How to Become a Mystery Shopper AKA Secret Shopper

Secret Shoppers, Mystery Shoppers, You may have heard about them on the news, through the grape vine, online, or maybe you have a friend who does it, but what exactly is Secret Shopping any way? A secret shopper or mystery shopper is someone who gets paid to shop. The shopper would get assigned a specific shop, store or restaurant. A mystery shopper may or may not need to make a purchase. After shopping at their assigned location, the secret shopper will fill in a report answering questions about their shopping experience. Most shops pay between $5 & $30, but I have been offered up to $120 to complete a shop. That's not including reimbursement for the items I purchased. To become a mystery shopper all you have to do is apply and meet the demographic requests for a specific shop.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Premier Shoppers Membership

1. 

   Register with Premier Shoppers (link provided below). Premier Shoppers has a ton of jobs for mystery shoppers. Everything auto shops, retail even restaurants. This website will list jobs in your area. You can select the ones that interest you. Then Premier Shopper will tell you how to apply to that shop. I recommend staying away from anything that says online shop. These are most likely scams. Premier shopper doesn't monitor the shops so its up to you to decide whether or not you are looking at a legitimate opportunity to secret shop.

2. 

   Use the MSPA mystery shopper job search (link below). After you do a search for your area, you can select jobs that interest you and then apply through the site links provided. You will have to apply to the mystery shop company that offers the job first. Then you will be able to view all the jobs that company has to offer.

3. 

   Use volition job search (Link Below) to search for more secret shopping opportunities. This job search works the same way jobslinger does. You'll preform your search choose the secret shopper jobs that interest you then apply or register with the shop scheduler offering the job.

4. 

   Sign up to as many mystery shopping scheduling agencies as possible. That way you'll have way more opportunities to choose from. Volition has an impressive directory listing (link below) pretty much every mystery shop company there is from A to Z.

Tips & Warnings

• If you schedule a shop you can't complete notify the scheduler immediately.
• If you want to do a shop, but they are not paying enough wait to schedule it, you may get more money that way. Schedulers are willing to cut you in on more cash if they are desperate to get the shop done.
• Beware of companies that want you to pay them. This is a scam you do not need nor should you ever pay to be a mystery shopper or secret shopper.

Resources

• Volition's Mystery shopping Directory
• Volition's Job Board
• MSPA Job Board
• Premeir Shoppers Registration

[wdk40]

on 6/27/2009 Good job. Have always wanted to try secret shopping.

[sweetspirit]

on 6/24/2009 Good information. Thanks for sharing.