The Best Mystery Shopping Companies

Monday, December 2nd

2024 Mystery Shopping Company Reviews

Market Force

• Starts around $10 per job
• Monthly payment through PayPal or direct deposit
• Make a free account by answering quick questions
• Detailed job listings with tips and requirements included
• Travel shopper opportunities
• Accredited by the MSPA
• Mobile app for finding gigs on the go
• Shoppers stay for years
• "A+” rating and accreditation from the BBB

Market Force is a global company that offers opportunities to mystery shoppers everywhere. The company also offers surveys alongside mystery shopping opportunities and an impressive mobile app so you can pick up mystery shopping gigs while you're already out and about. Market Force works with restaurants, fashion retail, big box, specialty retail, grocery, hospitality, travel, and more. If you can imagine a service, Market Force offers mystery shopping for it. Plus, the company is accredited by the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA), so you know you're signing up for a site you can trust.

Over 100 jobs to pick from once you're registered

To see any jobs with Market Force, you'll need to make an account. During sign-up, you'll be asked for your personal information including name, address, phone, and email. You'll also be asked some questions about your age, and whether you've been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor. Market Force is serious about having high-quality mystery shoppers. Once you join, you'll start as a level 1 shopper, and you can level up by adding your personal details to your profile. After that, Market Force makes it easy to browse the job boards. At the time of our review, we were shown 103 different jobs to choose from in our area. All of the jobs (called "shops”) were within 20-30 minutes of our location. There were several options for fast-food dine-in experiences, some retail gigs, and a fast-food shop for a mobile order with inside pickup.

See the jobs just for you

You can change the search parameters for the job boards with different distances for your shop radius, your local state and zip code (or a different one if you travel), the types of shops you want to find, and the length of time the shops are open. Most jobs are shown in a 1-month range of time. Market Force's boards will generally update with new opportunities each month as well.

Tons of detail for shop scenarios

The shop listings are incredibly detailed. You'll be able to get the lowdown right from the job board. The listing details will include the shop number, the location, the time you'll need to visit, how much you'll be paid, and the total reimbursement offered if a purchase is required. The shop details will also include a "scenario” which details everything you need to know, do, or say to make your shop successful. For example, in a fast-food purchase job, the scenario specified that you need to order a milkshake to complete the shop, but you are not allowed to use any coupons. In other shops, you need to role-play as a particular kind of customer, and the details are right there in the listing before you have to accept the shop.

Payment around $10 per job

Market Force pays out through direct deposit or PayPal (your choice). You will need to fill out your tax information on your profile to be paid. Payments are sent out on the 20th day of the month and after 1 month since you've completed a shop. Most of the shops we saw on the job board offered $10 per gig (not including any reimbursement). According to third-party job boards, the average per week at Market Force is $523 per week, which is a decent part-time opportunity.

Assign yourself the shops you want

There's no traditional application for Market Force. Like most sites that offer mystery shopping gigs, you just need to sign up and start landing "shops”. Most of the shops on Market Force are "self-assign,” so you don't need to worry about waiting for opportunities to be approved. This is a low-stress and no-wait process for starting your mystery shopping side hustle.

Contractors love the experience

Market Force has a solid reputation overall. The company holds an "A+” rating and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau. On top of that, its feedback on third-party job boards is higher than the average we found during this review. On Indeed, Market Force has a solid 3.4-star average. On Glassdoor, the company has a 3.6-star average. In general, former and current contractors at Market Force are very pleased with their experience. Many have been mystery shoppers for Market Force for years and love the process. According to reviews, the low fees ($10 per shop) are a starter price, but you'll be offered higher-paying shops the longer you stay, providing solid and consistent work. Other reviewers praised the variety of shops at Market Force and loved that the free products and reimbursements offered for the work were high-value.

Top pick for variety and reliability

With high praise from the BBB and current mystery shoppers on contract, Market Force stands out as a go-to pick for your next mystery shopping gig. While the shops start at a lower price, you can expect to see higher payments the longer you work with Market Force. With a wide range of shops across different areas including travel and luxury opportunities, Market Force is a force to be reckoned with (pun intended) But all jokes aside, this is a great and easy place to start your mystery shopping side hustle, earning it a full 5 stars in our review.

Secret Shopper

• Pay from $10 to $120 per job
• Monthly payment through direct deposit or check
• Make a free account by answering quick questions
• Tons of local opportunities
• High-payment opportunities
• Mobile app available
• Routing for multiple shops per day
• "A+” rating and accreditation from the BBB

Secret Shopper is a site that's been around for 30+ years. With a worldwide shopper base, you can work for Secret Shopper no matter where you're located. Open since 1990, Secret Shopper offers on-site shops, phone shops, and online shops for a variety that works for any schedule. You can expect to earn extra cash, free services, free meals, and complimentary hotel or travel stays, and with a mobile app, Secret Shopper lets you fill out your paperwork on the go. However, we could not find evidence that Secret Shopper is accredited by the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA), but this doesn't appear to have affected the company's reputation.

