Want to get paid to shop or to eat? While it may sound too good to be true, it's a fact that mystery shoppers are able to do just that. As a matter of fact, mystery shoppers are literally able to make money and save money at the same time. If you like the sound of that, becoming a mystery shopper might be a great option for you!

What is Mystery Shopping?

Mystery shopping is a type of research that can help companies recruit people to help them understand what it's like for customers to do business with the organization. Various types of businesses enlist the services of marketing research companies to conduct customer service studies. The research firms recruit people to pose as customers for the studies they conduct; hence the term "mystery shopper".

When you accept a mystery shopping project, typically you are asked to purchase a product and complete a customer service questionnaire. In exchange for taking the time to visit a place of business posing, as a customer, and completing a questionnaire, shoppers are paid a small fee for their time and are typically provided with reimbursement for any purchases that are required for the shop scenario.

The money you make for mystery shopping comes from the shop fee, which varies based on the nature of the project you are working on. Financial savings come into the picture with the reimbursement for items purchased. Not every mystery shop requires a purchase, but the ones that do can help you trim your household budget. After all, if the items you have to purchase when mystery shopping are things you'd buy anyway, you are saving the cost of the merchandise. What could be more budget friendly than that?

Examples of Mystery Shop Purchases

Many fast food establishments as well as casual and fine dining restaurants are shopped on a regular basis. They typically have food and/or beverage purchase requirements. All types of retail establishments are shopped, including drug stores, convenience stores, electronics retailers, and clothing stores. Even some optical stores are shopped, providing shoppers with an opportunity to receive a significant reimbursement toward the purchase of prescription glasses.

Mystery shops that require purchases sometimes specify what you have to purchase, while others allow shoppers to purchase anything in the store or order anything from the menu, yet have a cap on reimbursement allowed.

About Working as a Mystery Shopper

Companies that use the services of mystery shoppers typically work with individuals as independent contractors. A number of marketing research companies offer mystery shopping services and actively recruit people to work with them as shoppers. The opportunities available to you will vary based on the types of shopping projects that are going on in the area where you live and whether or not you have the skills necessary to do this type of work. Mystery shoppers must be very observant, pay attention to detail, and have excellent organizational skills.

Finding Mystery Shopping Providers

One of the best ways to find legitimate mystery shopping opportunities is to visit the "forums" section at www.volition.com. This forum is a well-known Internet board for the mystery shopping community. When you go into the mystery shopping forum, you'll find a wealth of information.

Check out the "Mystery Shopping Companies List" published on the forum to locate companies to register with and learn more about mystery shopping from experienced shoppers in the "Mystery Shopping Forum".

Be sure to complete the application process for each company that you're interested in working with. Some firms will email available shopping opportunities to approved shoppers, while others require shoppers to log in and check for possible assignments in order to get work.

A Word of Caution

It's also important to be careful when signing up to perform mystery shops. There are plenty of scams floating around. No legitimate mystery shopping company will charge you a fee to sign up, or send you a money order or advance for a large sum of money. Pay attention to what the Volition forum participants have to say and focus on signing up with companies that have a good reputation on the board.