yet another first-place finish among today's most popular mystery shopping services. There's nothing saying you can't sign up for all of the top companies in our review, but we definitely recommend starting with AboutFace.

Market Force Review

  • In business for 50+ years
  • Payments via direct deposit around the 15th of the month for the previous month's assignments
  • Mobile app that allows you to find assignments and complete reports on the go
  • Browse available shops without providing SSN or bank info
  • Some jobs allow you to ask for an increased shopper fee

Market Force is a huge name in the mystery shopping industry. Their global network of shoppers completes more than 100,000 assignments every month. In business for more than 50 years, this is a company you can trust to offer a mystery shopping experience that's always on the up-and-up.

Ever been convicted?

If you're interested in becoming a Market Force shopper, start by creating an account ( side note: the system didn't accept the primary email we entered, so we had to use a different email address to move past the first step here ). We thought it was interesting that in the very first questions Market Force asks, you need to indicate if you've ever been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor, as well as whether or not you've been a defendant in a lawsuit alleging fraud or misrepresentation. They're not messing around!

Easily see local jobs

The rest of the application has no surprises. First, you'll read through the Independent Contractor Agreement (which is where you'll learn that direct deposit payments here are made between the 15th and 20th of the month for assignments completed in the previous month). Once you've digitally accepted the agreement, you're given access to the Market Force Shopper Portal as a Level 1 mystery shopper. Click on the Level Up button to add details to your profile and move up to the next level; information required to move to Level 2 includes your SSN and bank account, in order to process your payments. We really like that even as a Level 1 shopper, people can browse available assignments: no Social Security Number or super-personal info required.

Some jobs let you ask for greater pay

We found quite a few shops available in our location, a mid-size metro area. It was easy to see the exact address, the assignment details, and how much the job would pay. A feature unique to Market Force is the ability to make an offer, shown by a green circle with a hand holding a dollar sign in the middle. We're not sure how often shoppers' bids for higher payments are accepted, but it's an interesting option you won't see with many other mystery shopping companies.

Best Mystery Shopping Companies

Most jobs in our area, good pay

At the time of this review, there were almost 100 open assignments within a 45-minute drive of the location we specified. Some of those included a visit to a barber shop ($20 shop fee plus up to $50 reimbursed for a haircut), several Five Guys locations ($9 shop fee plus meal reimbursement up to $15.45), and a self-storage facility ($15 shop fee).

Some of Market Force's mystery shopping opportunites include Restaurants, Retail, Grocery, Gas/C-store, Hospitality, Travel, Telecom, Technology, Energy, Education, Health and Wellness, Movie Theaters, Fitness, Financial Services, Gaming, CPG, Alcohol and Tobacco, Pharma, and Government services.

We love the new mobile app

One upgrade Market Force has given its mystery shoppers since our last review is a fully mobile app experience. It's called Eyes: On and it lets you see a map of shops near you (even on vacation or running errands outside of your usual local area), schedule an assignment, enter your report and take pictures. It's just that easy.

You'll need to be very accurate

What kind of feedback does Market Force get from its mystery shoppers? This company has a reputation for demanding excellence: cross every "t" , dot every "i" , and record every required detail, otherwise your assignment may be rejected and you won't get paid or reimbursed. For some, the requirements here are too strict: we found more than a few complaints from mystery shoppers saying that they hadn't gotten a timely response from Market Force's help desk and wound up wasting time and money trying to complete an un-doable assignment. On the other hand, we also read numerous reviews from mystery shoppers who have been a part of the Market Force team for years (decades, even) and describe the experience as fantastic as long as you pay close attention to detail - which is what you should expect from any secret shopping company anyway.

Definitely a mystery shopping company you should consider

Market Force gets one of our highest ratings. The company offers one of the most modernized mystery shopper experiences out there, with a mobile app for booking shops and submitting reports, plus the novel capability of bidding for a higher payout. This service gets an "A+" and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau, as well as plenty of positive feedback from long-term mystery shoppers. You're not going to get rich here, but if you'd like to make a little money on the side while you get free meals, haircuts, and other experiences, Market Force absolutely offers that.

IntelliShop Review

  • More than 800,000 evaluators, auditors and panelists
  • Payment via PayPal on the 20th of the month

IntelliShop is headquartered in Ohio and has been in the mystery shopping industry for more than two decades. The company is a trusted partner of J.D. Power and works in more than 30 different types of industries ranging from Automotive to Restaurants and many others.

Lots of pre-application info here

There's a wealth of information you can get through the IntelliShop website, even before you complete an application to be a mystery shopper. They clearly spell out their process, which includes applying online, taking a five-minute screening test, downloading their optional apps (Shop Notifier and GPS Verifier), scheduling jobs that come up on the app or via email notifications, and then being sure to understand all shop requirements prior to conducting the assessment. You can get even more details through IntelliShop's FAQ section.

Complete basic application to see available shops

Ready to apply? IntelliShop only makes payments via PayPal, so make sure you use the email address associated with your account there when signing up here. (And yes, you'll have to use PayPal if you want to get paid as an IntelliShop mystery shopper; create an account there if you don't already have one.) Your application goes through the SASSIE platform, used by many mystery shopping companies. You'll first read through the Independent Contractor Agreement, and on the same page you'll enter your contact information and other personal details. Be sure to specify up to five area codes (NOT zip codes) where you're willing to conduct mystery shops. IntelliShop asks for your SSN, but you can defer entering that until later. You'll be sent a confirmation email and invited to complete further profile details, but you can still see available shops in your area beforehand.

Decent number of jobs in our area

What kinds of jobs can you expect with this mystery shopping company? During our evaluation, the open assignments in the mid-size metro area we specified mostly consisted of GEICO insurance quotes online ($50), eating at Church's Chicken ($5 job fee, $10 reimbursement), or changing an AT&T service plan ($125). The job board here isn't anything fancy, but it's easy to use and see all pertinent details of a shop before requesting an assignment.

Best Mystery Shopping Companies

Your work impacts your Shopper Rating

As you work as an IntelliShop mystery shopper, you'll earn a Shopper Rating. Your score improves as you write thorough reports, follow assignment guidelines to the letter, and turn in reports on time. Your rating can include positive and negative citations: "Flake" if you don't get your assignments in by the due date, "Cancel" if you bail without enough advance warning, or a positive "Hero" citation if you can be counted on, especially with last-minute jobs.

Some of IntelliShop's mystery shopping opportunites include Agencies, Apartments, Retail, Banking/Financial, Hospitality, Museums, Grocery, Restaurants, Transportation, Concessions, Healthcare, and over two dozen more.

Little activity on social media

IntelliShop could get a little more competitive by keeping its social media channels up-to-date. Many of their rivals post weekly, sometimes even more often, with examples of past and current mystery shopping assignments. It's a great way to give prospective shoppers a reason to apply - but there were no posts on this company's Facebook or Twitter accounts for more than six months prior to this evaluation.

Great reputation

And reputation? The Better Business Bureau thinks highly of IntelliShop, offering its highest rating and accreditation. Mystery shopper feedback here is on par with the other highly-rated services we reviewed: if you pay good attention to detail and complete your work on time, you can expect to receive more opportunities. Otherwise, your rating will decrease if your reports are late, incomplete, or don't follow the assignment guidelines.

Risk-free mystery shopping opportunity

We encourage you to read through all of the information on the IntelliShop site and decide if it sounds like a mystery shopping company that interests you. There's no harm done in signing up for a free account and browsing the available shops in your area before you provide your SSN. IntelliShop is a solid four-star mystery shopping company that you can trust.

Second To None Review

  • Over 500,000 mystery shoppers throughout the US and Canada
  • In business for over 30 years
  • Payments made via PayPal or direct deposit
  • Shops can be requested and reports completed through ShopperHub mobile app

With over 500,000 mystery shoppers on their team, Michigan-based Second To None is one of the largest and most experienced companies in the business. Some of the biggest names in Second To None's client list include Starbucks, Under Armour, BP, and Citi.

