Make Money Mystery Shopping: 15 Tricks That Will Earn You Money

How would you feel if someone paid you to do your own shopping?  You spend your day working and on your way home, you make money mystery shopping.

Sounds amazing, right? How about making some inquiries and getting paid for it? As a mystery shopper, you stand a chance to earn between $5 and $25 for each task. If you are lucky enough, you can make more per task.

The amount you’ll earn in mystery shopping depends on the following factors:

• Your writing skills: If you are able to come up with amazing reports after each mystery shopping task, you’ll make more money.
• Your experience: If you are more experienced, you will make more money mystery shopping. A newbie in mystery shopping will earn much less.
• Competition: there are many people looking for seeking the same opportunities as you. Your zeal and dedication in grabbing every chance that comes up will determine your pay.
• Your location: if you live in a place where there are many shops, you stand a better chance to take part in more mystery shopping tasks.

If there are fewer shops, you will make less as the opportunities will be minimal. Here are a few tips and tricks to help you make money mystery shopping:

Combine Your Mystery Shopping Assignments

There are multiple companies that offer mystery shopping assignments at any time. Some which pay a high amount and others that will pay less for the shopping. If you are able to take up more than one task at any given time, you’ll earn more. It will also lower the amount you will use on expenses to accomplish the task.

Minimize Your Expenses

Here are some expenses that you will incur during your mystery shopping assignment:

• Transportation cost: to reduce your transportation cost, complete your other tasks at the same time. For instance, you can go to work and in the evening, go out for mystery shopping. With this, you will not spend too much on transport.

• Time: if you are able to spend a shorter time for your shopping, you will have time for other tasks too. It will also enable you to take up more mystery shopping jobs and complete on time. Do not take up a shop where you’ll spend hours on the road. If you are able to conduct the shopping from the comfort of your home, it will take less time. You’ll still make money in mystery shopping and have time for other responsibilities.

Move to an Area that Has Numerous Shops

This is one of the secrets to earning more from mystery shopping. Companies will have a list of shops that they want to allocate for mystery shopping. If your neighborhood has several shops, you can take up more than one shop and complete the tasks on time. This way, you’ll earn more within a shorter time.

Look for Higher Paying Assignments

If you have been earning from mystery shopping for some time, you know the pay could be high or low. Remaining more vigilant when searching for mystery shopping jobs will give you a better chance of landing a lucrative deal.

Here Are Some of the Best Mystery Shopping Companies to Work For

Secret Shopper: This is a well-established company that has been providing mystery shopping jobs since 1993. You’ll sign up for free and decide on the hours you will be available to take up the available tasks. Immediately after signing up and getting your user ID, you’ll view the available task and start earning!

Market Force: With Market Force, you’ll stand a chance to mystery shop for banks, popular stores, and restaurants as well. To make money mystery shopping on Market Force, you’ll create an account and accept their terms. From there, you’ll access the mystery shoppers’ portal and pick jobs!

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Intellishop: With Intellishop, you will get a chance to work with more than 50 industries which gives you better opportunities. When signing up, you’ll have to provide more personal details including your bank account details. It is free to join and view the available mystery shopping opportunities.

Avoid Scams

Though mystery shopping is real, there are too many scams. You may take up a mystery shopping task, only to realize that it was a scam. You end up wasting your time and all your efforts yield nothing.

Here are great tips to identify scams in mystery shopping

• You are asked to pay to take up a mystery shopping assignment. When working as a mystery shopper, you want to earn, not to spend more money. If a company asks you to pay a fee, run!
  If a company offers to pay before you complete the task. In mystery shopping, you get paid after completing a task. Anyone telling you otherwise will most likely scam you.
  If you are pressured to take up a mystery shopping task. It is not right to get bullied or threatened to take up a mystery shopping assignment. You have the freedom to take up the offer you want, when you want to.
• If a company is using force to make you mystery shop on their behalf, avoid it.
• If you are asked to provide certification before you get a mystery shopping assignment
• If a company asks you to pay for placement.

To avoid getting scammed when mystery shopping:

• Never take up a task that involves money transfer services evaluation
• Never take up a task from a company you never signed up with in the first place
• Never take up a deal that seems too good to be true
• Avoid working with companies from other countries: in most cases, mystery shopping tasks are allocated to people in the same geographical region.

Allocate More Time to Mystery Shopping

If you will make money mystery shopping, you have to remain focused. You need to spend time searching for mystery shopping assignments every day. With this, you’ll not miss a chance that can make you more money. You will also manage to take up the best offers before anyone else sees it.

Need some extra money for your shopping? Here are some amazing ideas!

Take Up Tasks Urgent Mystery Shopping Assignments

To make money mystery shopping, you need to avail yourself when emergency tasks are available. These tasks will have higher pay and if you are able to take up more of these, you’ll earn more.

Take Up Quick Gigs

Some companies will post a low paying mystery shopping task that will not pay much but it is quite easy. For instance, you could be asked to make a call, they write a brief report on the same. Such a task will take only a few minutes and you’ll have made your cash!

Diversify

If you are used to taking up only one type of assignment, it is time to spread your wings further! For instance, if you have been taking up grocery shopping tasks, try your luck in bank assignments. Why not a movie assignment as well? Can you make money mystery shopping when you diversify? Yes, you can! Well, here is how diversifying will increase your earnings:

• You will never miss a mystery shopping task. If there are no grocery mystery shopping tasks, you will take up a movie task and vice versa. With this, you’ll keep earning!

• Your reputation will grow. If more companies recognize you as a reputable mystery shopper, they will consider you first when a good opportunity arises. The companies will be willing to pay more for your services as they know your job is perfect.
  

