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Mystery Shopping is a Legitimate Way to Make Extra Money in 2019
Many people think it’s impossible to find legit mystery shopper jobs. This is either because they never heard of mystery shopping or secret shopping as it’s also called, or it just sounds way too good to be true; after all, who ever heard of getting paid to shop or to eat out as a business?? I’m here to tell you that mystery shopping is NOT a scam, and it can be one of the best work at home jobs. It’s a REAL work from home job that pays real money. However, you just have to be careful when looking at secret shopper opportunities.
Different Types of Mystery Shopping Jobs
I learned how to become a secret shopper, and did it for about ten years. Not only did I make some extra money, but it’s fun and my kids came with me on most jobs!
What if I told you it was possible to become a secret shopper and get paid $10 to $40 an HOUR or more? I got paid $100 to test drive an Audi! You can also get paid to visit your favorite mall to shop, eat at your favorite restaurant, golf at your favorite course, or enjoy a movie at your local theater. Not only can you get everything for FREE and get a paycheck for it, but in most cases, someone pays for the gas in your car!
This is what mystery shopping–a job you can do from home— is about and again, it’s not a scam. I was paid to visit banks ($25 for 10 minutes of work. I would do 4 or 5 of these shops in a day), restaurants, pet stores, card stores, grocery stores, music stores, and airports. I was paid $10 per shop to do 15 shops in the Philadelphia airport for a total of $150 for 1 1/2 hours of work plus the time it took me to fill out short reports. I also shopped department stores, specialty shops, home improvement outlets and more. I even brought my kids on some of my assignments (I could leave them home with my husband if I did shops on weekends). This is the perfect work at home job for stay at home moms and dads to make a little cash (or maybe a lot of cash depending on how many shops you want or can do in a day).
Apply as a Shopper to Legitimate Secret Shopping Companies
The best way to get started as a secret shopper is to first understand what legit secret shopping is all about so you get started on the right foot. Afterward, you apply to as many mystery shopping companies as possible so you have a better opportunity to get selected to do a shop.
Keep in mind that there should never be a fee to sign up with an individual mystery shopping company, however, there are some good websites out there that may charge a one-time fee to have access to all of their resources. These types of websites provide valuable information to anyone starting out in the business and are not scams. Again, what you want to look out for are the individual “mystery shopping” companies that charge a fee to sign up with them. A secret shopper website that charges a fee to access their resources that includes a list of hundreds of mystery shopping companies, articles, tips, and more, is OK.
Also, be prepared to accept some low-fee jobs at first. Take them and get your feet wet. It’s a great way to become familiar with mystery shopping procedures and writing reports. These assignments may be fast-food shops as they tend to be lower paying, however, you will be reimbursed for your meal, gain valuable experience, and you can probably bring the kids!
A great website to check out is http://www.mysteryshop.org/ which is the site of the Mystery Shopping Providers Association. Here you can learn more about mystery shopping, search for jobs, and learn how you can become a certified shopper (I’m a Silver certified shopper. The next level would be a Gold certified shopper).
Want to read a book that teaches you EVERYTHING you need to know about becoming a mystery shopper? Check out The Mystery Shopper’s Manual by Cathy Stucker in its 7th Edition!
If you are still skeptical, feel free to leave me a comment. I don’t mind helping others with this very cool income opportunity!
For more creative ways to earn money at home tips, check out my Pinterest Board, Earn Money From Home!
This post contains affiliate links.
Hi,
I enjoyed your blog post about the mystery shopping association and I was just wondering the company reaches into Canada. I live in a smaller city in Ontario Canada and I don’t know whether or not I would get any mystery shopper work here. I did see one mystery shopper job for a specific task at an automotive place, posted by a company several months ago for my city. So, it may be possible.