Activate your account to see jobs

You'll need to create a free shopper account as your first step in working with Second To None. Select a username, enter your address and other personal information, and then read through the Independent Contractor Agreement. You'll have to activate your shopper account through the confirmation email sent by STN in order to continue.

Handy mobile app

One route you can take to apply to be a mystery shopper for Second To None is through their ShopperHub mobile app. That's also what you can use once you've been accepted as a contractor to find assignments near you, sign up for the jobs you want, and submit your reports.

Best Mystery Shopping Companies

Check out past and current jobs via social media posts

Feel free to check out Second To None's social media channels for extra insights into the kinds of mystery shops they offer. In the weeks prior to this review, assignments featured on their accounts included Krispy Kreme, several banks (both regional and nationwide), and BP gas stations.

Some of Second To None's mystery shopping opportunites include Retail/E-commerce, Restaurants, Financial Services, Healthcare, Consumer Products/Services, Grocery, Fast Casual Dining, Gas Stations, and Convenience stores.

Most mystery shoppers are happy here

What do mystery shoppers think about working for Second To None? Most of them say it's a good overall experience. Getting paid via direct deposit or PayPal and having a mobile app for submitting jobs are two big perks that get praise from STN's contractors. Some shoppers have a hard time finding jobs in their area, and not everyone loves the ShopperHub app (because they say it's glitchy and sometimes freezes up while submitting a report). This mystery shopping company has an "A+" and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau and is a member of the MSPA, so there's no concern over their reputation.

Good improvements since last evaluation

We've bumped up the rating for Second To None since our last review. They've made it much easier to see how they work, particularly through their ShopperHub app, and the company continues to get favorable reviews from mystery shoppers who have been part of their team for years. We'd like to see STN allow prospective shoppers the ability to see available assignments in their area without having to jump through the email confirmation step, but that's a minor flaw. Overall, Second To None is a mystery shopping company that should be on your list to consider.

Elite CXS Review

  • Veteran-owned mystery shopping company
  • Payments via PayPal
  • Higher-paying jobs than many rival services

Elite CXS is a smaller, veteran-owned small business that helps companies improve their customers' journeys, partly through the perspective of mystery shoppers. But, don't think there aren't a lot of opportunities for secret shopping here just because the company isn't an industry giant: previous clients of Elite CXS have included GMC and Porsche, Gold's Gym, Burger King, Starbucks, T-Mobile, and KB Home.

Don't get too excited by the numbers

We'll admit we got a little chuckle out of the "simple math" Elite CXS offers on their "Why Become a Mystery Shopper?" page. You could make over $53,000 in a year! We know from our personal experience with mystery shopping that it's never a 40-hours-a-week, year-round kind of job. But that's a nice thought.

Basic application process

To apply for mystery shopping opportunities with Elite CXS, you'll go through the usual steps of entering your name, birthdate, address and phone number. The next screen is the Independent Contractor Agreement: no big surprises here, just the usual spelling out that you're not an employee, you'll keep assignment details confidential, and so forth. After that, you'll have to verify your email address to finish your application.

Finish your profile to see jobs

Once that's complete, you'll have access to your shopper dashboard. Complete your profile to unlock job access; you'll find most of it under the Details and More headings. It's fairly extensive: it even asks for your hair color, height and weight. It only takes a few minutes and then you'll be able to see all current job listings.

Best Mystery Shopping Companies

Easy reports, good pay

We were pleasantly surprised to see how many options were available in our general metro area. From what we could see, Elite CXS isn't trying to overwhelm you with picky observation details that are easy to miss - and then refuse to pay for not completing the shop according to their specifications. Reading through a few mystery shopping opportunities here, the requirements were straightforward and easy to do. For example, one job focused on financing options offered at a furniture store; the report was simple, you only needed to upload a business card or brochure and a time-stamped photo of the location, and the payout was $22 for a job estimated to take 15 minutes or less. Maybe that $53,000 figure isn't as far-fetched as we thought.

Some of the mystery shopping opportunities that Elite CXS offers include Property Management, New Home, Real Estate, Senior Living, Retail, Restaurants, Car Wash, Automotive, Education, Hotels, Cruise Lines, Packing & Moving, Self Storage, and Marinas.

Phone/web jobs plus live events

Two other options for mystery shopping here are phone/web assignments and lead generation. The first is pretty self-explanatory, but the second was unique to Elite CXS. At the time of this review, it looked like they were focusing on live events: asking shoppers to propose venues where UFC fights or soccer matches were being broadcast and then offering the opportunity to evaluate those venues.

Active on social media

We are glad to see that, unlike many of their competitors, this mystery shopping company has an up-to-date presence on their Instagram account, with plenty of posts over the weeks (even days) leading up to this review. There's not a lot of feedback from mystery shoppers who've worked with this company, however.

Small but solid

Overall, we give Elite CXS a four-star rating and our recommendation. We love how easy it is to sign up and look for available mystery shops, and that there were quite a few ready to go in the areas where we searched for opportunities. This is a smaller mystery shopping company that's still worth looking into.

Secret Shopper Review

  • Millions of mystery shoppers and evaluators worldwide
  • Payments made via check on the 20th of the month after you completed an assignment (for example, in March for all February jobs)
  • Most jobs pay between $15-$25
  • In business for more than 30 years

Secret Shopper has mystery shops around the world, with millions of contractors gathering information and reporting back to clients. This company has been in business since 1990 and is "A+" rated and accredited by the Better Business Bureau.

Application includes a certification test

Secret Shopper wants you to know exactly what to expect when going through their application process. When you select your country from the dropdown box and click "sign up to shop" , you're not dumped right into their forms. Instead, you're given a detailed preview of the process. This will include a basic certification test (to make sure you understand the basics of being a mystery shopper and Secret Shopper's policies), personal information like your name and date of birth, and then the legal agreements. After all of that is finished, you'll get a Shopper ID number that lets you log in and schedule any available shops you'd like to complete.

Don't mess up your first assignment

Big perk: you can use the Secret Shopper app (Android or Apple) to find available mystery shops and schedule them on the go. One detail we spotted in the app reviews is important: if you fail to complete your first assignment (you arrive late, you get sick, or whatever), you are automatically terminated as a mystery shopper here. Keep that in mind, and don't sign up for a job unless you're practically guaranteed to be able to get it done.

Best Mystery Shopping Companies

Info is plentiful

We love that Secret Shopper is really on top of their social media channels, posting available jobs almost on a daily basis. It's a great way to get a feel for the company and maybe even spot an assignment you might like to complete. You can also get some helpful information on their blog; there aren't a ton of articles there, but you can get a preview of what it's like to be a mystery shopper, hints for staying organized, and so on.

Some of Secret Shopper's mystery shopping opportunites include Banking/Finance, Restaurants, Government Services, Healthcare/Medical, Museums/Galleries, Education/Seminars, Fitness, Salons, Hotels/Resorts, Retail, Grocery, Automotive/Transportation, Real Estate/Leasing, Casinos, and Entertainment services.

Watch for scams

You'll definitely want to go by what you see on Secret Shopper's official channels and not what comes up when you search for them: unfortunately, this mystery shopping company has been heavily impacted by scammers sending checks to unsuspecting people under the guise of a "secret shopping job" , and many of the reviews we read came from those victims. This company only pays by check (not PayPal, Zelle, Venmo, or direct deposit), so it's easy to understand why people were taken in by this scam. Just make sure the check you get corresponds to work you've already done: payments are made around the 20th of the month for all assignments completed in the previous month (such as on Feb. 20 for everything you did in January).

Reliable option for mystery shoppers

Secret Shopper gets a ranking that puts them up with some of today's better mystery shopping opportunities. We're glad that they've got a good track record with the Better Business Bureau and that they're actively posting jobs on social media. This company could get a boost in their rating if they add PayPal (or Venmo, or Zelle) to their payment methods, but it's still a company you can trust if you're doing mystery shopping for the first time (or adding another platform to your current contracts).