Tons of local shops with site recommendations too

To see the jobs listed at Secret Shopper, you'll need to join the website. First, put in your name, date of birth, gender, phone and email. You'll also be asked for your address and your tax ID number (or SSN), but you can choose to skip that for now if you just want to see jobs. You'll need to sign three agreements for privacy and your position as an independent contractor. Then, you can head to your shopper portal and begin looking at jobs (also known as "shops”). Notably, Secret Shopper offers you recommended shops right off the bat. We were recommended three that were all within 20 minutes of our location. You can expect to find shops for industries like dining, retail, grocery, banking, fitness, automotive, events, property, hotels, online services, and phone services.

Highly organized job boards with 100+ shops

We love how the job board is organized at Secret Shopper. Each job has an icon to tell you what type you'll be working on. Property shops have a little house icon, automotive shops have a little car, and fitness shops have a running man. You can sort the jobs by distance, city, detail, or location. The recommended shops are based on your demographic information, so the more you fill out, the more accurate the recommendations will be. You can also look at the full list outside of the recommended shops, and we had more than 100 to choose from in our area.

Tons of details to help you succeed

On top of the at-a-glance icons on shop listings, you'll see the location, type of shop (what you'll be expected to do), the distance from your current location, and the flat payment (plus any reimbursement). If you like the concept of a shop from its listing, you can click through for even more details. You'll find a client briefing (which must be followed precisely), and any important notices will be posted in the complete briefing too. For example, we saw one gig for a medspa. If you had previously visited one of these chain locations before, the notice stated that you would be ineligible. The job asked for you to book an IV wellness appointment, upload photos of the building, document the wellness plan offered to you, and write an assessment for the booking process as well as the in-spa experience. There are no details left up to chance, so you'll know exactly what you're doing on each job.

Payments from $10 to $120 per job

If you are less impressed with the payments offered at some of the other companies in our review, you'll love the numbers at Secret Shopper. The lowest payment we saw in our list of nearby shops was $10, but the majority of the gigs were $20 per job. We even saw one for $120 for a single shop. There were also impressive reimbursements for almost all of the shops (up to $99). On some of the listings, you're allowed to bid for a price you think is fair for payment (but reimbursement can't be negotiated). If your bid is accepted, you'll be given the shop right away. Your payment will be sent monthly through direct deposit if you're a US or Canadian citizen. You can also choose a check, and these will be sent on the 20th of every month.

Build a shopper route

One of the special features we loved at Secret Shopper was the Scheduled Shops tab. To maximize your payout for a single day of mystery shopping, you can use Schedule Shops to sign up for routes. These routes will spread out shops (up to 3 per day) that will help you get the most done without doing unnecessary driving on one route.

Solid scores from the BBB and app users

Secret Shopper currently holds an "A+” rating and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau. However, finding feedback for Secret Shopper is a little harder than at other sites. We were able to find reviews for the site's mobile app, where Secret Shopper has a 3.9-star average. In general, mystery shoppers love that the site is easy to work with and that they can pick up some serious cash with mystery shopping at Secret Shopper. While some customers are frustrated with technical issues, most contractors are pleased with the ability to choose their jobs and organize them with a routed day of reimbursed (and paid) shopping. While we would love to see more feedback outside of mobile apps, the response to Secret Shopper is impressive.

Solid mystery shopping experience

Secret Shopper is one of our favorite sites hands down. While we were worried about a lack of accreditation through the MSPA, mystery shoppers are saying we don't need to be (and neither do you). Secret Shopper is legit, and it makes mystery shopping a breeze. With high-paying opportunities and impressive reimbursements, this is a great site to check out if you're interested in mystery shopping. Only the general lack of reviews outside of the mobile app stores and the missing MSPA accreditation keep Secret Shopper from being our top pick, but it easily earns a competitive score in our review.

IntelliShop

• $6 to $20 per job
• Monthly payment through PayPal
• Make a free account by answering quick questions
• Detailed tips about each job
• Travel shopper opportunities
• Accredited by the MSPA
• "A+” rating and accreditation from the BBB

If you're looking for a company that will help you with your mystery shopping and keep you up to date with simple mobile apps for tracking your gigs, IntelliShop is the place for you. IntelliShop is a customer experience research company that makes its home in Perrysburg, Ohio. This site is a trusted member of the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA) and won the Americas Shoppers' Choice award in 2024.

Self-assign and application jobs offered

To see the jobs and positions offered at IntelliShop, you'll need to register. This includes filling out your personal information, tax information, and payment details before you can preview the shops (jobs) available for mystery shopping. You will also want to have your Social Security number or a Tax ID number ready to go. Once you're signed up, you can jump to the job boards right away. The system will find opportunities nearest to you first. At the time of our review, we found three jobs right away. All were within 20 miles of our location. One was for a gas station, the other was for a car wash, and the third was for Hyatt hotels. Some jobs you can self-assign (like the gas station job), while others require an internal application.

