Becoming a Mystery Shopper: A Beginner-Friendly Guide to Getting Started (and Getting Paid)
Becoming a mystery shopper is one of the simplest side hustles to start—if you do it the right way. The basics are easy: you visit a business (or complete a phone/online task), follow the assignment instructions, and submit a report. The hard part is avoiding scam offers, picking assignments that are actually worth your time, and building a reputation so you keep getting approved for better shops.
I'll walk you through the mystery shopping business and focus on finding the work that will benefit you the most.
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.
Becoming a mystery shopper: the fastest “start smart” checklist
When I started mystery shopping, I wanted to make sure I was getting involved in something that was really going to help me.
There was too much rubbish everywhere that hyped wild and unrealistic income opportunities.
I wanted to understand how mystery shopping really worked. I wanted to sign up with legitimate companies that I could work with on a regular basis. And I wanted to see what assignments looked like and whether I could complete them in a short period of time.
I wanted to see if becoming a mystery shopper was going to be worth my time and effort.
What a mystery shopper actually does
A business owner or manager will hire a mystery shopping company to have people measure the customer experience and cleanliness of their business.
A mystery shopper (sometimes called an evaluator) is hired by a mystery shopping company to follow through with this assignment. Some of the questions that are usually asked include:
- Was the employee helpful and professional?
- Were you greeted promptly?
- Was the location clean and organized?
- Did staff follow a specific policy or script?
- Was the order accurate?
- Did they offer a receipt or suggest an add-on?
Many of my first assignments took 10 minutes for the visit and 15 minutes for the report. Other assignments will take longer, like hotels, and require more detailed reporting.
How you get paid: fee vs. reimbursement
I like convenience stores for a first assignment. You observe how employees treat you, how clean the location is, purchase gas or a small item, and see if you receive a receipt.
These locations will give you a shopper fee and a reimbursement for a portion of your purchase.
For example, I did an assignment where I spent $25 on gas and $2 on a drink. The mystery shop paid $15 and allowed for reimbursement up to $15. When I got paid a few weeks later, I received $30.
Okay, I only made a few dollars on this. But I needed gas, and I was thirsty. What better way to get reimbursed for items I needed?
Plus, the mileage I drove to get there was a tax write-off.
There are plenty of assignments where it's strictly profit. I've done many new home builders (video assignments) that pay $100 or more, depending on how far I had to travel. String a few of those together and you can do pretty well.
New home builder assignments are much more detailed and require more information to remember. You don't have to hold off too long to tackle one, but don't make it a first assignment.
Step 1: Set up your basic shopper workflow (so you don’t miss details)
I built a simple spreadsheet before I accepted my first assignment. I made sure I had the following:
- Date of the shop
- Location
- Miles driven
- Amount spent
- Payment amount
- Date paid
Use a repeatable notes template
I also created a simple template for myself to save time and prevent missed details. Items like:
- The time I arrived
- The first greeting and acknowledgment time
- Any order or request time
- Received service/item time
- Staff name/description
- Receipt offered (yes/no)
- The time I left
Keep proof organized
Receipts and required photos are what keep many reports from being rejected. Take the receipt photo as soon as it’s safe, and store it in one consistent folder.
Step 2: How to spot legitimate mystery shopping companies (and avoid scams)
This is an important step in becoming a mystery shopper. This is what I look for in a company.
Green flags (usually):
- Clear website with contact information and policies
- Shopper portal with normal onboarding steps
- Specific assignment instructions and deadlines
- Normal payment methods and payment schedules
There are plenty of them that want to take advantage of you. Walk away if you encounter any of these.
Red flags (usually):
- Any assignment involving depositing checks, wiring money, or buying gift cards and sending codes
- Pressure tactics (“respond in 10 minutes or lose pay”)
- Vague tasks with unusually high pay for “easy work”
- Requests for sensitive info in a way that feels premature or unprofessional
Many legitimate companies have scam warnings on their websites. Scam artists will often use their good name to trick you.
In order to get paid, legitimate companies will need your tax/payment information eventually. That process should be clear and standard (not rushed or secretive).
Step 3: Create a strong shopper profile (without oversharing)
You should be on an encrypted website with a company before you enter any information. A legitimate company will ask for this information:
- contact info
- location and travel radius
- availability
- shop-type preferences
- writing sample
It's important to be accurate—but be cautious about what you share early. If a company demands highly sensitive information immediately, and you’re not comfortable with their legitimacy or data handling, move on to another company.
Enjoy the experience
Mystery shopping is, and should be, a fun experience. I enjoy every assignment I work on. Every assignment is different, and you can try things you wouldn't otherwise. You may apply to a restaurant you've never been to before but wanted to try.
About the Author
I'm Mystery Don, and I've completed mystery shopping assignments for restaurants, hotels, apartment communities, automobile dealerships, and new home builders.
I created this website to help people avoid the mistakes I've seen—and to show new shoppers how legitimate mystery shopping really works.
My book Take That Job And Mystery Shop It! lists over 150 mystery shopping companies to contact. I offer beginner-friendly tips and honest guidance without hype.
We're always looking for new faces to visit different places.
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