Shopper's View Review

  • Twice-a-month payments via PayPal
  • In business for nearly 30 years

For over two decades, Michigan-based Shoppers' View has been helping companies get insights into their customers' experiences with the help of mystery shoppers. They're "A+" rated and accredited by the Better Business Bureau.

You'll know exactly what to expect

There's a ton of information you can learn from on the Shoppers' View main mystery shopping page. Starting with an intro video to walk you through the application and then continuing to nearly two dozen FAQs, this company wants there to be nothing mysterious about their service or what it's like to work with them. We especially appreciate their very honest answer about what mystery shoppers can realistically expect to make: while some companies tell you that the sky's the limit, Shoppers' View says you could more reasonably make $200-$300 a week or up to $20,000 a year if you work hard to complete numerous assignments.

Get paid twice a month

One thing mystery shoppers love about Shoppers' View is the twice-a-month payments via PayPal. Unlike most companies that make you wait a month or more (on the 20th of the month for all shops completed in the previous month), this one pays you around the last day of the month for shops done between the 1st and 15th, and around the 15th for shops in the second half of the previous month. Yes, please!

Not much presence on social media

Shoppers' View is a little quieter than we'd like to see on a mystery shopping company's social media channels: just one or two tweets a year, and less than that on Facebook. That's a missed opportunity: some of their competitors use their posts to showcase businesses where they've had shops in the past or to entice prospective shoppers with current assignments. You'll see more activity through their LinkedIn page, but as you might expect, those are geared more towards clients than shoppers.

Best Mystery Shopping Companies

Tell us more about your clients, please

They're also more tight-lipped than most when it comes to their shop types and client list. You'll have to go through the application process (which uses the SASSIE platform you'll see with at least one other mystery shopping company in our review) to see what might be offered where you live. That application isn't difficult or lengthy, but be sure to enter the area codes (and not zip codes) where you'd like to see available shops. You don't have to confirm your email to browse current evaluations on the job board at the top of the site.

Some of the mystery shopping opportunites offered by Shoppers's View includes Banking/Financial, Healthcare, Retail, and Restaurants.

Fewer jobs than rival mystery shopping companies

At least in our area, there were no jobs within a 50-mile radius of our mid-size metro area when we filled out our application. The closest opportunities were 60 miles away at a cigar shop with a bar, paying $20 for the job fee and reimbursing up to $25 for buying a cigar and a drink. We tried a few other zip codes on the job board and got similar results in other areas: nothing at all in the Chicago area, two or three shops in the Milwaukee area, zero on the West Coast, and so on.

Great company but not enough shops

There's a lot we like about Shoppers' View, especially the easy-peasy, twice-monthly payments via PayPal. But, if you can't actually find any mystery shops available near you, that won't do you much good. Hopefully in the future, Shoppers' View will have a greater reach with a broader variety of evaluations in more places, but for now the company lands a "just-above-average" rating from us.

Sinclair Customer Metrics Review

  • In operation since 1987
  • Payments are made up to two months after completing the mystery shop

Sinclair Customer Metrics has been around since 1987. They don't come out and tell you much about their mystery shopping opportunities prior to going through the application process, other than the fact that their clients may include restaurants, retailers, banks, car dealerships and "other businesses" .

1-month delay on payments

Since there's no information immediately available about Sinclair's secret shopper program, we went ahead with the application process to learn more. It starts by asking for your name and email address, plus the desired password for your account. The next page is a lengthy explanation of how SCM works. That's where we noticed an important detail about payments: "Paychecks are generated with a one-month delay. For example, shops completed in January will be paid [sic] the middle of March." Keep that in mind as you consider which mystery shopping company you want to join.

Application starts out simple

The second page is your Independent Contractor Agreement. The language is fairly standard, but you'll want to read it carefully if this is your first time working as a 1099 contractor (as opposed to a W-2 employee on a salary-based or hourly job). The rest of the application is short, essentially asking for your contact information and basic demographics (age, ethnicity). You'll be assigned a Shopper ID number; we recommend writing that down while you wait for your email confirmation from Sinclair.

More questions to answer

But wait - there's more! Now that you've got your ID number, you'll be asked for even more demographic details - for Sinclair's own data collection and for the purpose of matching you with assignments. These questions range from the basics like what languages you speak and where you work, to more interesting fill-in-the-blank sections asking you to describe your best or worst shopping experience. You can also upload your photo but that's optional.

Enter zip codes where you'd like to mystery shop

Finally, you will reach the page for adding your available zip codes. The easiest route is to put in your home zip code and then the distance from there you're interested in doing mystery shopping. You're not limited to that, though: if you frequently visit your family out of state, your significant other lives in another metro area and you've got free time when you're there, you name it - that can be an area where you're willing to perform evaluations.

Best Mystery Shopping Companies

Not as many job types as we expected

We live in a mid-size metro area, and there were seven available shops within 35 miles of our chosen zip code at the time of this review. They were all valet parking at various locations of the regional healthcare system, paying $7 for the evaluation and reimbursing $12 for the parking. You're not going to get rich at that rate, but if you needed to visit one of those offices anyway, at least you'd get your valet parking paid for and a little on top of that in exchange for your evaluation.

Some of the mystery shopping opportunites offered by Sinclair Customer Metrics include Restaurants, Retailers, Banks, Convenience stores, Supermarkets, and Auto dealerships.

Some jobs might be available outside of your results

Below our matching mystery shops, there was a long list of other towns and states where Sinclair needed help. They were also asking for Spanish/English bilingual people from particular states to contact them regarding opportunities that weren't in their primary listings.

"A+" to "Not Rated" from the BBB

We thought it was strange that the Better Business Bureau declined to rate Sinclair Customer Metrics, citing insufficient information. Even after 35 years in operation? The BBB had given this mystery shopping company an "A+" at the time of our previous review, so we're not sure what changed.

Not the best or the worst mystery shopping company

There's just not a lot to say about Sinclair Customer Metrics. They might have shops in your area - or they might not ( hey, at least they had a few. Some of the mystery shopping companies we evaluated had zero to show. ). This is far from being the most popular, talked-about company for up-and-coming mystery shoppers, but at least there are jobs and someone is answering the phone at headquarters. You could keep Sinclair as a backup if you don't find a better opportunity with another service.

Mystery Shopping Service Review

  • In business for 20+ years
  • Payments at the end of the month via PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, or check

For the last 20+ years, Mystery Shopping Service has deployed mystery shoppers to assignments in all 50 states. If you like the idea of working undercover and you've got a good eye for detail, this mystery shopping company would like to hear from you.

Basic application questions

This company's application asks for your basic information, what languages you speak, if you have any experience as a mystery shopper, if you have any video equipment made for undercover secret shopping, and if you have an airport badge (that would let you do inside shops without an airline ticket).

And now you wait

And that's where it stops. You have to wait for an email from a scheduler to find out if there are any jobs in your area. Mystery Shopping Service says they get a high volume of applications every day - you might not want to hold your breath waiting for them to get back to you quickly. We were disappointed that MSS provided no way of even previewing what mystery shops might be possible in our area; that makes it hard for anyone to know if they should bother going through the sign-up process here.

Best Mystery Shopping Companies

"A+" from the BBB

Mystery Shopping Service has an "A+" rating and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau, with no complaints filed there. That's a good indicator that you don't have to worry about any aspect of the mystery shopping experience here being fraudulent or unprofessional.

Some of Mystery Shopping Service's job opportunites include Multi-Family Apartment and Single-Family Residential Real Estate, Senior Living, Healthcare, Retail, Food, and Hospitality.

Social media channels with no recent posts

On the other hand, this is one of several companies we evaluated whose social media channels seemed to have gone radio silent at the end of 2021. Why offer links to your Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts if you're not going to do anything with them?

