Monday, December 2nd
2024 Mystery Shopping Company Reviews
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.
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The 10 Best Mystery Shopping Companies
Where is the Best Place to Start Mystery Shopping?
Ever wonder how different companies check that their stores are running the way they should? While most of us immediately think of watching Undercover Boss, many businesses actually choose to use mystery shoppers. Mystery shopping is a particular job where normal people like you are hired by a variety of different companies to get in-person, real-time data on what's happening inside local stores or restaurants.
As a form of market research, mystery shoppers visit brick-and-mortar businesses to check out things like customer service quality, cleanliness, and the overall shopping experience at a particular store. Sound like something you would enjoy? It's easier to make mystery shopping your next side hustle than you'd think.
Mystery Shopping Company FAQ
Continued from above...
You'll need good written and verbal communication skills to help you tell the higher-ups what's going on when you're browsing, but otherwise, as long as you're curious and are ready to use your great attention to detail, mystery shopping will be a great fit for you. The best part? Making purchases is usually part of the deal, so whether you're reviewing a car wash or a luxury hotel, you'll typically get reimbursed for necessary purchases. Plus, you get paid on top of that.
Here's how it works. Generally, you'll get hired through a third-party provider that will post opportunities to evaluate stores and chains near you. (Helpful hint: legit mystery shopping companies will be approved and accredited by the Mystery Shopping Providers Association.) Once a company approves your application, you'll be able to choose an assignment to start shopping.
You'll find restaurants, beauty salons, car maintenance shops, banks, makeup stores, and movie theaters (among many other stores) on the mystery shopper lists. Plus, many jobs let you do hotel stays or airline reviews, so you can travel without spending a dime. If you're someone who likes to explore your local area, try new things, and shop, shop, shop, you'll want to check out mystery shopping as your next side hustle.
The mystery shopping jobs (called "shops” in the biz) are usually listed on a job board on the particular website you work with. You'll be able to see the details like distance, job requirements, necessary purchases, and the reimbursement amount before you even accept the shop. Some gigs let you assign yourself (these are first-come-first-serve), and others require a little extra application to prove you're the right fit. These are usually high-quality or luxury shops that need that particular attention to detail. So if you keep up high quality services while you work, you'll be eligible for the good stuff.
But with so many places out there offering mystery shopping jobs, how can you pick the right one? If you've never applied for mystery shopping before, or you want to get a leg up on the competition, we've put together some factors that'll help you find the best fit for your shopping skills:
- Payment. The best mystery shopping sites offer solid payment and reimbursement for your services while shopping. Stay away from companies with startup fees, as these can be illegitimate sites. Pay can range from $5 per job to over $100 per job. Finding the right balance of good pay and solid opportunities that match your interests is a great way to pick between similar companies.
- Number of jobs. Hey, if you can't work, it's not worth it. Make sure the mystery shopping job site you choose offers a range of jobs in your area, so you don't feel like you need to be double-dipping or managing multiple sites to make enough to get by. Some job boards have almost nothing in some states, while others regularly offer hundreds of opportunities. When it comes to making some extra cash, having more options is always the better choice.
- Method. In this day and age, there are multiple types of mystery shopping. You can work with a company that offers all of them or go with a company that focuses on the area you prefer most. You can pick from in-person (the standard "going in and shopping” method), telephone (where you evaluate call centers), and hybrid (often used for hotels where you would evaluate all parts of your customer experience, from making the reservation to staying overnight). There are even some online companies that have you check websites.
- Reputation. Check out reviews from other mystery shoppers on sites like Glassdoor or Indeed. Make sure that you can trust a particular company to treat you right. Keep an eye out for sites that don't have a lot of buzz or feedback on job boards. These might not be the right fit for you. Look for services that are approved by the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA). These are always legitimate businesses. And, of course, check out the companies on the Better Business Bureau, for that extra layer of security.
To help you start making some extra cash buying the things you already love, Top Consumer Reviews has reviewed and ranked today's top mystery shopping platforms. We hope this helps you get into your next side hustle, all while enjoying the things you love (like shopping, traveling, or visiting your favorite car wash!).
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