Monthly updating boards with a variety of jobs

The job boards at IntelliShop are impressively detailed and are updated regularly. You can expect new jobs monthly depending on the type of shop offered (self-assign or application-based). Most jobs have a window of completion of around 30 days, though some of the self-assign jobs need to be done within one or two days of acceptance, so these opportunities will turn over much faster than the monthly options.

You'll never question what you need to do

The job boards are incredibly helpful, offering location information and impressive levels of detail on the jobs themselves. For example, on one of the Hyatt jobs, there was a requirement that you need to stay for 2 nights at the selected Hyatt hotel. Your shopper rating needs to be a minimum of 8 (so you may need to do some other shops before you can apply for Hyatt listings), and you will need to be able to stay at the particular location only.

Payment between $6 to $20 per job

Currently, IntelliShop only offers payment through PayPal, so if you don't have one yet, you'll want to make a PayPal account ASAP. IntelliShop states that they usually pay on the 20th of the month (or the next closest business day). Payment for a completed shop will be sent through PayPal around 30 days after all of the required materials are submitted to IntelliShop. In terms of how much you can expect for payment, we saw jobs between $6 to $20 (not including reimbursement).

Simple application despite mentions of a test

According to IntelliShop, their application process is a little more in-depth than some of its competitors. The first step is to apply, using all the standard personal information that is relevant to the job posting (name, age, contact information, place of residence). Then, IntelliShop says you'll take a test. However, when we went through the application to try it out, there wasn't any more extra work than other mystery shopping sites, and a test wasn't part of the process at all.

Solid reputation with praise for easy jobs

IntelliShop has an "A+” rating and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau. Mystery shoppers posting on third-party job boards and review sites are generally happy with their experience here. At Indeed, IntelliShop has a 3.4-star average (higher than many companies in our review). Contractors love it as a side hustle but admit it would be hard to make enough to do mystery shopping full-time at IntelliShop. Mystery shoppers also praise the ease of the work, and there are lots of reviewers who are impressed with the job search engine on IntelliShop. The most mentioned downside for IntelliShop is that the payment for individual gigs is lower than with competitors.

A trusted site with great variety

IntelliShop is a standout site for starting your mystery shopping side hustle. The jobs are updated monthly and offer a variety of local and travel opportunities (with reimbursement). While some mystery shoppers say that IntelliShop could pay more for the individual gigs, the site is trustworthy and pays out on a monthly schedule. With solid reviews and an impressive "A+” from the Better Business Bureau, IntelliShop stands out from the pack in our review.

Second To None

• Pay around $10 per job
• Monthly payment through PayPal or direct deposit
• Make a free account by answering quick questions
• Phone shopper opportunities
• Accredited by the MSPA
• "A+” rating and accreditation from the BBB

Second To None is a member of the CX Group which works with brands across the US and Canada. Second To None has been around for 35 years, and offers mystery shopper jobs through the CX Group Shopper Hub. When you join their independent contractor network, you'll be able to score gigs that take you to restaurants and your favorite retail locations on a flexible schedule. The company works with popular businesses like BP, Xfinity, Krispy Kreme, YETI, Kroger, Chipotle, Citibank, and more. With accreditation from the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA), you can feel confident that you're working with the real deal.

Nearly 200 jobs in our area

To see the job listings, you'll need to become a shopper for Second To None. You can sign up with your email, Facebook, Google, or Apple accounts. You'll be asked for your name, email, address, and phone number. You'll also need to accept the contractor's terms of agreement. Before you see jobs (also known as shops), you'll need to answer a few questions for your profile. These may be state-specific. Some questions that might be universal include whether or not you would use your smartphone to do call-in shops or if you've been part of the military. Once you complete the questions, you'll be able to see the different types of shops available. For our test application, we were offered 172 different call-in shops, 9 shops for the ESRB (the video game rating system), and 1 shop for a standard food restaurant through DoorDash.

Shop types not found elsewhere

There are tons of different shops, and some of Second To None's offerings are unique from competitors. Call-in shops are simple and can be completed in the comfort of your home. Online shops are similar, but you'll be browsing online stores. ESRB rating shops (a type of shop we didn't see at other providers) are sometimes limited by age group, and you'll be going into a location to review a game. Some of these types of shops aren't available at other sites, and Second To None offers unique categories, so you can see which type of shops are available at any time.

Detailed role plays for calls

The job listings themselves have all the basics. You'll get a job ID number, a scenario, a required completion time, and any notes you need to complete the shop. For example, one call-in shop on our list asked the shopper to call the company and role-play as someone asking for info on an IID install after a recent DUI. A vehicle is listed for you to use in your role play. In the notes, there are further details: the caller should use a particular city and zip code, and document all costs while answering questions.

