Did you know as a mystery shopper you could be paid for shopping, eating out and buying various products?
What is mystery shopping?
Mystery shopping is flexible paid work that involves visiting shops, restaurants, or other businesses to evaluate the customer experience or product quality and report on what you find. There are also online mystery shopping opportunities which involve interacting with businesses via their website, app or email. Mystery shopping provides the opportunity to earn money and deliver valuable feedback to businesses to help them determine whether their require standards are being met and identify areas of improvement. As a mystery shopper, you will be provided with instructions for your specific task, and you will usually be required to complete a report or questionnaire at the end of the assignment.
Discover how to earn money mystery shopping
iShopFor Ipsos
iShopFor Ipsos are one of the largest providers of mystery shopping services globally. They offer a variety of tasks, flexible work opportunities and are transparent about pay so you will know what the pay is before you accept the job. Pay varies from £4 to £150 per task, depending on factors such as the time commitment and any associated reimbursements. The time required to complete a task varies from short tasks taking around 10 to 30 minutes to more complex tasks taking several hours.
iShopFor Ipsos provide different mystery shopping categories including:
- Telephone assignments which involve phone calls to businesses to assess their services
- Online activities to interact with a business online and evaluate their products
- Mystery dinning where you will be responsible for visiting restaurants or bars and providing feedback
- Retail which involves visiting shops in your local area and assessing the retail experience
Serve First
Serve First offers the opportunity to earn extra income as a mystery shopper by evaluating customer service experiences across sectors including retail and hospitality. To get started, you can register for free on their website. Once registered, you can choose assignments that suit your schedule and interests. Assignments generally pay between £4 and £40 and after each task you will be required to complete a questionnaire about your experience. Benefits of mystery shopping with Serve First include their mobile-friendly platform that makes it easy to manage tasks and submit reports and the flexibility to choose to complete jobs at times that suit you, perfect for earning additional income.
ESA Retail
ESA Retail employs over 15,000 mystery shoppers across the UK and Ireland to assess customer service and brand standards. It is free to register with ESA Retail, and they offer assignments across sectors including fashion, food and drink, finance and automotive. ESA Retail provide clear guidelines for each task and pay is from £5 to £25 per assignment with most tasks taking around 15-60 minutes to complete. In addition, ESA Retail will require you to submit a report after you complete the task. ESA Retail offer flexible work, so you can select assignments to suit your schedule.
Proinsight
Registering as a mystery shopper with Proinsight is free. The process involves completing a short spelling, grammar, and recall quiz to ensure you can provide a short report after completing tasks. Once registered, you can apply for assignments. Pay is visible so you will be able to see the amount before applying as well as any reimbursement allowances for purchases required. Tasks vary in complexity and compensation. Usually, the longer the assignment takes you the higher the payment will be. Additional benefits with Proinsight include the enhanced rewards offered for your commitment with them through their Platinum Shopper Scheme.
SmartSpotter
With SmartSpotter you can easily earn extra cash mystery shopping via your smartphone. SmartSpotter add new assignments to the app daily, providing you with the flexibility to complete tasks when it suits you. Tasks often include taking photos or videos of a store shelf or indicating if promotional products are available. Once you have completed the assignment and submitted it to SmartSpotter, they will review your photos and answers and confirm if they meet the requirements. If everything is correct, they will approve the assignment, and you will receive your payment. With SmartSpotter you can earn between £2 and £10. For more complex tasks rewards can exceed £35.
Streetbees
Streetbees is a free app, available on Android and iPhone, that allows you to earn money mystery shopping. The platform is user-friendly and provides you with the opportunity to earn extra income by sharing your experiences. Tasks include completing surveys or purchasing an item and providing feedback. Once you have registered, complete your profile and check the app regularly for new tasks to maximise your earnings. Always provide accurate responses to ensure task approval and continued access to opportunities. With Streetbees you can earn between £1 and £10 depending on the complexity of the task. Once you have successfully completed an assignment Streetbees will pay you into your Paypal account.
Mystery shopping is a fun and flexible way to earn extra cash. However, with thousands of people registered as mystery shoppers in the UK, competition to secure jobs can sometimes be tough. It is also important to remember that mystery shopping jobs are part-time, and the pay would not be enough to replace a full-time job. Nevertheless, if you are looking for flexible work that provides the opportunity to earn some extra cash, mystery shopping could be the perfect side hustle for you. Assignments often involve free products or services and tasks are varied. Mystery shopping also offers you the chance to explore new places and try new experiences. Interested in other ways to earn extra cash? Interested in other ways to earn extra cash? Read about how to utilise Cashback Websites to earn cash and rewards for online shopping.