Mystery Shopping Work from Home Jobs

Get paid to shop! Sounds fun and some people really do enjoy this. Pay is generally not high, and you must keep careful track of your receipts for proper reimbursement. You will generally need to submit an invoice. In general you must not let the businesses you shop know that you are a mystery shopper, hence the name.

Note: I do not know which companies are hiring at this time. This is merely a list of companies that at the time I visited them hired employees to work at home. I am not responsible for any changes to the sites, company policies or job offerings. Don't tell me you want to apply for one of these jobs; I'm not the one hiring. Websites may change ownership at any time, so do your due diligence to be certain that you're applying with a legitimate company no matter where you see it listed.

Please pay attention to all job requirements. It's a waste of time to apply for jobs that you aren't remotely qualified for.

A Closer Look
Reimbursement only, does not pay you beyond what you spend on the assignment. Essentially you get to try the service free in exchange for your review, but you have to wait to get your money reimbursed to you. Checks are sent out on the 3rd Friday of the month AFTER the month of your visit.

Consumer Critique
Will get more regular assignments as you prove yourself to be a good mystery shopper. Retail shops generally do include both reimbursement and report fee; restaurant shops are for reimbursement only.

Data Quest, Ltd.
Member of MSPA and other industry associations. Demographic information is requested as this is helpful for some assignments.

Feedback Plus, Inc.
Requests demographic information to help pick shoppers for appropriate assignments. Payments are processed on the 8th and 22nd of each month or next business day if that's a weekend or holiday.

Informa
Apply online, including information on types of mystery shopping you have previously done or are interested in.

Intellishop
Payment around the 10th of each month by PayPal. Prefers reports be file same day or at most within 24 hours of shop.

LeBlanc & Associates
Get paid to mystery shop new home developments. Must appear to be a first time buyer, move-up buyer, empty nester or retired home buyer. Company gives guidance in how to appear to be a potential buyer.

Market Viewpoint
Range of reimbursement may be between $10-100. Payments are processed the last working day of the month after shops are completed and paid by PayPal. Shops may be assigned by demographic profile.

Secret Shopper
Gives good information on what is expected of a mystery shopper. Payment is on the 20th of the month following the completed shop. Secret Shopper also tells me that they often have family friendly shops available, such as haircuts, pizza dinners, reimbursed dog or cat vet exams and retail store shops. Most assignments the shopper can bring kids along, and for some of our haircut shops, you can get your kids' hair cut for the shop. Says they pay $15-$30 per shop on average.

Service Intelligence
Member MPSA. Offers e-learning to help you understand what is expected of you as a mystery shopper. Jobs range from $7-20. Must be able to recieve automatic bank deposits.

Spies in Disguise
Some shops may require being over 21 or may require bringing children along.

Other sites that list Mystery Shopping opportunities

Mom! Mom!
Very thorough listing of mystery shopping companies.

Volition
Listing of several mystery shopping companies

More Sites for Job Seekers

Here are some more sites where you can look for work. Please note that I have no control over what happens on sites outside my own. Use caution and do your research when applying for any work at home position. Some links on this list are affiliate links; others are not, but I believe each company belongs on this list.

Monster
Job.com
Home Job Stop
oDesk.com
Dice.com
GetAFreelancer.com
Hire My Mom
Elance
Guru

 

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Work at Home Tips and Resources

Mystery Shopping
Earn money while you shop! Sounds like a dream come true. Or is it a scam?

Secret Shopping Scam
A variation on the usual mystery shopping scams. This one can cost you quite a bit of money.

Who's recruiting who?
One of the fun things about working at home is the reaction of all the people who wish they could work at home but didn't realize it was practical. I turned things around for one recruiter who called me about a job.

Work at Home Mom Mistakes
It's easy to fall into the trap of not working hard enough when you work at home. Life can get in the way at times, but if you want to succeed you need to avoid these mistakes.

Copyright © 2003-2012 Stephanie Foster unless otherwise indicated