Most jobs pay $10 each

Payment is one area where Second To None could level up a bit. The company only offered shops at $10 per job. This is about average, but with some sites offering $20+ each, this was a little on the low end. It was not clear if there would be higher-paying opportunities as you progress with Second To None. In terms of how you get your payment, Second To None offers PayPal and direct deposit. You will be paid every month, and direct deposit is free of charge. If you choose PayPal, a $1 processing fee will be taken out of your monthly payment (another downside for STN, since most rivals don't charge that fee). If you don't work in the US, you are only able to use PayPal.

No applications or waiting for jobs

There are no extra applications to fill out at Second To None. Some shops you can easily complete right away, while others require a request to be submitted. This depends on your rating as a shopper. If you maintain your 5-star rating (which is what you'll start with), you can always sign up for jobs right away. If you offer high-quality work, you'll have your pick of jobs.

Feedback is middle-tier

Second To None holds an impressive "A+” rating and accreditation with the Better Business Bureau. It's the ratings from current and former mystery shoppers on third-party job boards that are pretty average. For example, Indeed shows a 3-star rating for Second To None. Contractors praise the flexibility, but most feel that the short time limits at Second To None are more difficult to manage than at other mystery shopper websites. Regrettably, reviews from mystery shoppers don't mention the pay or if it increases over time.

Best for call-based shops

Second To None is a middle-of-the-road mystery shopping option. Signing up is simple, and you can choose jobs as soon as your profile is set up. However, if you're looking for the most pay, you may be disappointed by Second To None. The reviews are about average, and that's our feeling for this company too. While its unique shops help it stand out a bit above the norm, Second To None earns an above-average rating in our review. But, if you like working from home, the high volume of call-based shops may make it worth a shot.

Mystery Shopping Service

• Some jobs pay $125
• Payment through PayPal, Zelle, Venmo, or check
• Make a free account with quick questions
• Phone shopper opportunities
• Accredited by the MSPA
• "A+” rating and accreditation from the BBB

There's no question at all what you can do for Mystery Shopping Service: it's right there in the name. If you're looking to become a mystery shopper, Mystery Shopping Service is probably one of the first few you'd find while researching online. The company offers tons of shop (job) types including telephone shops, in-person shops, and competitor shops. You can also find gigs for market research on this site. Owned by Heather Price, Mystery Shopping Service has been around for 20 years, serves the entire US, and is accredited by the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA).

Preview some jobs before you sign up

A unique benefit to Mystery Shopping Service is that you can see available shops without needing to make an account. However, we ran into some site glitches while browsing the free job boards. The site has an auto-scroll feature on some browsers that pulls the cursor back to the top, so there's a shuddering problem as you scroll down, and you can't see the bottom of the board without the site pulling you back up. Many jobs on this list were for Senior Living facilities, and we saw options from around the US. Without signing up, there's no way to limit the selection to locations near you.

No local jobs in our area

During our test of the sign-up process, Mystery Shopping Service's portal said we had 47 jobs available within 30 miles of our location. However, once when we clicked through the job board, the 47 jobs listed on the main page disappeared. These were only available if we changed our travel area to 4,000 miles. There were zero jobs within 30 miles of our location. Unless you're willing to drive a lot for mystery shopping, this site may not be ideal for you, but the actual numbers may vary depending on your location. On the bright side, some of these distant jobs are completed over the phone, so you don't have to drive over two state lines to make a buck.

Details on jobs are limited until you're assigned

The details for individual jobs vary depending on whether or not you've accepted a shop. If you're unassigned to a job, the details are pretty scarce. You'll see the category, the shop period, the address, and the shop type. However, general instructions or pay information is limited. You may not see these important details until you're assigned to a particular shop. Some jobs do show the pay before letting you apply for the individual opportunity, but there are still limited details beyond that until you're accepted to the shop.

Some gigs for $125

The pay at Mystery Shopping Service is much higher even for starter jobs. As soon as we joined we saw some jobs listed for $125. Now, some of these were in-person and out of state, which meant they were impossible for us to get to. However, some were phone or recorded, which would make it possible even in our area to do the work. As for payment methods, you can choose between Zelle, PayPal, Venmo, or a check in the mail. Payments are sent out at the end of each month.

Small waiting period to get jobs

All of the jobs we saw on the board required an application once you're already a member. There weren't any listed at the time of our review that you could assign yourself to. When you select the "apply” button, it will ask you to confirm that you understand the requirements of the particular shop. On one shop for a Senior Living facility, the job required mystery shoppers to receive and provide updates through email and text alongside following the other required guidelines of the site. There were no additional actions needed to apply, though. So, it's just a matter of saying "I agree” and waiting to hear back.

Solid BBB scores

Mystery Shopping Service holds an "A+” rating and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau. On the other hand, its feedback on third-party sites or job boards was nonexistent. We couldn't find any reviews on trusted sites like Trustpilot or Sitejabber or job review boards like Indeed or Glassdoor. For a company that's been around for over 20 years, we were a little surprised. There is only 1 review on the Better Business Bureau, which is a 5-star rating, but we're wary of recommending a site that has little to no contractor feedback.

