Mystery Shopping: Lessons from My First Two Months

I decided to try mystery shopping to earn a little extra money and spent about two months doing it. I made roughly $150 in that time, and I picked up a few practical lessons that might save you time and headaches.

First, be picky about the platforms you use. There are scams that ask for money up front or want personal details you should not share. I stuck with companies that had solid reviews and did not charge fees, like Respondent and Market Force. A Facebook group for mystery shoppers has also been useful for spotting bad listings and sharing tips.

Start small. I jumped into a complicated, high-pay task too soon and got frustrated. After that I focused on smaller jobs that paid about $20 to $30 each. Those helped me learn how to follow instructions and manage my time without stressing over one big assignment.

Take good notes after every visit. Each company has different reporting requirements, and having clear notes or quick photos (when allowed) saved me from rewriting things later. Once I figured out each client’s expectations, the whole process went faster.

I was surprised by the flexibility. I did most jobs around my day job and averaged about $10 to $15 an hour once you account for travel and report time. It is not a full-time income, but it is decent side money and can be pretty fun.

Bottom line: mystery shopping is worth trying if you stay organized and cautious. Good luck if you give it a shot!

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source https://www.reddit.com/r/beermoney/comments/1tfo3zt/mystery_shopping_lessons_from_my_first_two_months/