There are tons of side jobs you can use to make some extra cash. Unfortunately, the best ones often require specific skills, expensive equipment like cameras and computers, or even having a car.

A mystery shopper is the perfect opportunity for someone who needs an easier way to gain some supplemental income. If you’re already a fan of shopping, why not get paid to do it? Mystery shopping doesn’t seem like a legitimate job to most, which makes it more of mystery.

What Is a Mystery Shopper?

Either hired by a marketing research company or a retailer, a mystery shopper goes to one or sometimes several of their locations researching and reporting to the company about the customers overall experience in store and online. Some tasks may include how the customer was treated, the sales process and store appearance. It is one of the very few jobs where your shopping skills can benefit you!

How Much Can You Make as a Mystery Shopper?

According to a popular recruiting site, which utilizes job listings to compose salary information, the average earnings of a mystery shopper is $23 per hour. On the other hand, another site states the pay is approximately $21.86 per hour. Obviously, your earnings depend more on experience level, what company is hiring you and how often you are working.

There are various companies out there, but after research a lot of them showed that past hires were not satisfied with there jobs or were not paid what they were promised. Be cautious when taking a mystery shopper position. Before you agree, do your research, and get other people’s opinions.

Here Are Some Companies to Consider that Are Looking for a Mystery Shopper

BestMark

BestMark was started in 1986 and is one of the biggest and oldest companies around with more than 600,000 mystery shoppers, compliance auditors and intercept interviewers. Their average pay ranges from $11 to $18 per hour, depending on what the assignment is. At BestMark there are no full time shoppers, but instead you are an independent contractor working for yourself.  

IntelliShop

IntelliShop does the mystery shopper hiring for various big brands. All you need is to get approved and then the search begins. The opportunities are endless, whether its via app, email or keeping up with the job board. These shoppers earn around $11-$12 per hour.

Market Force

 This company is a great way to get away from being a retail mystery shopper. A lot of their assignments relate to food, but they still have a large client base. Some of the following industries you can potentially be hired for are:

Restaurants

Grocery Stores

Hotels

Fitness

Pharmacies

If you are interested in a mystery shopper position with Market Force, all you need to do is fill out an application and you can start earning anywhere from $10 -$14 per hour.

Secret Shopper

Secret Shopper has been a big contributor in finding companies mystery shoppers for more than 25 years. They pay an average of $15-$25 per job, but some will only reimburse you for the item you bought and maybe a free meal. It might not be the best paying but definitely gets you experience in the world of mystery shopping.

Is Mystery Shopping Worth It?

A big perk of working as a mystery shopper is its flexibility, opposed to working a 9-5 job. While improving your customer service skills, you will also learn more about the businesses that are local to their area. You will have to be aware of scams, but if you use your time right and research the right websites, you could find a great side gig! Read How to Spot a Job Scam to better your knowledge.