Hey!
Saw this, figured I'd chime in with my two cents.
I'm not sure why they require us to write in third, but honestly, once you do it, it becomes weird to write in first. I was also iffy about it at first but, once I did a shop or two, it became second nature.
And yes, you do have to pay up front. That's why I never take on the huge 3-4 day shops. I definitely don't have those kinds of finances lol.
Don't let that deter you though! They're fun, and I never mind ranking up my hotel points to use for later