Too limited in some areas

While Mystery Shopping Service is well-rated by the BBB, there are a few hangups. The limited details on job listings are a transparency problem, especially as most of Mystery Shopping Service's competitors offer far more detail before you accept a shop. On top of that, the fact that all jobs require an extra application might create a longer time frame for waiting than with other companies. For these reasons, Mystery Shopping Service is just average in our review. You may still want to check it out if you're located near the areas of those high-paying jobs, but for most independent contractors, Mystery Shopping Service will be a limited opportunity to make money.

About Face

• $10 to $50 per job
• Payment through PayPal
• Make a free account with no application
• Detailed tips about the process
• No payment threshold
• Accredited by the MSPA
• "A+” rating from the BBB

AboutFace is a company that's been around for over 20 years. Focusing on leading brands in North America, AboutFace hires independent contractors and allows them to control the shops they want to do. With a free account, and the ability to accept or decline assignments, AboutFace is a pretty standard site for mystery shopping. Accredited by the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA), AboutFace is a trustworthy place to do your mystery shopping.

Personal shopper, researcher, and more

You can pick from a variety of positions at AboutFace. While mystery shopping is one of the main gigs, you can also earn money at AboutFace as a field researcher, survey panelist, focus group participant, or demonstrator for products. There are also positions for editors and quality control experts offered for those with additional experience.

See their jobs once you make an account

To see AboutFace's open opportunities for mystery shopping, you'll need to make an account. You'll be asked to provide your name, email, and phone number, and sign an independent contractor agreement that states that you understand that you aren't an employee or full-time team member. Then, once you're in, you can fill out your profile to start seeing jobs near you. You'll be asked things like what kind of digital camera you have and whether or not you have access to a scanner or fax machine. AboutFace will ask you how far you're willing to travel as a mystery shopper. You'll also need to upload a copy of your driver's license to proceed. Once you do, you'll see plenty of jobs in your area, and if there aren't any right away, you can either increase the area for mystery shopping or wait a few days. For us, we found two jobs available at the time of our review. If you want advance notice on jobs before other contractors, you can follow AboutFace on Facebook and X.

Detailed helpful tips

AboutFace offers a detailed page talking about how mystery shopping works and how they grade "evaluators” (their word for mystery shoppers). You'll be graded on how accurately you score the store, how quickly you start, complete, and submit your evaluation, the quality of your comments and the grammar, and whether or not you provide high-quality sources to prove your visit (photos, receipts). You can also access a variety of helpful details from FAQ pages to help you learn best practices for mystery shopping to make sure you're doing your best work. Each shop (job) also has particular details for how to complete the work, and these need to be accurately followed to receive payment.

Payment between $10 to $50

Details about payment are offered on each job when you receive it, but you can't see it before then. AboutFace promises to pay around 15% more than its competitors. According to details we found on third-party job boards, most mystery shoppers were paid an average between $10 to $50 per project depending on the individual shop. Payments are processed through PayPal only. So, you will need a PayPal account to work for AboutFace. There is no payout threshold (you don't have to make a certain amount of money to have your paycheck submitted to PayPal), which is a bonus for those looking to be able to get some extra cash right away.

No application or waiting period

The shops at AboutFace are "self-assign”. Once you see jobs on your dashboard, you can choose to accept or decline any time you like. However, these are first-come-first-serve jobs, so make sure you check your dashboard regularly to accept jobs before another mystery shopper. If you want to be more competitive, you can get a shopper's MSPA certification to be offered higher-paying opportunities.

Mixed reviews from former shoppers

AboutFace holds an impressive "A+” rating from the Better Business Bureau, along with a full five star review average there. However, on third-party job boards and review sites, the reputation is a little more mixed. AboutFace has a 3.1-star rating on Indeed and only 1.4 stars out of 5 from sites like Sitejabber. According to previous mystery shoppers, they were frustrated at how irregular the work was. Contractors also complained that AboutFace asks for a lot more details and information from their mystery shoppers, and due to having an older website, filling out all the forms can be difficult.

An old standby, but it might need an update

While AboutFace used to be one of our top picks, the poor reviews and the difficulty seeing jobs until you've uploaded all of your personal information raises some questions. While we have no doubt this is a legit place to score some mystery shopping gigs, it may need a little updating to remain competitive with other similar sites. With a free no-application account available, you may still want to check out AboutFace, especially if you're not too worried about having a full workload right away. However, due to the negative reviews in recent years, AboutFace now earns just an average score in our review.

