Does anyone know if there is a process that needs to be in place in order to do mystery shopping as a full time job. Or is something that is impossible and a waist of time. I would like to do it full time, but I just don't know exactly how. Any suggestions? Thank you all.

Attempting to make mystery shopping full time depends a whole lot on where you live. At this time with the companies we deal with, shopping is done on an Independent Contractor basis job by job by job by job.

Here are some things to consider:

As an idependent contractor you have no traditional benefits at all--no health insurance, worker's comp, unemployment, sick days, vacation days, retirement plan, etc. These you must arrange for yourself if you are going to have them (and for the most part your flexibility with your own schedule can allow vacation time or time not shopping to meet various personal needs). If you earn net more than $400 per year you will need to pay Self Employment tax. In a regular job environment, this is the FICA pulled out of your paycheck where you pay about half and your employer pays about half. As an independent contractor there is no withholding and you pay both halves of FICA.

Most jobs available as you are getting started are going to pay between $5 and $15, with the bulk of them in the $7-$10 range. As you build your reputation with various companies you will more frequently be awarded shops requested that pay somewhat better. How many shops you will need to get to make this work depends on how much you need to get out of shopping.

If you live in an area where there are many chain stores and franchises you will see more shops than if you live in an area where there are limited stores. You still may have many shoppers in your area, so shops may be scarce.

Most of the folks who are doing this full time put a lot of miles on their vehicles doing long routes. Is your vehicle up to this and your home situation such that that is feasible?

You cannot reasonably go into this with $0 available to you. The vast majority of shops require that you make at least a small purchase ($5 or less) to obtain a receipt. That receipt is essential because it is your proof that you were at the right place at the right time. Time frame to be reimbursed and paid your fee varies from a very few companies that pay in a week or two to companies with a 3 month pay cycle. Once you have done this for several months, the cash flow gets better as there will be a stream of payments coming in via check, direct deposit and PayPal, but getting that stream going requires some cash up front and patience.

As far as "process in place", as a shopper, everything is up to you. You need to register with companies, you need to check their job boards for work, you need to keep track of what you have requested and what is assigned to you, you need to do any certifications for the specifc jobs, read the instructions carefully, do the job, collect your proofs of visit, enter your reports in a timely fashion, respond to editor questions and patiently await payment, keeping records of payments received both to know you got correctly paid and for doing your taxes later.

I'm also wondering if I want to do this more, or maybe less.

I've done 70 jobs in my first three weeks. I've spent $400, put 900 miles on my car and am anxiously awaiting $1,200 for my efforts.

Can't live on $1,200 a month and can't keep up this pace without it effecting my first job. So... shop more or shop less. I don't know.

Gonna see how far I can push it for a couple more months before I decide anything. The only think I'm sure of... This is fun yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/07/2012 07:05AM by OneBusyMomma559.

OneBusyMomma559 Wrote:
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> The only think
> I'm sure of... This is fun

That is as good a reason as any to keep following what you enjoy!

I can't see how anyone can make this a full time job. The most jobs I've done on any given day was 10, and that was way too much effort than I had bargained for. Not so much the work on the front side, preparing for the shop and performing it, but on the back side, the scanning and the entering of reports. All for about $150 in pay plus whatever reimbursement came my way. I got them all done on time, but it was stressful, and from the first shop to the last report, probably about 12 hours, with travel.

This is supplemental income to me, less out of pocket for items I would normally buy or maybe something I wouldn't normally buy. If I get reimbursed for a net "free" sit-down meal for 30 minutes of data entry, I consider that a win.

As has been mentioned, a whole lot depends on what your needs are. If you have a $1000 mortgage payment each month, you are going to need to do a whole lot more shops than if you have a $500 mortgage per month. If you have a $300 car payment rather than a wholly owned vehicle, $800 in child support vs no kids, a $5 a day 'coffee habit' rather than a $5 per month can of coffee, a $175 per month cell phone contract vs $39, etc. etc. My household can run on about $1200 to $1500 per month while others spend that per month in groceries alone. My household is 2 adults and the 'pets' are fish while and the livestock generate their own revenue.

For me, shopping is a supplement in retirement and makes many otherwise normal expenses non-taxable or tax deductible against the business, though often it generates more than is needed to operate the household so could be considered 'full time' I guess. I would not consider doing this as sole employment if my income needs were significantly greater. Each shopper needs to figure out what their specific needs are and whether shops can cover without becoming a 100 hour a week 'slave' to them with the constant worry about whether enough jobs will appear.

Flash,what a clear explanation of self-employment (whether as a mystery shopper, or any other field).

Great summary.

For the vast majority of shoppers it is not possible to do it full time. I do hundreds of shops every month, but it isn't my primary job. My regular work allows me to effectively work from home, or in this case from the road when I'm shopping, so I have the freedom and flexibility to shop when I want.

To shop full time it requires a great deal of dedication and you need to be highly organized. You also need to have great flexibility as well as a decent starting bankroll to be able to fund all the shops upfront. You need to be prepared and like to travel, and you likewise need to love to drive and be a road warrior. You also need to be an excellent negotiator so you can make sure you are getting the max amount of revenue per a shop and as many expenses as possible reimbursed.