9 Best Mystery Shopping Companies To Work For In 2024
Mystery shopping is a type of market research that uses normal, everyday shoppers to rate a company's customer service quality and overall experience.
Oftentimes, research firms of companies themselves recruit “mystery shoppers” to carry out this work. And it can be an excellent side hustle if you want something flexible and fun.
But not every company is created equal or pays the same. That's why we're covering some of the best mystery shopping companies to work for that you can use to get paid.
How Does Mystery Shopping Work?
Typically, companies or market research groups recruit mystery shoppers to help them learn more about how a business operates.
It's done across all kinds of industries, like banking, retail, and restaurants. Some of the most common tasks you complete as a mystery shopper include:
- Taking photos of store displays or specific products
- Purchasing a product and rating the experience
- Rating customer service
- Rating store cleanliness and organization
- Confirming the price of certain products
- Confirming the availability of certain products
The goal is to observe and rate a business on how it performs in a specific area when dealing with everyday customers. This is why you're a mystery or undercover shopper; it's important to judge how regular customers are treated and what their experiences are like.
In exchange for completing these missions, you're generally compensated with PayPal cash or free gift cards.
The Best Mystery Shopping Companies
The following companies and gig apps all recruit mystery shoppers and have a track record of paying. They're also highly-rated on Trustpilot and the Better Business Bureau, which are factors for why they've made this list.
1. Shopkick
Shopkick is a popular U.S. rewards app that lets you earn gift cards and cash by completing short tasks around your city.
It's a bit different than your average mystery shopping gig. But many of the ways to earn “kicks” (points) on the app are quite similar to tasks you're required to do as a mystery shopping.
For example, you can earn by walking into stores, scanning receipts, taking photos of products, and scanning barcodes. You then redeem your kicks for rewards like gift cards or PayPal cash.
We like Shopkick since it's free and easy to use. And it's the perfect way to dip your toes into the mystery shopping world if you want something low-stress.
Pro Tip: Sign up with the code ‘TOW' and get a $5 bonus after earning your first kicks!
2. IntelliShop
IntelliShop has some tougher standards than other companies and rates your shopping feedback on a scale of 1-10. But the higher your shopper rating, the more you can earn per task.
It also works in a variety of industries, including hospitality, food, and general retail. Plus, Intellishop connects shoppers with jobs in a few different ways: there is a job board, a mobile app, and they will email job opportunities to you.
Once you claim a job, you have 12 hours to confirm the gig and then up to a few days to complete it. And IntelliShop regularly posts opportunities and is one of the more active companies in the space.
Its rating system also means it's one of the highest paying apps in the industry if you get a high rating. It also has an A+ BBB rating and pays you with PayPal money 30 days following a mystery shopping gig.
3. BestMark
BestMark was started in 1986 and (at 37 years) is one of the oldest and most established mystery-shopping companies on the market.
It's also a little different in that it offers three kinds of mystery shopping tasks:
- Mystery Shopping: Involves traditional shopping gigs like rating your shopping experience.
- Interviews: This requires interviewing customers who are leaving a business to learn about their experiences.
- Compliance Auditing: This involves if an individual store is complying with company regulations around pricing, product placement, displays, employee procedures, and customer safety.
BestMark works with all kinds of retailers and restaurants. Signing up is free like most mystery shopping jobs. And as you gain experience, you can earn more pay and even win special projects that aren't available to other shoppers.
4. Market Force Information
Market Force has over 400,000 shoppers under its banners and is another massive player in the industry.
One of the best parts of working with Market Force is its proprietary app, Eyes:On. This app lets you browse potential gigs with a list view or a map view. Either way, you can set the parameters to only show opportunities within a certain radius so you're not traveling ages for a gig.
When you select a job, the app prompts you through what you need to do and/or submit (photos, receipts, business cards).
An upside to this app-based reporting is that you complete your reports on the go without having to get in front of a computer. So, you can earn quick cash while walking around your city, and you might even find some mystery shopping gigs along your regular commute.
Market Force has an A+ BBB rating and pays by direct deposit on the 15th of every month.
5. Sinclair Customer Metrics
When you work with Sinclair as a mystery shopper, you can accept or decline assignments as they come in. This arrangement is more flexible than some other companies that lower your “score” if you decline assignments.
Sinclair also offers greater flexibility in the type of “method” you use to shop. In addition to in-person mystery shopping, there's also video mystery shopping. This gig provides you with a hidden camera that captures details in real time, alleviating some of the pressure on you to take notes.