Shopper's View

• Pay between $20 to $50 per job
• Payment through PayPal
• Make a free account by answering quick questions
• "A+” rating from the BBB

Shopper's View has been around for 25 years. With a focus on supporting mystery shoppers and contractors, Shopper's View promises that they offer the best tools to succeed as a mystery shopper. You can sign up to work on several job types including audits, competitive intelligence, mystery shopping, customer satisfaction surveys, and online review management. As a mystery shopper for Shopper's View, you'll be able to choose between in-person evaluation and telephone shops. Shopper's View is located in Grand Rapids, MI, and recommends using companies registered with the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA) (though it doesn't appear that Shopper's View itself is registered).

Not many jobs around the US

To see the jobs offered at Shopper's View, you'll have to make an account on the platform. The process is simple: after just two quick questions and filling out a demographic form, you'll be signed up for Shopper's View. However, once we finished the process, we ran into a snag. There were no jobs available within 30 miles of our area. We had to extend the search area to 999 miles (the maximum) to see any jobs posted on Shopper's View. Some jobs were located in Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, and Texas, but outside of that, the options were limited. There were zero jobs in our state or states near us.

Old-fashioned and lacks user-friendliness

We have a few concerns about how updated the Shopper's View site is (or, more accurately, isn't...). Overall, the user interface is difficult and feels clunky and outdated. On the extended demographic information page, we were asked about our banking, our mobile phones, and other personal details. Included in this list were items and branches that no longer exist. For example, the Southern bank SunTrust is out of business, but was included on the list. Windows phones (which are no longer sold) are also included. This, plus the limited number of jobs around the US, raises questions about how up-to-date this mystery shopping job board is.

Helpful details at a glance

If you can find a shop that's in your area, the actual listings are pretty detailed. You'll be able to see the type of business, the location, the payment, and how far away it is from your location at a glance. The site also shows which jobs you're pre-qualified for and can assign yourself to. If you expand the listings, you'll get a brief from the "shop comments” which gives you basic instructions on your task. For example, one shop available for a bank in Hastings, MI asks that you enter the business and inquire about opening an account. You must ask about an account you do not already own if you use that establishment already. The shop brief states that you would receive further guidelines after that if you're assigned.

Payment from $20 to $50 per job

Shopper's View only pays out through PayPal, so, if you don't have a PayPal account yet, you'll need to grab one ASAP. When you sign up, your PayPal email and the one you use to join Shopper's View must match for you to receive payments. If the emails don't match, you may need to make a new account (or risk not getting paid for your work). Shopper's View pays out once per month, and while browsing available jobs, we found that the fees ranged from $20 to $50 on average, which is much higher than many competitors.

No extra applications

There were no shops listed on the job board that required any additional application to get assigned. All of the shops that were listed were "self-assign," making it simple to jump right into working if you're in the area. However, most of the jobs are in-person opportunities, so if you don't live near the locations, many of the opportunities at Shopper's View will be unavailable.

Not many recent reviews

Currently, Shopper's View has a solid "A+” rating from the Better Business Bureau, and while the ratings are decent on third-party job boards (like Indeed), we learned something interesting from the reviewers: it seems like Shopper's View's mystery shopping department was sold to another company, which severely downscaled the endeavor. This makes a lot of sense seeing how there were so few jobs available around the US. While there isn't any mention of this on the Shopper's View website, the lack of updates on the contractor portal seems to speak to the possibility that Shopper's View has changed management. On other third-party review sites, there are a handful of negative reviews, but most reviews are from over 10 years ago, so it's unclear if they are relevant for modern mystery shoppers at Shopper's View.

Pick a place that offers more jobs

Considering the lack of jobs on Shopper's View, the reviews are almost a moot point. If you can't work, then the site isn't going to work for you. Unless you're located in Texas, Kentucky, Tennessee, or Ohio, you'll find the jobs are pretty slim pickings. While the pay is higher than average, it seems like this site might be slowly going out of style whether due to new management or just being a bit old-fashioned. Either way, you're better off checking out a mystery shopping job board with more to offer.

BestMark

• $5 to $20 per job
• Payment through PayPal, direct deposit, or gift card
• Make a free account by answering quick questions
• Detailed tips about the process
• Online shopper opportunities
• Accredited by the MSPA
• "A+” rating and accreditation from the BBB

BestMark was one of the first and largest mystery shopping companies out there. Founded in 1986, this provider offers positions for independent contractors that include mystery shoppers, intercept interviewers who talk to customers when they exit retail locations, and compliance auditors who check a location's adherence to regulation guidelines. BestMark has been an Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA) Elite member since 2020, and promises a trustworthy and accredited experience; however, job boards and reviews may suggest otherwise.

Joining to see the job boards

BestMark works with Fortune 500, 100, and 50 companies across an impressive range of industries. They currently work with over 600,000 independent contractors across the United States and Canada. At the time of this review, BestMark's options included Mystery Shopping, Exit Interviewing, and Compliance Audits. The jobs are visible once you make an account and apply. The application includes questions about your ethnicity, location, previous jobs, and more. Then, you'll be asked to sign an independent contractor agreement. Before you can see shops, you'll be asked some questions on your profile that include interest in products or skills that might be useful for some mystery shopping gigs. You can decline to go to shops that require you to buy tobacco or alcohol products if you prefer. You can choose to go in person to shops or complete fully online evaluations.

