Some people just keep a note book which lists the shopping jobs, mileage, amount they have to spend on the job, amount they are reimbursed, and fees that they earn.  Others may keep these records in a computer program such as Excel.  But as you increase the number of shopping jobs you do, it is important to do a good job of record keeping.  You should keep records of which mystery shopping provider companies assign you to which jobs, the names and addresses of where you do the shops, your expenses to do your online reports (such as your internet fees), etc.

You will likely find that it is wise to use a software program that is specifically geared toward keeping records for business and tax purposes.  One such program is Quickbooks, which you can purchase as software or use online. They have several business plans that can help people who work in their own businesses or are employed as independent contractors.  At Quickbooks Online, you can choose the plan that’s best for your business. Right now they’ll let you try it FREE for 30 Days!

One advantage to keeping your records up to date regularly with a program like Quickbooks is that you can feed the information directly from the software into your tax software program. That saves a lot of time and frustration when it’s time to file income taxes. Another advantage is that if you’d like to do a shopping job for a good mystery shopping provider company again, you can go back to the records and access the contact information quickly without having to rack your brains over to get back in touch with them. You can set your record keeping program up to include the URL and login information.

So even if you are a beginning secret shopper, form a habit of regularly recording all the info you’ll need to contact the company again and to have all of the records you’ll need to do your income taxes.  Don’t put it off til April 14th and then try to pull all of your info together from emails and other information you have about your shopping jobs.  If you do, you’ll be frustrated!  If you keep records up to date, you’ll be relieved!

Be A Secret Shopper

When people hear that I do mystery shopping, they are surprised.  One of the first questions they ask is, “Can I really get paid for shopping?”

My answer is, “It all depends.”  It depends on whether you can observe well, not give away the fact that you are on a secret shopping mission, remember all the information that you need to look for while you are on the job, and clearly write answers to the questions that the business wants to have answered.  Your grammar and writing skills must be good.


These are all skills that can be practiced and improved upon.  Many secret shopping assignment companies will rate you on how you did and how well you answered their questions.  By getting good ratings, you’ll put yourself in position to receive more assignments.

It is often best to begin with small shopping assignments that do not have a lot of requirements.  Some of them may be as simple as making a phone call or purchasing a soft drink and reporting on the service you received.  The more complicated mystery shopping assignments may require more than one visit and much detailed information about your shopping experience.

It’s not as simple as going shopping and just telling your impressions of your shopping experience.  You will need to review ahead of time the information that you must report on back to the assigning company.  Then you must complete every part of the assignment and fill out an online form on which you report all of your findings.

It’s not always easy to remember everything you have to observe.  For instance, today I ended up walking back by a store at the mall where I had just mystery shopped and peeked in at the clerk who helped me.  I had forgotten to estimate her height.  By coming back and taking a second look I got that information and was ready to go home and fill out my report.

Yes, you really can get paid for shopping when you submit all the information and receipts that are required.  I have taken on jobs for as little as $6.00 and as much as $130.  Yes, I get paid for shopping.  And so can you!

Mystery Shopping Works for Students.

Pat sleeps til the last minute and then runs off to classes. Between Lit and Chemistry he stops at the library and opens his laptop. Yesterday he accepted a job assignment to check out an online shopping site. So he clicks to the site and moves through it to make a purchase (for which he will be reimbursed), making note of the things he is to check. He jots down some notes and heads off to Chemistry.

After lunch he heads to his room and gets back online. He logs in at the website where he had registered to take the job. There he fills out a form to evaluate his online shopping experience. Once he enters the info, he knows that within a few days $8.00 will be deposited into his Paypal account along with reimbursement for his purchase.

Next he picks up the phone and calls two funeral homes. He has accepted a job to call these to ask specific questions. Once he finishes, he jumps online again and logs into the website of another company that provides secret shopper jobs. He fills out their report forms for his two phone calls, knowing that he’ll soon get $14.00 in his account for doing this.

Pat leaves for another class. Later that day he checks his email and sees that one of the companies that he’s registered with has sent him a job listing for buying snacks at a convenience store. He signs up for that job, knowing that he can do it the next afternoon.

Since he had accepted a job from a different company to evaluate service at his college bookstore, he heads there and buys some pens. That evening he fills out another online report, knowing that he just earned another $9.00.

He figures that later in the week he might register with a few more companies so he can pick up more shopper jobs. He will schedule jobs as he can.

He’s looking forward to Friday night. He was fortunate to grab an assignment for a restaurant evaluation, and he’s taking his date out to eat.  Pat’s having fun and enjoying the flexibility of being a mystery shopper!

College Student Mystery Shopping

Can college students do mystery shopping? College students need a lot of flexibility in their schedules. With studying, sports, extra curricular activities, socializing, and classes, there is a lot to balance. It can be difficult to work a regular part-time job.

Employers like to lock students into a schedule – a schedule that is not always convenient for a college student. And it’s not unusual to take a job based on working 15 or so hours per week, only to discover that the employer wants to keep adding on hours.

