A Mystery Shopper Checklist
to Start Your Business
A mystery shopper checklist doesn't require expensive equipment or a large investment.
That's one of the things I like about mystery shopping.
When I started, I didn't need to rent an office, buy inventory, or spend thousands of dollars to get a business started. I needed a way to find assignments, get to the locations I accepted, pay for required purchases, and keep track of everything.
Technology has changed since I completed my first mystery shop in 2006, but the basic idea hasn't.
Here's what I recommend having before you get started.
Want more help getting started? My book, Take That Job And Mystery Shop It!, walks you through finding assignments, completing shops, writing reports, and avoiding many of the mistakes new shoppers make.
Mystery Shopper Checklist: What You Really Need
1. Reliable internet access
Most mystery shopping companies handle assignments online. You'll use their websites or apps to look for available shops, read instructions, submit reports, upload receipts, and check your assignments.
You don't necessarily need a desktop computer. You can handle many tasks on a smartphone or tablet, although I still find a larger screen helpful when completing a lengthy report.
2. A smartphone
A smartphone has become one of the most useful tools for a mystery shopper.
You can use it to check assignment information, take photographs when required, photograph receipts, keep notes, record timings, use maps, and communicate with a scheduler.
Some assignments also use apps to verify that you visited the correct location.
Just remember that your phone is a tool. Don't make it obvious that you're taking notes during a mystery shop unless the assignment allows it.
3. Transportation appropriate for the assignment
You don't necessarily have to own a car.
Depending on where you live and the assignments you accept, you might drive, use public transportation, walk, or complete telephone and online assignments from home.
The important thing is knowing how you're getting to the location before accepting the shop.
Transportation costs matter when deciding whether an assignment is profitable.
4. Money for required purchases
Some mystery shops require you to spend your own money and receive reimbursement later.
A restaurant assignment might require a meal. A retail assignment could require a purchase. Other shops may not require you to buy anything.
Read the reimbursement rules before accepting.
If you're required to spend $40 and won't be reimbursed until later, you need to be comfortable having that money unavailable until you're paid.
Don't accept an assignment requiring a purchase you can't comfortably afford.
Keep Your Receipts and Other Proof
Receipts can be extremely important.
They may verify the date, time, location, amount spent, and other details about your visit.
Years ago, shoppers often used scanners to copy receipts. Today, a clear smartphone photograph is often much easier when the assignment permits it.
Whatever method the mystery shopping company requires, check the image before leaving the area.
Make sure the entire receipt is visible and readable.
I also recommend keeping the original receipt until the assignment has been accepted and paid.
Create a Mystery Shopper Checklist for Your Records
Once you begin completing multiple assignments, you'll need a way to keep track of them.
I've used a spreadsheet that I created myself.
My records included information such as:
- Location shopped
- Date of the assignment
- Amount I spent
- Mileage
- Shopper fee
- Reimbursement
- Amount paid
- Date I was paid
You don't have to use my exact system.
A spreadsheet works well for me, but you could use another recordkeeping system as long as you're consistent.
The important thing is being able to answer two questions:
What am I owed?
Have I been paid?
When you're registered with several mystery shopping companies and completing multiple assignments, it's surprisingly easy to lose track.
Keep Track of Mileage and Expenses
Good records also become important at tax time.
Keep track of your business mileage and legitimate business expenses. Save the documentation you may need.
I've traditionally kept receipts and other records organized, so I don't have to reconstruct an entire year when it's time to prepare my taxes.
Tax rules change, so I wouldn't rely on an old article—or an old mileage rate—to determine what's deductible. Check current IRS guidance or talk with a qualified tax professional about your situation.
Read the Assignment Before You Leave
One of the most important items on any mystery shopper checklist doesn't cost anything:
Read the instructions.
Know what you're supposed to purchase, what questions you're required to ask, which timings you need, what photographs are required, and when the report is due.
If something doesn't make sense, contact the mystery shopping company before completing the assignment.
It's much easier to ask a question beforehand than discover afterward that you missed something you can't recreate.
The Most Important Item Isn't Equipment
You can have a computer, smartphone, transportation, spreadsheet, and every other tool on this list and still struggle as a mystery shopper.
You also need to be dependable.
Complete assignments when you say you will. Follow the instructions. Pay attention. Keep good records. Submit accurate reports on time.
That's the most important part of this mystery shopper checklist.
You don't need much money or specialized equipment to get started.
You need the right basic tools—and the willingness to do the job correctly.
Your Next Best Step
For additional reading, read my articles:
How to Choose Your First Mystery Shopping Assignment
How to Stay Organized as a Mystery Shopper
Income Tax Deductions for Mystery Shoppers
About the Author
I'm Mystery Don (Donald J. Servais, Jr.), and I've completed mystery shopping assignments for restaurants, hotels, apartment communities, automobile dealerships, new-home builders, and other businesses.
I created MystShopper.com to share what I've learned from my own experiences, help new shoppers avoid common mistakes, and explain how legitimate mystery shopping really works.
I'm also the author of Take That Job And Mystery Shop It!, which includes beginner-friendly advice, real-world mystery shopping experiences, and a directory of more than 150 mystery shopping companies.
Drawing on my 45-year career in television, I've also written 7 Keys to Success in a Changing Television Industry, a guide for people interested in building a career in television and video.
My goal is simple: honest guidance without the hype.
We're always looking for new faces to visit different places.
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