Mystery Shopping: How the Real Work Pays and How to Spot the Fakes
Mystery shopping sounds like a dream job: get paid to shop, eat out and share your opinion. The real work does exist, and it can suit someone who notices details and likes to get out of the house. But it pays modestly, and it is also one of the most common disguises for scams. Here is how to tell the two apart.
What real mystery shoppers do
Stores, restaurants and other businesses hire market research companies to check on the customer experience. Those companies send ordinary people, usually as independent contractors, to visit as regular customers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, a visit often takes 15 minutes to an hour, and some assignments are done by phone or online. Afterward you fill in a report online, sometimes with photos and your receipt.
The FTC says shoppers usually pay for the purchase up front and are reimbursed, and some companies add a small fee for the work.
What it pays
In a 2016 career article, the Bureau of Labor Statistics described a typical assignment as paying about $5 to $20 per trip, and some assignments only reimburse your meal or purchase. A few assignments a month might help with part of a small bill, such as a $10 to $15 streaming plan, especially if they fit into errands you already run. That is an estimate; your area and the companies you sign up with make a big difference.
How to find legitimate work
- Look up the free list of mystery shopping companies published by the Mystery Shopping Professionals Association (MSPA Americas). The FTC notes that MSPA does not hire shoppers itself.
- Sign up directly on each company’s own website. Expect to give your name and address, and tax information if you are paid.
- Sign up with several companies, since you may only get regular assignments from a few.
- Read each assignment’s instructions closely. Reports that miss details may not be paid.
Red flags the FTC warns about
- Paying any fee to become a shopper, including for “certification,” training or a list of jobs. Real companies pay you, not the other way around.
- A check in the mail with instructions to deposit it and send money back, wire money, or buy gift cards and share the numbers. The check is fake, and you would owe the bank.
- Promises of big earnings or a full-time income.
- A job offer that claims to come from MSPA.
If you have been targeted, report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your state attorney general.
Taxes and benefits
Pay for your time is generally taxable self-employment income, and the IRS says you must file a return if your net self-employment earnings reach $400. If you collect Social Security before full retirement age, or get SSI, Medicaid or housing help, side earnings can affect those benefits. See the Social Security earnings limits and check your own situation.
A safety note: keep assignments in places you know, in daylight when you can, and let someone know where you are going if an assignment takes you somewhere new.
More on Replace a Bill
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- Step 4: Understand the Taxes on Side Income
- Step 5: Set Up a Simple Record-Keeping System