Better mystery shopping options are out there

We don't give Mystery Shopping Service our lowest ranking: their reputation with the BBB is reassuring. However, there's nothing about this mystery shopping company that's going to draw you in or convince you that your time is well-spent trying to get on board. Come back to Mystery Shopping Service if you've got some free time and you're looking to add them to your possibilities pile, but other companies will likely be a better fit.

Service Evaluation Concepts Review

  • Over 250,000 mystery shoppers
  • Paid via check or direct deposit on the 20th of the month for all mystery shops completed in the previous month
  • More than 30 years of experience

Service Evaluation Concepts is based out of New York City and has more than 30 years of experience in the mystery shopping industry.

How many "brand agents" work here, anyway?

This company starts out differently by referring to their mystery shoppers as "Brand Agents" or "BA's" . Apparently, they're not sure how many they have: on the page labeled "Our Difference" , in one paragraph it says they have over 250,000 Brand Agents, and just two paragraphs later it says they have 650,000. Hmm.

Asks for bank account info upfront

To sign up as a mystery shopper for Service Evaluation Concepts, you'll enter your name and create an account. We were more than a little put off by having to provide our bank name and account number on the second page ( shouldn't we get to know each other first? ) unless we opted for paper check payments with a $3/check processing fee. No PayPal option here. And, you'll only be paid once a month: on the 20th for all shops from the previous calendar month. That means if you finish a shop on, say, August 2nd, you won't be paid for it until September 20th at the earliest.

Answer questions and confirm account via email

You'll be asked other questions like your annual income, whether you've been a mystery shopper before, and what languages you speak. Finally, you'll be sent a confirmation email that you'll have to click in order to complete your application.

Best Mystery Shopping Companies

Two-step certification process

As part of becoming a Brand Agent here, you can expect to go through a two-part certification process. The first step makes sure you understand the company's policies regarding mystery shopping and that you have the skill set to maintain their high standards of evaluation. The second step verifies that you are prepared to mystery shop a particular client engagement effectively. Only after passing the first exam will you be given access to the "BA Gallery" , SEC's portal that lets you sign up for assignments and get to work.

Some of the mystery shopping opportunites offered by Service Evaluation Concepts include Automotive, Banking, Construction, Convenience Stores, Drug Stores, Entertainment, Education, Electronics, Finance, Franchise, Grocery, Healthcare, Health & Fitness, Hospitality, Insurance, Leisure, Manufacturing, Marketing, Personal Services, Professional Services, Real Estate, Restaurants, Retail, Software, and Sports.

This company is awfully quiet...

At the time of this review, SEC hadn't been rated by the Better Business Bureau. According to the BBB, they had reached out to the company to request background information and never received a response. That lines up with what we found (or, more accurately, didn't find): Service Evaluation Concepts' Facebook profile and Twitter account went silent in early 2021, and we couldn't find any feedback from their mystery shoppers within the last year.

Disappointing quantity of job listings

That could be because they're really not actively hiring now. We were excited that this mystery shopping company lets people preview available shops without signing up for an account - until we clicked through multiple states and only found two states with two shops. That's it. Who would bother applying to secret shop here? We wouldn't.

Not a good use of your time

And, we don't recommend that you do either. This could be the most amazing company to work with, but without any mystery shops, that doesn't matter. Service Evaluation Concepts is just a waste of time until they get (and display) more assignments for their shoppers.

BestMark Review

  • In business since 1986
  • Three types of opportunities: mystery shopping, intercept interviews, compliance auditing
  • Over one million evaluations conducted every year
  • Payments processed on the 15th and last day of the month via PayPal, direct deposit, or paper check

BestMark has been hiring mystery shoppers since 1986. They also offer services that include intercept interviewing and compliance auditing, giving you multiple ways to earn money through their platform. More than 600,000 people have been a part of the BestMark team of secret shoppers and evaluators.

Not much info before you apply

BestMark doesn't give prospective mystery shoppers a ton of information prior to applying. You'll have to dig around to find out what industries you could be secret shopping - we can tell you the list includes retail, restaurants, apartments, gas stations, and several others - and there's no indicator how often they'll have jobs where you live and work.

Standard requirements for applicants

Minimum requirements for being a BestMark mystery shopper include being 18+, detail-oriented, and having good written communication skills with full internet access. So far so good.

No surprises in the application

If so, you can move on to the next step: completing your application to work with BestMark as an independent contractor. Provide your name, birthdate, gender, phone number, mailing address, and choose a password for your account. On the next screen, you'll be asked for your ethnicity, marital status, annual household income, and education because their "clients would like to use mystery shoppers that are similar to their typical customers" . You'll also enter your current employment information, work history, and acknowledge that your application is correct. After you hit submit, you'll be taken to the independent contractor agreement; if this is your first time working as a mystery shopper (or as an independent contractor), we encourage you to slog through the wording and make sure you understand what you're signing.

Watch the details

It's even more important that you carefully read the BestMark Guidelines and Policies section that comes next. It includes critical details like needing to write your reports in complete sentences and having a $7 deduction from your pay if you accidentally fill in the wrong form when making your report.

Best Mystery Shopping Companies

Some profile questions are optional

Next, you'll complete your shopper profile. What languages can you speak? What vehicle(s) do you drive? Do you have memberships at any of the major warehouse clubs? What types of assignments interest you - and which would you prefer to avoid? You don't necessarily have to fill all of those in to accept an assignment here, but you'll definitely need to select a payment method and verify either your phone number or your email address.

Some of BestMark's mystery shopping opportunities include Apartments, Automotive, Banking, Casino/Entertainment, Fitness/Health/Beauty, Grocery, Home Improvement/Hardware, Hotels/Resorts, Restaurant, Retail, Gas Stations, and Convenience stores.

Not enough available jobs

Unforutnately, we couldn't find many jobs available. On the left side of the screen, you can start to browse for available shops. There are two categories: Visits and Virtual (delivery, phone, online). For us, the only in-person shops were almost 100 miles from our suburban/metro location; there was no way we would drive 170 miles round trip to get paid $5 for buying beef jerky. You may have better luck in your area. There were no virtual shops available to request. At least where we live, that wouldn't exactly launch us into a lucrative side job of mystery shopping.

Low grade from the BBB

We were disappointed to see that BestMark has a "D-" rating from the Better Business Bureau. But once we saw that it was from a failure to respond to just two complaints out of ten total received in the last three years, we weren't that concerned anymore.

Mystery shoppers aren't getting paid

Then again, the reviews people left on the BBB listing regarding BestMark weren't too fantastic, averaging just 1.18 out of 5 stars over 39 ratings. Most of them were from a couple of months prior to our review, and all of them said the same thing: you won't get paid for your work here. Leaving voicemails and sending emails elicits no response from this mystery shopping company. Mystery shoppers who worked with BestMark for years started having problems in January 2022: not only did they not get paid for their shops, but they also didn't get reimbursed for money they had to spend to conduct the evaluation. That's just unacceptable.

Pick a different mystery shopping company

We've dropped BestMark considerably in our rankings: now they've gone all the way down to the bottom. You may not ever get a mystery shop here, and if you do, chances are increasing that you might not get paid for it. There are lots of secret shopping opportunities out there, but you're not going to find many of them with BestMark. Use a higher-ranked mystery shopping company instead.

Compare the Best Reviews

Continued from above...

For example, some mystery shopping programs require you to keep track of specific times and names of salespeople while discreetly snapping photos and not blowing your cover as an everyday customer. And yes, a little bit of acting skills can go a long way when doing a mystery shop, since you may have to pretend to be very interested in that new cell phone plan, hot menu item, or fancy new construction home. Other than that, as long as you look at mystery shopping as a fun way to make some money and not as a career, you should have no trouble succeeding as an evaluator.

A word of caution: mystery shopping companies' names are often used to target victims in money laundering scams. Most of today's secret shopping platforms make payments via PayPal, and never in advance of doing a shop; you won't be "invited" to be a mystery shopper with a $1900 cashier's check in the mail. If you receive anything like that, you should contact the company through the toll-free number on their website and ask how they would like you to go about reporting it to the authorities (such as the Federal Trade Commission or the police department). And, whatever you do, DON'T CASH THAT CHECK.

It's also important to realize that you should never be asked to pay to be a mystery shopper. In the past, some less-than-reputable websites have offered to "unlock the secrets" of mystery shopping for a membership fee or one-time payment - when in reality, all you get is a list of secret shopper companies (like the ones we've evaluated here, for free).

Enough about the tricky stuff: let's move on to choosing a mystery shopping company to get you started. Here are several factors to help you pick where to begin:

  • Upfront Information: How much does the company tell you before you fill out an application? The best mystery shopping services give you a lot of information to consider first, usually through FAQs, videos, or even screenshots of their shopper apps.
  • Ability to See Available Shops: How much personal information do you have to give the company before you can see what shops they have in your area? Some applications require everything from your Social Security Number to your height and weight, while others will let you in with just a name, address, and email (though you'll have to complete your profile before you can be assigned to a shop). We appreciate mystery shopping companies who post some of their current shop openings on social media as well.
  • Shops Near You: the most amazing mystery shopping companies around won't be of any use to you if they don't have assignments where you live (or work, or travel, or - you get the idea).
  • Payment: how often will you get paid and in what way? Most companies today use PayPal, so if you're unwilling or unable to create an account there, you'll have to look for a service that also offers direct deposit or traditional paper checks. The usual payment timeframe is the middle of the month following your completed shops; a small number of mystery shopping companies pay more quickly (within two weeks) and more frequently (twice a month).
  • Reputation: the most reputable mystery shopping companies are part of the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA) and will proudly display that membership badge on their site. Also check to see if they've been rated by the Better Business Bureau, how long they've been in

TopConsumerReviews.com has sorted through today's most popular mystery shopping programs, to give you the information you need to get started on your new side gig. We hope this helps you choose a company that's the right fit for you. Have fun being a "secret shopper" !

The Best Mystery Shopping Companies

Mystery Shopping Company FAQ

What is mystery shopping, what kinds of products and services could i evaluate, what information will i provide about the places i visit, does it cost anything to sign up as a secret shopper, how much money can i make doing mystery shops, can i work for more than one mystery shopping company at a time, what if someone at the store figures out that i'm a secret shopper, is mystery shopping legitimate it sounds like a scam., benefits of mystery shopping.

If you're thinking of becoming a mystery shopper, there are a number of benefits awaiting you. In addition to terrific hours, the convenience of taking a family vacation without asking the boss and having more fun at any job than most people will ever dream of having, you will enjoy the potential for a decent income at a job that offers plenty of free perks. Below are just a handful of detailed benefits for mystery shoppers.

Flexible work schedule . When you get a job as a mystery shopper, you receive paperwork necessary for your evaluation and you will enjoy being able to arrive at work according to your own schedule. Once you have completed your assessment, you simply fill out the evaluation and submit it to the company that hired you. Being able to set your own hours and work as much or as little as you want are two of the greatest benefits to being a mystery shopper.

Variety . Instead of sitting in the same old office and staring out the same old window every day, mystery shopping offers a literal change in scenery. One day you may be evaluating a retail store, the next a fine restaurant and the next a movie theater. Can you imagine being paid to watch a movie or dine out? If you would enjoy getting out of a career slump, mystery shopping may be the boost that you need.

Income potential . Whether you want to participate in mystery shopping as a way to earn a few extra bucks or you want to turn it into a part or full-time career, the choice is yours. The more mystery shopping companies that you sign up with, the more income you may receive. As is the case with anything, your reward(s) that you receive will largely be determined by your efforts.

Be in business for yourself . The fact is that you are the best boss that you will ever have. When you work for yourself as a mystery shopper, you are working on your schedule, according to your hours and have more control over your income. Self-employed individuals receive tax advantages, receive higher rates of pay and are much more likely to enjoy their work.

Free stuff . When you are a mystery shopper, you are assigned a job that requires you to evaluate either a product or service. You will be given specific instructions as to what items, if any, are required to be purchased in accordance with your evaluation. Whether it is a slice of pizza or a pair of sunglasses, you will almost always be reimbursed for the cost of these items by the company who hires you as a mystery shopper. What this means for you is, in addition to being compensated financially for your job, you will also often enjoy the benefits of freebies.

Interesting work . At the end of the day, which side of the customer counter would you prefer to be on? Would you rather be the cashier ringing up the purchase or would you rather be shopping and getting paid for it? If you are like most, the latter is the most appealing option. When you are a mystery shopper, your work is never boring because it varies from one day to the next. You can never get bored by seeing the same people every day or doing the same activities. Mystery shopping will keep you stepping high and well over any slumps that a traditional job may offer.

Mystery Shopping Company Articles

Earn money from home as a mystery shopper, how to find legitimate mystery shopping jobs, how to present yourself while mystery shopping, how to spot mystery shopping scams, mystery shopping faq's, mystery shopping is a big business, popular industries that use mystery shoppers, tax deductions for mystery shoppers, the purpose of mystery shopping, compare mystery shopping companies.

Select any 2 Mystery Shopping Companies to compare them head to head

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Trending Mystery Shopping News

The Daily Dot

'How do I even become a secret shopper so I can go mad with power?'

Musician and Walmart employee Corie Slatt (@corieslatt) decided to send up the practice in a satiric video posted to his TikTok account on Monday. The video struck a chord with customer-facing ...

  Fri, 23 Feb 2024

newsbytesapp.com

Five reasons why mystery shopping is a key marketing tool

Mystery shopping, a vital modern marketing tool, deploys anonymous assessors to evaluate the customer experience, providing unparalleled insights for businesses to refine customer service and drive ...

  Thu, 22 Feb 2024

Mystery shoppers, Natasha Bedingfield and Scott's got his tapes out...

Scott will play his old cassettes if you play yours! Plus, Natasha Bedingfield takes the 'Same Interview' challenge and your mystery shopping stories. Scott will show you his old cassette tapes if you ...

Multi-Housing News

Unraveling the Hidden Facets of Apartment Renting With Secret Shoppers

How to enhance property competitiveness, improve tenants satisfaction and drive long-term success through secret shopping.

Bizcommunity.com on ...

Mystery shopping results now delivered in 24 to 48 hours by BMi ...

A global trend – and one which has been accelerating in recent years – is pressure to deliver real time data and research ...

  Thu, 15 Feb 2024

Dive acquires Danish mystery shopping company

Northern European mystery shopping and customer service improvement firm Dive has acquired Danish mystery shopping business Shoptimizer for an undisclosed amount.

  Wed, 14 Feb 2024

Mystery as famous Brick Lane bagel shop famed for 'never closing' ...

The Beigel Shop, on Brick Lane in London, is one of the oldest in the country having originally opened in 1855 - but it now appears to have mysteriously closed its doors ...

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CLIMB

What Does a Mystery Shopper Do?

Find out what a Mystery Shopper does, how to get this job, salary information, and what it takes to succeed as a Mystery Shopper.

mystery shopper jobs reports

The Mystery Shopper role is an essential component in the feedback loop for businesses aiming to enhance customer experience and service quality. By assuming the guise of a regular customer, individuals in this position discreetly gather insights on various aspects of the customer journey, from the cleanliness of the premises to the staff’s responsiveness and product knowledge. This unique perspective allows companies to identify areas of excellence and opportunities for improvement, ensuring that the service provided aligns with the brand’s standards and expectations. Through their detailed evaluations, Mystery Shoppers contribute to a business’s ongoing efforts to refine its operations and customer interactions, ultimately supporting the goal of delivering a superior experience to every customer.