  Become A Better Writer

One of your mystery shopping tasks is writing a detailed report about your experience. If you are able to provide an exceptional report, you’ll get considerations when sensitive assignments arise.

• The company is sure of getting an accurate and detailed report any time they request you to do so.
• You need to adopt a professional tone when writing your report. Using slang or an inappropriate language will disqualify you from getting future assignments.
• Be objective: when writing your report, write an accurate report based on your observation. If you sound one-sided in your report, it will disqualify you from getting future assignments

    Mind Your Spending

You need to be careful about the amount you will spend on mystery shopping. know the amount you’ll get from the assignment before you take it up and determine if it is a worthy task. The less you spend in mystery shopping, the higher your earnings will get. For instance, if you’ll use $20 to complete a task, the amount you’ll get should be higher than this.

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    Do Not Buy What You Will Never Use

During a mystery shopping task, you will be required to buy a specific item in a particular shop. If you will never use that item, you do not need to buy it! The essence of mystery shopping is to earn money, not to spend it on things you’ll never use. If you don’t need that item, look for other mystery shopping tasks that will be of benefit to you.

Pay Attention To Details

The reason you were hired as a mystery shopper is to add value to the company that is paying you. You need to provide accurate information, within the time limit set by the company. Missing out an important detail will mess up your task and make deny you better-paying jobs.

Here is Your Mystery Shopping Checklist to Help You Make Money Mystery Shopping

• Check out the company’s website for details

Before you embark on your mystery, find out the:

• Date for the mystery shopping
• The shop’s operation time frame
• Items you need to buy, try or ask about
• Check you spending limit
• Additional items you need to look for.
  Prepare for your mystery shopping
• To earn money mystery shopping, you need to have your checklist and a pen. Alternatively, you can use your phone to note down the details of what you need to undertake.
• Leaving out some important details may disqualify you from getting paid for your task.
  Get on with your mystery shopping
• To avoid getting spotted as a mystery shopper, do not carry your checklist into the shop. Check what you need to do before you enter.
• Carry on with the mystery shopping just like an ordinary shopper
• Do not forget any documents you need to complete your assignment
  Make your entries
• Immediately you leave the shop, fill in the required details so that you do not forget anything.
• Ensure that you provide detailed answers so that the company will not need to call you back for clarification.
• Submit the documents and photos required together with your report. For instance, you may need to submit a receipt and a photo as proof that you made the purchase.

It is also important to stay organized if you want to make money mystery shopping. if you have more than one mystery shopping assignment, mark off every shop you complete. With this, you’ll not miss a chance of not completing any of your tasks. If you are careful enough, you’ll earn more in mystery shopping.

Get A Good Rating In All Your Mystery Shopping Tasks

If you are really good at what you do, companies will not mind spending more for your services. They will be sure that they are getting value for their money.

Join As Many Mystery Shopping Sites As Possible

There are times when one site will have no jobs and times when there will be plenty. If you join more sites, you can rely on one to get jobs when the other is down.

With this, you’ll have a continued flow of income at all times.

Can You Make Money Mystery Shopping Online?

Just like with physical mystery shopping, it is possible to carry out an online mystery shopping task and get paid. You need to ensure that the task is not a scam so that you’ll not end up wasting your time and money.

Here are some of the best online sites where you can make money mystery shopping

• Intelicheck
  Are you a self-motivated mystery shopper who is keen on keeping deadlines?  If you are, this is a great site for you to make money mystery shopping.
  You will choose your working hours and the tasks you wish to complete without leaving the comfort of your home.
  Intelicheck is not taking in more mystery shoppers at the moment. However, you can submit your application so that you get considered when an opportunity arises.
• Yardi-Matrix
  This site mainly focuses on surveys for commercial real estate establishments. If your application is successful, your mystery shopping tasks will be calling apartments and asking preset questions. To succeed with Yardi-Matrix, you must have a good internet connection and a phone. Your phone etiquette should also be very good so that you make inquiries like a real renter. This is an easy task and you’ll not need to spend a lot of money to get paid. The more mystery shopping tasks you are able to complete, the more you will earn.
• ARC Consulting
  How would you feel when asked to make a mystery call and get paid?  If the thought thrills you, ARC Consulting is the right site for you. The amount you will earn as an online mystery shopper depends on the available tasks. If you are lucky to find more tasks, you will make more money mystery shopping. If you live in the US, Barbados, Canada, the UK, Malaysia, and the Virgin Islands, you can submit your application. You can also work with ARC Consulting from the United Arab Emirates and Australia. You’ll receive your payment via PayPal on completing your mystery shopping tasks.
• Online Mystery Shopping
  With Online Mystery Shopping, you’ll make money by buying products from online shops. You’ll submit your online application and once you submit your report, you get your money. It will not be necessary to leave the comfort of your home as you’ll do everything online.

Check out these tips to make more money for your shopping!

To ensure that you make money mystery shopping from these online sites:

Complete Your Tasks on Time And Submit Your Report

It would be sad to carry out a task only to hear that you took too long to submit and will not get paid.

Provide Accurate Data

Always remember that the report you are submitting will be used to gauge the company. If the management notes that your report is biased, you may not qualify for future mystery shopping tasks.

Finish as Many Tasks as Possible on Time

As a mystery shopper, how you spend your time determines the amount you’ll earn. If you are more committed, you will make money mystery shopping. The only limit to the amount you will earn from mystery shopping is you…

If you are able to invest more time in mystery shopping, you stand a chance to make more money. You should also endeavor to join as many sites as possible so that you don’t miss a chance to make money mystery shopping.

Are there other ways that enable you to make money mystery shopping? We’d love to hear from you in the comments section below.