Why does it take mystery shopping companies so long to render payment?? I was just told this morning that a shop I did in May for Athpower I will not be paid for until July 10. Come on people what is the big delay? I understand they need to share the results with who ever commissioned the shop, but that is absurd. Are there any companies out there that pay quickly?

I am getting fed up with the payment policies of mystery shopping companies, It should not take two months for payment to be rendered on a shop. Are their any companies that render payment quickly?

This is one of the first threads under the Mystery Shopping Companies part of the Forum. It has the payment policies for most companies:

[www.mysteryshopforum.com]

As an independent contractor you get to pick and choose what companies and what jobs you will take. Ath fell off my radar because the shops weren't great and the payment was so slow. I'm sure they justify it somehow as not paying the shopper until they have been paid so they know the client accepted the job. Nevertheless it is annoying and I don't need the annoyance.

OP, click on the link in Roxie's post and scan the companies and their payment schedules. I have been paid the same day that I performed the assignment and submitted the report. I have other companies that take up to 90 days to pay me. It is the name of the game and I plan accordingly.

I like Ath. Their instructions and reports are pretty straightforward, and the pay is good. I have probably done the most shops for them out of any company I work for, which isn't saying much because it is still less than 20. Never heard from an editor. Check comes on time.

There are many factors that explain why MSCs pay so slowly.
First, these are independently-run small businesses that aren't sitting on huge piles of cash; they have to wait until they are paid by their own client before they can in turn pay you.
Second, in order for that to happen, many things have to take place:

-You perform the assignment and submit the report, hopefully on time or there are more delays.
-The editor receives the report and needs time to proofread it.
-The report is sent back to you if there are any errors.
-The editor waits for you to correct those errors and re-submit the report.
-The editor proofreads a second time to make sure it is presentable, and submits it to the client.
-The client reviews the report, and decides if they want to dispute any of the allegations contained therein. It's in their best interest to check and make sure the shopper hasn't made the whole thing up. This is where a large chunk of time can go by: if there are offenses that require disciplinary action, the client needs to make sure the report is right before someone potentially loses his/her job. This might include reviewing videotape of your visit, speaking to any employees involved, or bringing in HR or other exectives if necessary to determine a course of action. The client really needs to take this part seriously in order to not open themselves up to a wrongful termination suit.
-Repeat all of these previous steps multiple times for a "bundle" of reports to be completed by numerous shoppers within a certain timeframe, usually once per month. The client is interested in having as many of their locations shopped within as short a time as possible, and when this contract is completely, or almost completely, fulfilled, we move on to the next step.
-Once everything is finally satisfactory, the client pays the MSC for the completed contract. This payment might take a week or so to clear the bank and show up in the MSC's account.
-The MSC reviews their payroll records to see what is owed and to whom. Not just shoppers, but schedulers, editors, executives, anyone who had a hand in this process.
-Payments are disbursed. Again, this tends to take at least a week to cut the check and have it arrive at your house.

Yes, things can be streamlined a bit if there are fewer reports and everything goes smoothly; if the MSC uses direct deposit, which posts much faster; and so on. But there's much more going on than just reading your report and then mailing a check.
Hope this helps to explain why sometimes it takes six to eight weeks to get your money! It's really not a part of the business that we love, but if you're staying active and submitting shops regularly, eventually you get to where the money is rolling in and the reports are rolling out. Just make sure you're keeping good records on a spreadsheet.

Snowy, we can't change how the companies pay. Some pay slower and some pay faster. Choose your companies to fit your own business model. Keep in mind that after you get money coming in on a regular basis your income will be fairly steady as long as you work steadily. Back off and the money will back off. Crank it up and money will crank up. There will be a drag before performance of a shop and payment and it can vary from a few days to three months. Plan accordingly. If you don't want to work with the MSCs with longer pay times, then don't. You get to pick and choose.

Today is the 16th. I have received some form of payment 12 days out of the past 16 days. I love having staggered payment schedules. I almost always have money coming in.

Some companies pay fast. Some companies pay slow. I am okay with it as long as they tell me when they are going to pay and then they pay when they say they will pay. If I decide the payment is too long and I don't want to wait, I won't take shops from them.

And if you shop for the same companies every month, you will get paid every month for something so it won't *seem* like they are far behind.

Ath power is notorious for two things:
1. Paying very, VERY slowly
2. Not responding to emails and phone calls.

Taking disciplinary action against an employee, when using the shopper report as the SOLE basis for that action is illegal.
Period. Companies have lost every time in court (when the terminated or disciplined employee sues) when an IC report is used in this fashion.
Using a licensed PI is a far better bet for an employer looking to find dirt on employees.

Quoted directly from sections of the ath Power website...

Where can I learn about payment questions and policy?
For more information about ath Power's payment policy, and who to contact, please see our official policy page here: [www.athpower.com]
ath Power is reputed as being forthright about its payment policy and being responsive to questions and concerns.


ath Power Shopper Pay Policy

Option 1 – E-Payment

You now have the option to sign up for e-payment with ath Power. This means that rather than receiving a check for your completed mystery shops, you can have your payment deposited directly into your bank account through Bill.com. To be eligible for e-payment, you must first have already received at least one payment from ath Power by check. Then, please contact Ellen at ath Power (ebarkhouse@athpower.com) with your direct deposit request. We will coordinate with Bill.com and Bill.com will email you typically within 48 hours. The email will include a unique link and will provide sign-up instructions for Bill.com.

Option 2 – Pay By Check
Checks are cut once per month - on the last day of each month for shops completed the previous month. For example, if you completed a shop on May 15th, the check for that shop is cut on June 30th. Once the checks are cut, please allow 7-10 business days for checks to arrive through the U.S. post office.

According to my Excel spreadsheet, my ath Power payments (all by check) were paid on average in 55 days. Quickest payment was 41 days; longest payment was 69 days. That is less than two months. I am perfectly fine with that. I have othet MSCs that push the 90-day payment limit.

I just don't understand why anyone has to complain about payment schedules. When you sign up for any company they tell you what their payment plan is. