How to Become a Mystery Shopper

Would you like to earn money shopping? Do you have good observation skills? Are you able to write accurate concise text with good grammar? Mystery, or secret, shopping is a great way to use those skills, have fun, and earn money as well. This page will walk you through the steps involved in how to become a mystery shopper.

Mystery shopping is actually a misnomer, as many "shops" don't actually require shopping.Marketing Endeavors: Opportunities with M.E. Mystery shoppers pose as potential consumers of goods and services, evaluate specified criteria, and write a report. Game Film Consultants: Shopper FAQ Some "shops" reimburse you for purchasing items such as gas, donuts, toys, or candles, while others also pay a stipend beyond the reimbursement.

Mystery shoppers can begin working without any special training or education.Tell Us About Us: What is Mystery Shopping? The key to success is signing up with reputable companies, carefully reading the instructions for each shop, being reliable, and filing out well-written detailed reports on time.

• You'll need to register with a mystery shopping company before you are assigned shops. Sometimes one scheduler handles several companies— it can be confusing— but you'll need to separately register with each company regardless if they share a scheduler. Each company will request different information. The more completely you fill out the form, the better chance you have of being assigned a shop. Typical information requested by companies will include:

1. Contact information, including e-mail address, street address, and phone
   1. Most communications will be made by e-mail.Game Film Consultants: Shopper FAQ
   2. Even though most companies don't mail checks, a mystery shopper occasionally awards prizes as part of a shop, and the company needs a valid address to ship them to.
   3. Although most communications will be by e-mail, last minute shops are sometimes scheduled by phone. These usually occur at the end of the month because another shopper didn't complete an assignment. These phone assignments are generally reserved for shoppers who have proven their reliability, and often offer a premium stipend.
2. Age, height, weight and family income
   • While some of this information may seem to be personal in nature, mystery shopping companies sometimes have very specific needs.ICU Associates: Apply to Shop For example, if they are looking for shoppers to conduct shops to verify that a liquor store is checking ID, a 50 year old woman wouldn't be a good shopper. The information is optional, but if you don't include it, you may be excluding yourself from certain shops.
3. Social security number
   • Companies need this to pay you, so you need to provide your social security number just as you would with any other job.
4. Year, make, and model of cars that you have access to
   1. Access to transportation is a requirement for mystery shoppers.Game Film Consultants: Shopper FAQ
   2. Just as with personal information, this information is also used to see if you qualify for certain shops. Mystery shopping companies do evaluations of auto repair shops, for example. The more cars you have access to, the better your odds of being a good match for those shops..
5. Equipment that you own, such as a stopwatch, digital camera, cell phone, or digital voice recorder
   • Almost all shops require a stop watch and a digital camera. If you're selected for a shop where you need highly sophisticated equipment, such as a hidden camera, it will usually be supplied by the company.
6. Area codes of locations you can shop.
   • Most mystery shopping companies allow you to input several area codes that indicate the geographic locations you can shop. The more you fill in, the more shops you'll be offered.

• Mystery shoppers are independent contractors, not employees.MSPA: Shoppers Payment will generally be received 30-90 days after a job is performed. This includes the reimbursement for any purchases required during the shopping, so you need to plan accordingly.

1. If you perform jobs that generate more than $600 in payments during the year, the company will report the payments to the IRS and issue you a 1099.
2. Keep good records of your expenses during the year, as you'll be able to deduct them at tax time.Mystery Shopping Learning Center Blog: Taxes and Mystery Shopping (January 8, 2009)
3. Although a few companies mail out paper checks, most require that you accept PayPal. If you don't have a PayPal account, you won't get paid. If you don't already have an account, you can learn how to set one up by referring to Mahalo's page on how to use PayPal.

• In order to receive assignments, you need to apply to be a shopper on a company's website. Most companies also use schedulers to fill their assignments, so you'll want to register with several schedulers as well.