Not as many local opportunities

Once you have an account, you can easily start browsing job boards. At the time of our review, we already had four jobs (known as shops) available as soon as we signed up. Each shop will show whether you can request to be assigned (with a yellow ticket) or if you can immediately assign yourself to the shop (orange ticket). The most popular jobs for our test profile were car wash jobs. The jobs include locations up to 100 miles away (there were far fewer jobs locally) and they need to be completed within the next 30 days.

Extremely detailed instructions for each shop

The shop listings are very detailed. When you click on a shop you're interested in, you'll see an overview, which details anything that might disqualify you from the job. For example, in one of the car wash jobs we checked out, mystery shoppers who were Caliber Car Wash members would be disqualified. The rest of the overview includes step-by-step instructions on what car wash to buy, how to pay, what photos are needed to complete the shop, and who is allowed to accompany you. The job details also cover how much you will be reimbursed and what the separate payment details are.

Payment from $5 to $20 per job

BestMark offers payment through three methods. PayPal is the most popular, but you can also select direct deposit, for money directly into your chosen bank account. The third option is a gift card, though the site does not say how this will be delivered. You will likely receive it in the mail at the address you provided when signing up. BestMark states that their pay range generally falls between $7 to $20; however, of the jobs we saw, the payment ranged from $5 to $10 per job with reimbursement up to $30 on all of them. According to third-party job boards, the average weekly pay in the US for BestMark is $490, but this depends on job availability and your location.

Difficulties getting paid

BestMark holds an impressive "A+” rating and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau. However, the good news stops there. According to third-party review sites and job boards, working as a mystery shopper at BestMark may not be the best experience. Former and current mystery shoppers on Indeed state that there are frequent issues with payments being processed promptly. Other contractors had difficulties getting jobs in the first place, even when submitting for every job on their list. While some mystery shoppers are impressed by how easy the jobs are themselves, many agree that getting your payment from BestMark can be difficult and frustrating.

Not the best and missing the mark

While we love the detailed job boards and the easy signup process, the concerns about payment are hard to ignore. With payments ranging lower than other sites we've seen, and the possibility that BestMark won't send you that payment when it's time, we're reluctant to recommend you start your mystery shopping career with this company. At the end of the day, there are much more reliable sites that regularly pay their contractors.

Service Evaluation Concepts

• Pay from $65 to $95 per job
• Payment through direct deposit or check
• Make a free account by answering quick questions
• High-payment opportunities

Service Evaluation Concepts (SEC) is a site that takes mystery shopping in a different direction. Rather than calling their contractors mystery shoppers, Service Evaluation Concepts calls you a Brand Agent. Aside from making you feel a bit like the marketing version of James Bond, what's the difference? Certification. A Brand Agent at Service Evaluation Concepts is tested to make sure they understand all of SEC's guidelines and procedures. You can also become a Certified Brand Agent, which means you have an additional certification in client engagement (for a particular brand only, so this is a repeating process). Don't worry, these aren't certifications you need to pay for; you just complete them in-house, but there will be an exam at the end.

Not a lot of jobs to get started

Like most mystery shoppers, Brand Agents at SEC can't see jobs until they're onboarded. But, don't freak out. For getting on as a basic Brand Agent, you don't really have to worry about a test. We went through the onboarding so you can hear about our first-hand experience. You submit your personal information in an application (including your Tax ID number or SSN) and then answer a few self-explanatory questions about the process. It's worded like a test, but only requires common sense, and the right answers are extremely obvious. However, after going through the sign-up process, there were zero assignments available in our state. A few other states had some options, but there weren't a lot of them. Most states had around 6 or 7 jobs listed total.

Extra certifications for some jobs

There are a lot of blocks when you start browsing SEC's portal. Many of the available jobs are only for the special Certified Brand Agents (the ones where you have to take a separate exam). These exams are for particular clients. For example, one job in Texas required you to study Food Safety Certification Guidelines, answer a questionnaire, read SEC Standard Requirements, and then pass the exam for this unique brand. The certification would carry over to other shops for that brand only. This means you may be taking multiple certification tests per day to apply to Certified Brand Agent jobs.

Not intuitive, but complete

The site isn't the most user-friendly experience out there, but there are lots of details on the job listings to help you out. You'll see a base compensation listed, and some shops offer bonuses too. However, if you want very detailed information about a shop, you have to be accepted for it. So for jobs you're not "qualified” for, you'll only see pay, location, and job type. Once you pass the certification for brands, you'll see all the details you need to get the job done.

Payment between $65 to $95 per job

SEC offers payment through direct deposit or check. If you choose to be paid with a check, you'll have to pay a $3 fee on every monthly payment, which will be deducted from your overall payout. On the bright side, payment was quite high for the shops on SEC. Most of the gigs we saw were $65+. Some were up to $95 at the base pay with a $30 bonus. However, since none of these shops were even in our state, there was no way to complete the tasks from our location.