Sinclair also offers telephone mystery shopping (recording the calls) and online shopping tasks. This means you can earn money online with this company as well as in-person, which is its most unique selling point.
6. Observa
Observa is another popular mystery shopping app that's an excellent app to use if you're brand new to this side hustle.
The app is available for Android and iOS devices. Once you download the app, you can find and claim available missions, known as observations, by using the in-app map.
We like Observa since it works with all kinds of industries. Some observations are also quite simple. For example, you might get paid to take a photo of a storefront or to confirm if a store carries a type of product. For this reason, it's immensely beginner-friendly.
The company also pays faster than some of its competitors. You earn PayPal money and Observa tries to approve observations and pay within five business days.
7. Service Evaluation Concepts
Service Evaluation Concepts is another mystery shopping company you can work for if you're more experienced and want a more structured role.
The company has a Brand Agent role in which you complete mystery shopping tasks for a specific client. In other words, you become a dedicated mystery shopper for a specific company, routinely providing feedback on customer experience and quality control.
This particular mystery shopping model can make mystery shopping a more consistent experience for some shoppers. Moreover, developing the specialization of one specific account results in better pay.
The downside is that the sign up process is a bit more intense. You also provide your Social Security Number when applying. However, payments range from $10 to $50 per assignment which is higher than the industry standard. You can also get free products and samples or reimbursements for purchases depending on the gig.
Service Evaluation Concepts pays shoppers on the 20th of every month for any evaluations they completed the previous month.
Extra Reading – These 20+ Apps Pay Real Money Instantly.
8. Secret Shopper
Secret Shopper is an international company that operates in North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. It's been in business for over 30 years and is one of the more popular companies in the space.
Like other gigs, you use the Secret Shopper app to self-assign gigs, get directions, and upload your reports. Payment for shops starts at $15, and can get up into the hundreds for more complicated or extensive shops. Restaurant clients may also pay for a meal for two, which is a nice incentive (and perhaps even an opportunity to turn a mystery shop into a date).
Domestic shoppers in the United States can get paid via direct deposit or a paper check. Checks are mailed on the 20th of the month, while direct deposits vary on your shopper status and when you shopped. Outside of the US, Secret Shopper issues payments through PayPal.
9. Intouch Insight
Intouch is looking for mystery shoppers to asses its clients in a range of industries, including retail, grocery, restaurant, and hospitality.
What makes this company unique is that it has three roles you can apply for:
- Mystery Shopper: This secret shopper role involves observing and evaluating stores on metrics like customer support and cleanliness.
- Auditor: This role involves collecting data for brands and is a more technical role.
- Editor: As an editor, you perform quality assurance work on data collected by mystery shoppers and auditors.
Anyone can sign up to become a mystery shopper. However, becoming an auditor requires a background check and more screening.
Intouch also has some other unique gigs. For example, you get a lot of compliance-focused gigs. There's also “Responsible Sales Shopping” to make sure businesses in certain industries (like alcohol and tobacco) are adhering to the law.
The company is also A+ rated on the BBB and pays shoppers via PayPal on the 15th of the month.
Extra Reading – How To Get Paid To Shop.
Even More Companies To Try
The above 9 companies are some of our favorite mystery shopping companies to work for. This is because they offer the most gigs and competitive payments and are highly rated.
However, you can consider these apps and companies as well to expand your earning options:
- Field Agent
- Mobee
- Premise
- A Closer Look
- iSecretShop
- GigWalk
- Signature Worldwide
- Second To None
- Ath Power Consulting
- Pinnacle
- Quality For Best
- Ipsos iSay
- AboutFace
How Much Do Mystery Shoppers Make?
According to Indeed, the average mystery shopper makes around $15.55 per hour nationwide, with hourly wages ranging from $7.25 to $55. Overall, the average hourly wage for mystery shoppers in the U.S. is $28. However, how much you make largely depends on where you live and how many missions you complete.
In other words, mystery shopping probably won't make you a full-time income. However, this is a flexible, fun side hustle idea. And earning $50 to $200 a month (or even more) might be possible if you get enough missions.
That said, secret shoppers generally have more opportunities in major cities and around shopping centers than in small towns. Keep this in mind when deciding if this side hustle is worth it or not.
Final Thoughts
Mystery shopping is a great way to make extra money. However, you have to know where to look.
Some sites and apps are not very demanding in terms of qualifications, but the pay is very low. In contrast, some gigs cater to more experienced shoppers and have more advanced requirements but larger payouts.
Either way, this industry is a flexible, interesting way to make more money each month. And there's no reason you can't stack several sites and companies to get as many opportunities as possible.
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