1. Reputable companies don't require payment to register. One way to ensure that a company is legitimate is to check to see if they are a member of the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA). MSPA: Mystery Shopping Providers Association Here are a few companies and schedulers that are registered with the MSPA:
   • • Kern Scheduling: New Shopper Sign Up
     • Marketing Endeavors: Ready? Shop With M.E.
     • Game Film Consultants: Shopper FAQ
     • Tell Us About Us: What is Mystery Shopping?Tell Us About Us: What is Mystery Shopping?
     • ICU Associates: Apply to ShopICU Associates: Apply to Shop
2. In order to register, you'll need the information you assembled in Step 1. Make sure to complete as much information as you can, as this will maximize the number of shopping assignments that you are offered.
3. Registration is usually completed online, but some companies require you to print out and sign a paper agreement, so make sure you follow instructions carefully.
4. Check the box at the bottom of the form to agree to receive email notices from the company. If you don't check it, you'll need to go on the websites to find out about jobs, and you may miss some postings.

• After signing up with companies, you'll probably be pretty eager to get started. But there are a few things to keep in mind so you can start as efficiently as possible:

1. Watch your email! You will soon be receiving notices about available shops. When you receive the notices, follow the instructions they contain if you'd like to apply for the shop.
2. You can also peruse the job boards of companies you've signed up with before receiving an email. Shops are generally posted around the 25th of one month for the following month.
3. As shops get closer to their due date, the offered stipend tends to increase. So, if you feel that a certain shop isn't worth it for the price offered, you may want to check back later since, if no one claims it, a bonus may be added.
4. When you see a shop that you're interested in, there will be an option to apply for it. The application requires a brief statement that lets the scheduler know when you're planning to perform the job.
5. After applying, you generally need to wait for an email confirming that the shopping job has been assigned to you. As you get more experienced, you may be permitted to "self-assign" shops if you meet certain criteria, but even then you'll receive a confirmation email.

• You've registered, selected a shop, and received a confirmation email that you've been assigned to complete a shop. Now it's time to get to work!

1. Read the instructions (which are also sometimes referred to as guidelines), and print out a copy to bring with you on the shopping trip. Occasionally, there will be a training module that you will need to complete before performing the shop, so make sure to leave yourself plenty of time between reading the instructions and actually doing the shopping.
2. Review the report you'll need to fill out to communicate the results of the shop, and either print it out, or take notes on the key points.Marketing Endeavors: Before You Do the Shop
3. Make sure you note the exact information that is needed.
4. Complete each shop you've been assigned within the assigned time frame.
5. You shouldn't take notes or forms in with you to the shop, so make sure you review the details one last time before entering the location.
6. Any notes that must be taken during the shop should be taken discreetly.

• In order to continue to get shopping assignments, you need to write great reports and submit them along with any required information as soon as possible. Some companies allow you 24 hours to submit, while others require your report on the day of the shopping trip. It's important to get the report in on time in order to retain good standing with the company and to ensure you get paid.

1. Reports are generally filed online.
2. Required photos are generally uploaded with the shopping report.
3. Receipts are usually scanned in and uploaded with the report, but some companies permit you to fax or mail them in.
4. Grammar and spelling is important.MSPA: How to Get a Gig As a Mystery Shopper (August 18, 2004)
5. Use complete sentences.
6. Add details wherever possible.
7. If the report asks yes or no questions, make sure that every no answer is addressed in your narrative.Marketing Endeavors: Before You Do the Shop
8. Carefully proofread your report before submitting.
9. After you submit your report, it will be reviewed. You may be contacted by phone or email with questions about the shop.

• Although not required, becoming a certified shopper can increase the number and types of shops you are offered.

1. MSPA silver certification costs $15 and requires successful completion of an online tutorial and test.
2. MSPA Gold certification costs $95, and can be achieved either by attending an in-person training course, or purchasing the MSPA Gold DVD set, and passing an exam.MSPA: Silver Certification

• The more successful mystery shops that you perform, the more you'll be offered. Begin your day with coffee and breakfast, then go get your oil changed, meet a friend for lunch, go shopping for toys, then out to dinner. After dinner, check into a local hotel for the night. All of these experiences can be just "part of the job" if you're a mystery shopper!