Site may need a serious update

There are some things about the website that raise a few red flags. For example, on the agent portal, you'll see some links like "learning tips” and other helpful content on the side of the screen. When we clicked through these for extra information, many were blank or had no information. Further, there was a blog notice at the bottom that showed the most recent update to the SEC blog was in 2011. However, the site seems to function as it should beyond those little foibles.

Outdated ratings and almost no reviews

Currently, Service Evaluation Concepts is not rated by the Better Business Bureau. The company shows an "NR” on the BBB webpage, and there are zero reviews for SEC. We could only find one third-party review on Yelp for SEC and it was posted in 2021. There aren't any more recent comments about the company anywhere that we could see beyond two 5-star ratings on Facebook.

Not worth the red flags

With so little feedback to go off of, a clunky older website, and zero jobs within our state (much less our local area), SEC isn't one of our top picks for mystery shoppers. If you're lucky enough to have some jobs in your area, it may be worth a look, but with the extra certification requirements, even the high-paying jobs may not be worth the effort. For this reason, Service Evaluation Concepts earns a lower rating and a cautionary note that this outdated site might not be as active as it used to be.

Elite CXS

• $8 to $25 per job
• Payment through direct ACH Transfer
• Make a free account with no application
• Online shopper opportunities
• Accredited by the MSPA

Elite CXS is a nationwide provider of mystery shopping jobs. Some of its primary clients include famous brand names like Chick-fil-A, Starbucks, Wendy's, Swarovski, Porsche, Hyatt, Lockheed Martin, and Rolex. Elite CXS promises flexible work opportunities, and the company currently supports 200,000+ mystery shoppers already. The site is particularly geared toward people of all levels, so whether you're new to mystery shopping or a pro from another site, you can easily join Elite CXS. Elite CXS promises you will never have payment issues (though, as you'll see, this may not truly be the case).

Tons of positions right away

Getting started at Elite CXS is simple, but you'll have to make an account and sign a contractor agreement before you can see the job boards. This process includes filling out your name, birthday, address, and phone number to proceed. Once you get onto the job board platform, this may look familiar. Several of the other companies in our review use the same online portal. Once you complete your profile, you can start looking through jobs. At the time of our review, we found 147 different jobs that could be done from home (either online or by phone), and 549 total jobs in our local area.

Lots of jobs with constant updates

The job boards are constantly updating, and Elite CXS promises that you'll never feel alone as you start browsing jobs. The portal offers a link to the Elite CXS support team, so you can reach out with any questions you have. Once you complete your profile, you'll have access to all of the jobs on the list, and with well over 500+ jobs in our local area (within 15 miles of our location), you'll likely find plenty of mystery shopping gigs to keep you busy.

Transparency is limited until you're a confirmed shopper

Regrettably, unless you are a full member (you've put in your SSN or EIN number to prove you can work), you can't see any details about how to complete jobs. The job boards are locked until you fill out all of your personal details, which includes information about your previous occupations, your preferred travel distance, whether or not you have a Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA) certification, and what equipment you have (digital camera, smartphone, laptop) for helping you work. This lockout is not standard practice for mystery shopping sites, as most let you see jobs without needing your SSN or EIN. It raises some questions about Elite CXS' transparency.

Payment from $8 to $25 per job

Elite CXS makes two different payment statements. On one area of the site, it states that Elite CXS pays out bi-weekly, and in another area, it states their payments will be paid within 90 days of a shop being finished and accepted. Elite CXS uses ACH bank transfers (direct deposit) for all payments. You'll need to make sure that your bank account can receive these payments. According to third-party review sites, Elite CXS pays out around $8 to $25 per gig. However, customer feedback and the Better Business Bureau also state that there are some high-level concerns about payments. We'll get to those in a minute.

Pattern of complaint regarding payments

There's not a lot of feedback for Elite CXS, but the reviews we did find were concerning. Elite CXS has an "NR” rating from the Better Business Bureau alongside a concerning alert. Currently, BBB files show that Elite CXS has a pattern of complaints regarding payment issues. Mystery shoppers accept and complete work for Elite CXS and then are never paid for their time and effort. In August 2024, the BBB reached out to Elite CXS to address these issues, but there has been no response as of this review. The only other reviews for Elite CXS were found on Facebook where the company has a dismal 1.9-star average and further complaints about payments.

Not worth worrying about your pay

While the easy access to mystery shopping seems nice at face value, the concerns other mystery shoppers have with Elite CXS drop it to one of the least trustworthy sites in our review. With an alert from the Better Business Bureau to back up complaints about lack of payment (especially after the company asserted on its website that you would be paid) we're deeply concerned by this company. The lack of response by Elite CXS to the BBB is a huge factor in our rating. You may want to choose a site that better supports its employees.