This is why mystery shopping can be an ideal job for college students. Students can sign up for the jobs that fit their schedules. With most shopper jobs they can even take along a friend. What student would not like to get paid for taking a friend along to go out to eat or to drop into a convenience store to pick up a snack?

Just like everyone else, students need to get haircuts, get their eyes checked, get their oil changed, etc. These are all things they can get free while doing their jobs as Secret Shoppers! Some secret shopper jobs even involve evaluating service at college bookstores and college food service.

Students who do mystery shopping jobs will need to have a car or go to school in an area with access to good public transportation. This may not work for the student whose school is in a rural area.  But for students close to stores, restaurants,and businesses, it is likely that they can find an adequate number of secret shopper jobs to keep them busy and to earn the extra money they need.

And when students go home for school breaks, they can simply look for shopper jobs there as well. No need to make arrangements with the boss for some time off!

And by scheduling some mystery shopping jobs between home and college, a student may even qualify for tax deductions for travel between shopper jobs.

Click This Slideshow To Get The Best Secret Shopping Books. Become A Mystery Shopping Pro!

The myth is that on every secret shopper job you will purchase something that will be fully reimbursed. Many people believe that they will get all kinds of free clothing, toys, jewelry, and other products by secret shopping. What they don’t realize is that most shopper jobs for merchandise that costs more than a few dollars must be returned to the store. Once you start studying lists of secret shopper jobs, you’ll find that you usually don’t get to keep anything that costs much.

That is not to say that you can’t get anything free. Obviously if you are getting an oil change or eating at a restaurant as a secret shopper, you can’t return your purchase and get a reimbursement. Or if you stay in a hotel in order to do an evaluation on that hotel, you cannot “return” it.  I have received a free eye exam plus a nice reimbursement for part of the cost of my new eyeglasses. But it’s not common to get a job in which I can purchase clothing, for instance, and get to keep it.

Different companies which hire secret shoppers have different policies on this. So check carefully to make sure you understand the terms before accepting a shopper job.

Another Myth

Another myth that is often promoted by those selling expensive secret shopping programs is that you will make a lot of money by secret shopping. Realize that most shopper jobs do not pay much per hour. It may take you two or three hours to drive to an assignment, do the shopping job, drive home, and go online to fill out your report. Your pay for doing this might be only $8.00 to $18.00.

Now that’s a nice perk if you were going to go purchase the item or service anyhow. You get paid a bit for your time and possibly receive your purchase for free or at a discount. It’s a nice way to supplement your income part time. If you register with several companies, you may be able to do several jobs that can be done one after another in the same day. You can plan a route to go from one job to another and then go home and fill out your reports. But very few secret shoppers can make a living out of doing shopping jobs. Especially with the cost of gas these days!

So let’s lay the myths to rest. You CAN make some extra money. You CAN get some things that you would buy anyhow for free or for a discount. You CAN have fun shopping and turn your shopping hobby into a part time income. But you probably won’t make a lot of money unless you are a smart investor who puts all of her shopper profits into investments instead of spending them.

Click the Slideshow to Review Mystery Shopper Books

Earning extra income as a mystery shopper is easy. However it is important to understand that for most people, secret shopping simply provides a nice supplement to income, not a full-time one.

Who makes a good part-time mystery shopper?

• College students
• Stay-at-home moms
• Retirees
• People who have flexible schedules
• People who like to shop!

You may find that being a mystery shopper is the perfect way to bring in extra spending money. And you can cut your expenses as you are reimbursed for goods and services that you would purchase anyhow. For instance, you could pick up a little extra spending money for taking a half hour to do a secret shop at a department store. (Perhaps $12) Depending on the company that assigns you, you might even get reimbursed for the cost of the item you bought as you did the shop.

Or how about getting paid to eat at a restaurant or for going to a movie? Recently we did a secret shop and had our oil changed for free. Also I had a hair cut and was reimbursed for the cost.  I have also received a free eye exam plus part of the cost of buying new glasses.  And I enjoyed a free candy bar and soda from doing a convenience store mystery shop.

No, you won’t get rich doing this. But the perks are nice! You can sign up with several secret shopper companies and pick and choose available assignments which fit your schedule.

Can Mystery Shopping Provide a Full Time Income?

Yes, some people register with enough companies and accept enough mystery shopper assignments to work full time as a secret shopper. It takes time to build your mystery shopping business to this level. A lot depends upon whether you live in an area where lots of shopper jobs are available or not. Obviously there are more jobs in urban areas than in rural ones.

As you fulfill the requirements of various assignments and build a reputation as a reliable shopper who will take available assignments, you may receive enough shopping jobs to keep you busy every day.

You must build your business to reach this goal. Companies that provide secret shopping assignments will test you by giving you small assignments. If you do a prompt and thorough job for them, they may increase the number and quality of assignments that are offered to you.

Looking for another source of extra income?  Read the article, “Become A Virtual Assistant.”