How to Become a Mystery Shopper Without Up-Front Fees

Free Mystery Shopping Company List

You may be looking for extra opportunities to make money, owing to today's economy. While mystery shopping will never replace your full-time job or make you rich, you could get a free meal or free items in exchange for a bit of your time. Companies hire mystery shoppers to gauge the service levels in their stores. According to the Mystery Shopping Providers Association, "Mystery Shopping enables managers and executives to measure how closely their customers' experiences reflect what the company expects them to experience." You should never have to pay a fee to get access to mystery shopper listings.

Things You'll Need

• Internet connection

Instructions

1. Find the mystery shopping company listings at http://www.mysteryshop.org. Then click on your country, followed by "Shoppers."

2. Enter your location, type, distance and/or field representatives. Entering this information narrows the search to your specifications. You do not need to enter every category.

3. Explore the provided listings. The listings show the available city, the type of mystery shop and how much the shop pays. You will see a variety of mystery shopping opportunities. Some of the shops will pay you a small fee as well as reimburse you for your purchase in the store or restaurant where you perform the shop.

4. Select a shop that interests you and click the title of the shop. A new window will pop-up giving you information on how to apply for the shop. You will then click on the link for the specific company offering the shop. This will take you to the company hiring for the mystery shop. Each company will have a different application process, so follow the links to apply.

5. Apply for as many of the shops that interest you and are in your area. Mystery shopping can be competitive and the companies offer the higher-paying shops to those who have honestly completed several of the lower-paying shops.

Tips & Warnings

• Never pay a fee to gain access to mystery shopping listings. The Mystery Shopping Providers Association warns, "scammers try to take advantage of its allure to take your money."

References

• Mystery Shopping Providers Association:Member Companies
• The University of Memphis: Tapping Your Potential
• The University of Denver:Students: Work Part-Time and Earn $900/week! - NOT