Mystery Shopper Job Duties

  • Visit designated businesses anonymously to evaluate customer service, cleanliness, and overall experience without revealing your identity as a mystery shopper.
  • Purchase specific items as required by the assignment and keep detailed receipts for reimbursement and auditing purposes.
  • Observe and record interactions with staff, noting their professionalism, product knowledge, and adherence to company protocols.
  • Assess the physical condition of the store or facility, including layout, accessibility, and compliance with health and safety regulations.
  • Complete detailed reports and surveys based on the visit, providing honest and objective feedback on the observed customer service practices and store conditions.
  • Test the return policy of the store, including the ease of return, adherence to the company’s return policy, and the staff’s handling of the return process.
  • Evaluate the company’s online or phone order system, including website navigation, customer service interaction, delivery times, and product accuracy upon delivery.
  • Participate in age verification compliance checks, ensuring that employees are following legal protocols for selling age-restricted products.

Mystery Shopper Salary & Outlook

Factors influencing a Mystery Shopper’s salary include the complexity of the assignment, the time required to complete the task, the level of detail needed in the report, the shopper’s experience, and the client’s budget. Specialized assignments, like evaluating high-end products or services, typically offer higher compensation.

  • Median Annual Salary: $27,000 ($12.98/hour)
  • Top 10% Annual Salary: $44,000 ($21.15/hour)

The employment of mystery shoppers is expected to grow faster than average over the next decade.

This growth is driven by businesses’ increasing focus on customer experience and service quality. Mystery Shoppers provide invaluable, unbiased feedback on staff performance, store conditions, and compliance with regulations, helping companies enhance their competitive edge and customer satisfaction in a rapidly evolving market landscape.

Mystery Shopper Job Requirements

Education: A Mystery Shopper often holds a Bachelor’s Degree, with majors in Marketing, Business Administration, or Communications being advantageous. Courses in consumer behavior, market research, and psychology can provide valuable insights into understanding customer service and evaluating retail environments effectively. Strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and the ability to articulate observations clearly are essential. While specific educational paths can vary, a foundation in these areas enhances a Mystery Shopper’s ability to perform their role effectively.

Experience: Mystery shoppers typically possess a blend of experience in customer service, retail, or hospitality, showcasing their ability to evaluate service quality discreetly. Many have undergone on-the-job training or participated in training programs designed to hone observational and reporting skills. This role demands a keen eye for detail, excellent communication abilities, and a fair understanding of consumer rights and retail operations. Experience in various sectors, from dining to retail, enriches a mystery shopper’s capability to provide insightful feedback across diverse service landscapes.

Certifications & Licenses: Mystery shoppers generally do not require any specific certifications or licenses to perform their duties.

Mystery Shopper Skills

Anonymity Maintenance: Ensuring they do not stand out from the typical customer base, mystery shoppers must maintain a low profile. Their ability to blend in is crucial, as it prevents any alteration in staff behavior or the retail environment’s natural dynamics. This skill demands a high level of environmental awareness and the versatility to adopt different personas, aiming to make each evaluation as genuine and unbiased as possible.

Detailed Reporting: Through meticulous documentation of their experiences, from the establishment’s cleanliness to staff demeanor, mystery shoppers provide comprehensive insights into their visit. Their precision in observation and reporting enables businesses to make well-informed decisions, influencing customer service enhancements and operational strategies.

Scenario Adaptation: When faced with unexpected situations, a mystery shopper’s quick thinking and ability to improvise without revealing their identity are tested. These capabilities are essential for gathering accurate customer service data, ensuring the authenticity of the feedback provided, even when deviating from the initial plan.

Objective Evaluation: The skill to assess services and products impartially is critical for delivering accurate, actionable feedback to businesses. It involves a detailed focus and strict adherence to evaluation criteria, contributing significantly to the enhancement of customer experiences.

Time Management: Balancing multiple store visits, adhering to specific timelines for each task, and submitting detailed reports promptly are tasks mystery shoppers manage efficiently. Their ability to execute assignments discreetly, blending in as average customers while collecting valuable insights within set timeframes, is indispensable.

Consumer Behavior Analysis: By observing and reporting on the nuances and interactions that influence purchasing decisions, mystery shoppers offer detailed feedback on the impact of in-store promotions, staff behavior, and the shopping environment. Their analysis aids in formulating strategies to boost customer satisfaction and sales.

Mystery Shopper Work Environment

Mystery shoppers navigate a unique work environment, often characterized by its variability and adaptability. Their “office” changes with each assignment, from retail stores and restaurants to online platforms, requiring them to blend into diverse settings seamlessly. This role demands a high level of discretion and observational skills, as they utilize tools like questionnaires and checklists, often supported by smartphones or cameras for evidence gathering.

Work hours are notably flexible, allowing individuals to tailor their schedules around personal commitments, although this can mean working evenings or weekends to align with the assignment’s needs. Dress code is dictated by the nature of the shop they are evaluating, aiming to mirror the average customer to avoid detection.

The solitary nature of the job means interaction is generally limited to brief exchanges with staff during evaluations, fostering an environment where independence is paramount. Despite the minimal direct team interaction, mystery shoppers often engage with a broader community through forums and feedback platforms, sharing experiences and tips. This role, while independent, sits within a larger structure of agencies and client companies, leveraging technology for assignment dissemination, reporting, and communication, ensuring a blend of autonomy and connectivity.

Advancement Prospects

Mystery shopping can evolve into various career paths with strategic moves. Experienced mystery shoppers often transition into roles such as mystery shopping schedulers or coordinators, managing assignments and shopper logistics. This requires a deep understanding of the mystery shopping process and strong organizational skills.

Another advancement is becoming a mystery shopping editor, where one ensures reports are comprehensive and accurate before they reach clients. Attention to detail and a strong grasp of language are crucial for this role.

For those with analytical skills, a move into data analysis or market research is viable. These roles involve interpreting shopper feedback to provide actionable insights to businesses, requiring proficiency in data analysis tools and methodologies.

To accomplish these advancements, mystery shoppers should focus on building a portfolio of varied and successful shopping experiences, actively seek feedback to improve their skills, and demonstrate their ability to handle more complex assignments or projects.

What Does a Best Buy Sales Associate Do?

What does a roll off driver do, you may also be interested in..., what does a team coordinator do, what does a health system specialist do, what does a bookstore manager do, what does a shoe salesman do.

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A Coronavirus Mystery Explained: Moscow Has 1,700 Extra Deaths

Russia’s government has boasted of a low coronavirus mortality rate, but figures from an obscure city agency cast doubt on those claims.

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By Ivan Nechepurenko

MOSCOW — Ever since the coronavirus took hold globally, researchers have been puzzled by Russia’s mortality rate of only about 13 deaths per million, far below the world average of 36 in a country with an underfunded health system .

With the arrival of data for April, however, the mystery appears to be clearing up.

Data released by Moscow’s city government on Friday shows that the number of overall registered deaths in the Russian capital in April exceeded the five-year average for the same period by more than 1,700. That total is far higher than the official Covid-19 death count of 642 — an indication of significant underreporting by the authorities.

A similar picture has been observed in many other countries. In neighboring Belarus, for example — where the authoritarian leader Aleksandr G. Lukashenko has rejected calls for a lockdown as “frenzy and psychosis” — the reported death rate is about 10 per million. In Mexico, officials have recorded more than three times as many deaths in the capital as the government has acknowledged.

“Mortality figures in Moscow seem to be much higher than average for Aprils over the last decade,” said Tatiana N. Mikhailova, a senior researcher at the Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration in Moscow. “One thing is clear: The number of Covid-19 victims is possibly almost three times higher than the official toll,” she said in an interview, adding that additional calculations needed to be made to come up with a precise number.

The new figures contrast sharply with the line that has been peddled by the Kremlin.

Speaking to President Vladimir V. Putin at the end of April, Anna Popova, the head of Russia’s consumer rights and human well-being watchdog, boasted that the country’s mortality rate was “among the lowest in the world.” Russian state-run television channels have been relentlessly advertising the country’s effort to fight the virus as superior to Western nations’.

On Monday, claiming success at slowing the spread of the coronavirus despite a sharp rise in infections, Mr. Putin ordered the end of a nationwide “non-working period” in force since late March.

