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.
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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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