How to Apply to Become a Mystery Shopper

Mystery shopping can be a fun and rewarding experience. Although it is difficult to make a living as a mystery shopper, it is easy to try out the latest restaurants and shop in all of the popular stores.

Things You'll Need

• Internet connection

Instructions

Becoming a Mystery Shopper

1. Decide what types of shops you want to report on. Find a mystery shopping company that fits your interests on the Internet.

2. Complete the online application. Make certain that your personal information is correct. Be honest and thorough. If there are several ways to contact you, make sure to note this on your application.

3. Next, many applications ask for your Social Security number and some people feel uncomfortable providing this online. As an independent contractor with the company, you will be issued a W-4 if you earn more than $600 per year with any given company and your Social Security number is needed for tax purposes. You must decide whether you feel comfortable providing this information via the web.

4. Many companies also pay through PayPal because this is cheaper than issuing checks. Make certain that you put your PayPal address (your email address) on your application. Some companies will not use shoppers that do not have a PayPal address.

5. Get ready to write. Most companies are hiring people they have never met, so an essay is often required as part of the application process. Essay topics include Best Customer Service Experience, Worst Customer Service Experience, Why You Want to Be a Mystery Shopper and/or a paragraph about you as a person. Definitely use spellcheck before submitting this essay.

6. When you are ready to submit the application, use the spell check function if available. If not, you can cut and paste any text into a word processing program to check the spelling. Companies rely heavily on these applications because they are their first impression of you.

7. Finally, many companies will ask you for identification to complete your application. It is best to get your driver's license and Social Security card scanned into a document so that it can be uploaded with your application. Other companies may request this information via email or ask for the documents to be faxed to them. However, not all companies will ask for this information.

Tips & Warnings

• The key to getting mystery shopping jobs is to apply, apply, apply. The more companies that you apply to, the better your chances of getting job offers.

• Because many companies ask you to write an essay as part of your application, it is always best to save these essays in a word processing document so that you can reuse them on future applications.

• Be on the lookout for an email asking you to verify your email address. If you miss this email or do not confirm your application, in many cases, your application will not be processed or reviewed.

• Beware of scams offering to find you mystery shopping jobs if you pay them a fee. Do not ever pay to mystery shop. EVER! There are companies that will pay you for shopping and the legitimate companies never charge a sign-up fee.

• Do not think that this will be a way to get rich quick or even support yourself. Most mystery shopping jobs pay between $10 and $20 and this includes writing a report.

• Make certain that you enjoy writing because most companies require lengthy reports for their fees.

• If you do have a merchant PayPal account, you will most likely be charged fees on the money that you receive from mystery shopping companies. Check with PayPal to see.

Resources

• Mystery Shopping Providers Association
• Volition - Mystery Shopping Resource
• Paypal