Can you really make money mystery shopping?
Christopher Pierce
Updated on April 20, 2026
How Much Do Mystery Shoppers Make? According to ZipRecruiter, the average pay for a mystery shopping side hustle is $20 per hour. Meanwhile, Indeed reports that the average pay is $18.24 per hour.
Is mystery shopping a real thing?
Mystery shopping is a job where a company pays you to pose like a regular customer. You’ll provide valuable feedback to the company — from how clean the store was to how the employees interacted with you.
Is online mystery shoppers legit?
they are unlikely to be a genuine company. We only send emails to shoppers who have registered with us. If you are asked to bank a cheque as part of a mystery shop, it’s likely to be a scam. No genuine mystery shopping company would trust someone they don’t know with a large sum of money as an advance.
Are Mystery Shoppers Safe?
If you have to pay an upfront fee to become a mystery shopper, that’s always a scam. When you’re looking for mystery shopper jobs, here are ways you can avoid scams: Don’t pay to work. Honest companies pay you, not charge you, to work for them.
How does mystery shopping work?
A mystery shopper observes a store or service center to compile a report about what they experienced. They complete tasks at an assigned location, such as returning an item or purchasing a product. Other job duties may include: Visiting retail stores to observe customer service.
Is marketforce information legit?
The email address does not use a legitimate Market Force Information email name, which will always be in the form of [email protected] If the person contacting you has an AOL or Gmail or similar non-corporate email address, it is not from a legitimate mystery shopping company.
How effective is mystery shopping?
Conclusion. Mystery shopping is definitely an effective tool to gain insight into the customer needs and improve in areas where a company is lacking. It also helps in checking the employees’ morality and effectiveness. However, a challenge with this technique is maintaining mystery shopper quality and integrity.