Mr. Putin, speaking on state television shortly after the health authorities reported the biggest one-day rise in infections, acknowledged that the pandemic had not yet been defeated but said it was now up to regional governors to decide whether to lift or strengthen restrictions in their territories.

While the official number of deaths attributed to the coronavirus in Russia stood at 1,124 for Moscow and 2,009 nationwide as of Monday, arriving at a more accurate estimate will be highly complicated.

Thousands of people have left Moscow since the city government declared a lockdown in March, an exodus that would lower the number of deaths in the city. And many people could have died of other causes as at least 37 Moscow hospitals have been converted to treat only coronavirus patients.

Over all, about 70 percent of coronavirus-related deaths have not been reported in Moscow and about 80 percent in the country’s regions, said Aleksei I. Raksha, an independent demographer in Moscow. He was among the first to spot the April data, buried in an obscure government statistics website, as he has been studying mortality rates in the Russian capital and the country’s regions and comparing them with official death tolls.

The lower numbers, according to Mr. Raksha, can be attributed to the way that causes of death are registered in Russia.

“For most deaths, the registered cause will be the disease of the organ that directly caused it,” he said in an interview. “This is the way the system has worked for a long time,” he said, adding that he believes it is highly likely that the authorities at some level are manipulating this system to yield the result they want.

Speaking to the Echo of Moscow radio station last week, Georgi A. Frank, a senior Russian coroner, acknowledged that health officials have wide leeway in registering causes of death.

“In a number of cases, Covid-19 might not be the main cause of death — sometimes it can be just a background to the main disease,” Mr. Frank said . “Of course, there can be some manipulations, but decent doctors never allow it.”

Russia reported its first coronavirus death on March 19, when a 79-year-old woman died in Moscow. Shortly afterward, the death was reclassified as having resulted from a blood clot and the case was removed from the official Covid-19 death toll.

More than 11,800 people died in Moscow this April, far more than during any other April since 1995, when Russia was engulfed in a post-Soviet economic crisis worse than the Great Depression. The number was posted by the Moscow government, which collects reports from the city’s civil registration offices that record vital events, such as births, marriages and deaths.

The death toll will be updated by the Russian State Statistics Service by the end of this month, but is unlikely to change much. On average, the Russian capital has about 10,000 deaths each April.

Being by far the busiest point of entry into the county, Moscow has been the first area in Russia to be hit by the coronavirus. Still, it has lagged behind most other European capitals, registering only a few deaths before the middle of April.

Russian regions, in turn, have lagged behind Moscow. As of Monday morning, Moscow accounted for 52 percent of all reported coronavirus cases in Russia, with more than 109,000 people infected.

An even clearer picture of the true coronavirus death toll is likely to be revealed in the mortality data for May, when the virus began to grip Russia in earnest, experts said. About 45 deaths and more than 5,000 new cases have been registered in Moscow daily over the past week.

Ivan Nechepurenko has been a reporter with the Moscow bureau since 2015, covering politics, economics, sports, and culture in Russia and the former Soviet republics. He was born and raised in St. Petersburg, Russia. More about Ivan Nechepurenko

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Darya Dugina, the daughter of Putin ally Alexander Dugin, was killed in Moscow.

Tuesday briefing: The mystery of the Moscow car bomb attack

In today’s newsletter: After an ultranationalist’s daughter is killed in Moscow, people in Russia and the west are asking who did it – and what the Kremlin might do next

Good morning. On Saturday, Darya Dugina, the daughter of the ultranationalist Russian ideologue Alexander Dugin, was killed by a car bomb in Moscow. Yesterday, Vladimir Putin called it a “vile, cruel crime”, and Moscow said that Ukraine was responsible. But that description tells only a small part of the story of an attack in the Russian capital that is unprecedented in the six months since the war began.

There are many unresolved questions about the killing – and the military consequences that could flow from it. Today’s newsletter, with the Guardian’s Moscow correspondent Andrew Roth, is about some of the possible answers. Here are the headlines.

Five big stories

Environment | The Tory leadership frontrunner, Liz Truss, was responsible for cutting millions of pounds in funding earmarked for tackling water pollution during her time as environment secretary, the Guardian revealed.

Crime | A nine-year-old girl has been shot dead in Liverpool and two other people taken to hospital with gunshot injuries. Officers began a murder investigation after attending a house at 10pm over reports an unknown male had fired a gun inside the property.

US politics | Donald Trump on Monday filed suit against the US government over the FBI search of his Mar-a-Lago home, seeking to temporarily stop the bureau reading seized materials until a special court official can be appointed to review documents concerned.

Policing | The Metropolitan police were wrong to Taser a man on Chelsea Bridge and their “excessive and unnecessary force” contributed to his death , his family have said. Oladeji Omishore, 41, was hit by the electric stun gun on 4 June before climbing over a barrier and falling into the River Thames below.

Justice | Criminal barristers in England and Wales have voted in favour of an all-out strike next month in a clash with the government over jobs and pay, with 79.5% of members of the Criminal Bar Association voting to strike.

In depth: Setting the stage for ‘total war’

The site of a suspected car bomb attack that killed Darya Dugina in Moscow.

What do we know about how the attack happened?

On Saturday night, Alexander Dugin gave a lecture at a festival at an estate in Moscow dedicated to the kind of hard-right pro-war worldview he is known for. He and his daughter Darya Dugina left, apparently in different vehicles. About five minutes after Dugina left, the Toyota Land Cruiser she was driving was blown up by a car bomb. Footage circulated on social media appeared to show Dugin standing next to the wreckage in a state of distress.

Reports in the Russian media on Monday claimed that an untraceable telephone may have been used to remotely detonate the device after it left a garage where CCTV had been switched off. They also claimed that the perpetrators may have been following the car when it blew up.

It’s hard to assess some of these claims with any certainty, Andrew said. Russian authorities have given limited evidence to back up their version of events, “but that doesn’t discount it”. But we can say with confidence that Dugina died in an attack which may have been aimed at her father – and it appears to have been carefully planned.

Who was Darya Dugina, and who is her father, Alexander Dugin?

“Most analysts who heard the news immediately thought it was Alexander who had been targeted,” Andrew said. Dugin exults in the nickname “Putin’s Brain”; but while some people in Putin’s circle have read Dugin’s work, it is less clear that he has the kind of sway on the Russian leader that would justify that title.

“He’s the kind of person you see on these gladiatorial screamathons you get on pro-Kremlin TV,” Andrew said. “But it’s important to understand that people like Dugin don’t make the final decisions – they’re just one pressure group in a complicated country.” As a rough comparison, think of some of the talking heads with tenuous links to the Trump administration who turn up on Fox News.

Dugin’s politics are extreme: he is an ultranationalist who advocates for a new Russian empire. At the same time, Andrew said, he is “a political opportunist – I remember him requesting €500 to give interviews”.

Russian ideologue Alexander Dugin at a ‘Battle for Donbas’ rally in Moscow.

“This is not the same as an attack killing a member of a Kremlin official’s family,” he said. “In those terms, he’s small fry. But he has an outsize profile.” That profile suggests another important feature of the attack: “He doesn’t have the security detail you would associate with somebody at the Kremlin. He’s a softer target.”

Dugina, meanwhile, was the editor of a disinformation website, United World International, and a TV pundit. Her politics were “close to a continuation of her father’s approach, but she was a little slicker,” Andrew said. She was also less prominent: “People in Moscow know who he is. You didn’t have to know who she was unless you were following this stuff closely.” Nonetheless, her pro-war rhetoric had earned her a place on UK and US sanctions lists, and it is not impossible she was targeted herself.

Who does Russia say was responsible?

One of the key questions in the aftermath of the attack was whether Russia would “frame it as terrorism or sweep it under the rug”, Andrew said; on Monday, the Federal Security Service (FSB) provided an answer. It accused Ukrainian intelligence services of carrying out the killing, and said the suspect was a Ukrainian woman in Russia with her 12-year-old daughter since July. The suspect had attended the festival, and fled to Estonia in a Mini Cooper after the bomb went off.

The FSB’s version of events appears to suggest that it was Dugina and not Dugin who was the target. Ukraine has denied responsibility for the attack, with one official noting: “Not many people here have heard of him, and nobody had heard of his daughter.”

The FSB has provided little evidence for its claims beyond footage of the woman driving across the border in and out of Russia. As Shaun Walker argues in this excellent analysis of the claimed chronology, there are plenty of reasons for scepticism. He noted how quickly the agency put its case together, and how remarkable it would be for a Ukrainian assassin with a child in tow to navigate Russia with impunity. “If true, it is a shocking FSB failure and, if false, it is a strangely self-incriminating tale to invent,” he wrote.

At the same time, Shaun notes, it is possible to see a motive to carrying out the attack from Kyiv. If so, it marks a departure from Ukraine’s strategy of retaliation within Russia, which has been confined to military and logistical assets near the border, and a string of attacks in Crimea , the Black Sea territory annexed by Russia in 2014.

Is that the only possible explanation?

No. One claim is that the attack was carried out by an underground opposition movement within Russia – “but I’m sceptical of that”, Andrew said. “From what we know the internal opposition haven’t done anything like this before. It would be a huge step up.”

There’s also the theory of a false flag attack carried out by elements close to the Kremlin as a pretext for retaliation. “There is no reason to do that if you want to intensify attacks on Ukraine or crack down on the opposition,” Andrew said. ”The Kremlin doesn’t need a pretext to do that – it does whatever it wants.” If so, the significant downside of spreading panic among Kremlin outriders doesn’t seem worthwhile.

Finally, some have floated the possibility that the killing was simply a crime tied to a business dispute involving Dugin or Dugina. But that doesn’t appear to align with the sophistication of the attack, even if the FSB’s claims should be taken with a grain of salt.

What are the likely consequences of the attack?

“This is unprecedented here,” Andrew said. “And there are already people writing that this is not the last act of terror we’re going to see. It will have scared people in Dugin’s circles. Until now, they have been able to agitate for war without thinking it would come for them.”

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The larger question is whether claims of Ukrainian responsibility will lead to a Russian escalation. “It could set the stage for a new wave of political violence,” Andrew said, against so-called “decision making centres” and specific Ukrainian officials. But if more general attacks on Kyiv increase, it’s worth bearing in mind that such an escalation was already expected to coincide with Ukraine’s independence day on Wednesday.

Regardless, for the most belligerent voices in Russia – voices aligned with Dugin’s – the death of his daughter will be viewed as evidence for the strategy they already espoused. “Many of those who’ve been agitating for a more aggressive approach are demanding a response now,” Andrew said. “They want total war.”

What else we’ve been reading

Zoe Williams’s interview with Mick Lynch is a great primer on the RMT leader who has become something of a folk hero during Britain’s summer of strikes. Hannah J Davies, deputy editor, newsletters

With the Tory leadership contest apparently all but over, you might expect Rishi Sunak’s supporters to stop attacking Liz Truss. Instead, the criticisms have intensified. Rowena Mason’s analysis is an excellent guide to what one source calls a level of vitriol that “will be extremely difficult to heal”. Archie

A new release from Christine and the Queens and tours from Sugababes and Kendrick Lamar (as teased at Glastonbury) are among the autumn musical highlights helpfully compiled by the Guardian music team . Hannah

If dragons and thrones leave you cold, read this Stuart Heritage piece about how the real stars of TV this year are fictional chefs . (And do watch The Bear, one of the US shows he mentions, when it comes out – it’s amazing.) Archie

Water vapour, poison … or something else? I enjoyed this explainer from Dazed on how chemtrails conspiracy theories took over. Hannah

Football | Manchester United produced a superb performance to beat Liverpool 2-1 at Old Trafford. After a difficult start to the season, goals from Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford were enough to secure the win.

Football | England and Manchester City forward Ellen White has announced her retirement at the age of 33 , saying all her football “dreams came true” in winning Euro 2022. The England women’s team’s all-time record goalscorer with 52 goals, White earned 113 caps for her country.

Cricket | In an exclusive interview with the Guardian , Ben Stokes described how a spate of anxiety attacks twelve months ago led him to consider retiring from cricket. Stokes said that he is now in a much better place but “it’s an ongoing process” and urged fellow sufferers to seek help.

The front pages

Guardian front page, 23 August 2022

The Guardian this morning leads with “Truss cuts millions from services that kept sewage off UK beaches” while the i has “Truss to risk ‘flying blind’ after Budget pledge U-turn”. The Financial Times says “UK inflation projected to top 18% as gas prices surge” while the Times says “Spiralling inflation is forecast to hit 18%” and the Express asks “how will millions cope” with the effects. “Snowflakes blocking A&E” – somewhat literally, the Metro reports, after a patient walked in demanding dandruff treatment. “Refugee host cash ‘should be double’” – that’s the Telegraph’s lead. “Justice is being held to ransom” – the Daily Mail paraphrases Dominic Raab as barristers go on strike. “Ronaldo doesn’t feel sorry at all … he left me crying and shaking” – the Mirror has a follow-up on an incident involving a smashed phone.

Today in Focus

A prisoner’s hands inside a punishment cell wing at Louisiana state penitentiary, also known as Angola. The maximum-security prison farm, operated by the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections, is nicknamed Angola after the former plantation and the origin of many of the enslaved Africans that occupied the territory.

Revisited: The Division: New Orleans – part two

In 1995, Kuantay Reeder is sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison for a crime he says he didn’t commit. He spends years doing hard labour in the fields of the prison, and trying to have his conviction overturned. By 2020, he has exhausted almost every legal avenue available to him. But 2020 is also the year that Jason Williams is elected to be the new district attorney of New Orleans. Will the creation of a new civil rights division in his office offer hope to Reeder?

Cartoon of the day | Stephen Lillie

Stephen Lillie’s cartoon.

A bit of good news to remind you that the world’s not all bad

Scott Oughton-Johnson, centre, who founded the Proper Blokes walking club.

A few years ago, Scott Oughton-Johnson was struggling with stress and anxiety following a long custody struggle. He’d had cognitive behaviour therapy from the NHS but was then, in his words, “back in the wild” and having to cope on his own, as Sirin Kale reports in the latest profile for the Guardian Angel series . So Oughton-Johnson launched a Facebook group with a video asking if any other men in his south London neighbourhood were up for a walk. Two years later, the Proper Blokes Club has a website and an active WhatsApp group, and men in neighbouring boroughs are organising their own walks. “Each day we do a check-in, and say, ‘Good morning. Hope everyone is all right. Have a good day,’” says Oughton-Johnson. “We’ve had incidents where people say, ‘I’m not in a great place; is anyone about?’ And people have gone and met them, or called them up.”

Sign up here for a weekly roundup of The Upside, sent to you every Sunday

Bored at work?

And finally, the Guardian’s crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day – with plenty more on the Guardian’s Puzzles app for iOS and Android . Until tomorrow.

Quick crossword

Cryptic crossword

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  1. 6 of the Best Mystery Shopper Companies to Work For in 2023

    Updated January 23, 2024 Getty Images Some of the links in this post are from our sponsors. We provide you with accurate, reliable information. Learn more about how we make money and select our advertising partners. Want to become a mystery shopper? If so, we've found the five best mystery shopping companies to work for.

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    Market Force BestMark A Closer Look IntelliShop Secret Shopper What Is a Mystery Shopper Job? Businesses use market research companies to obtain information about their services and products. They evaluate and assess the quality of the products or services and ensure the company follows regulations.

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    Wed, 07 Feb 2024. The Grocer. Asda is best supermarket in our Wimbledon mystery shop. The leafy London suburb of Wimbledon is a curate's egg. In the village there are independent butchers, bakers (Gail's), delis, a fine wine shop and the upmarket grocer Bayley & Sage as well as the ... Fri, 16 Feb 2024. The Mirror.

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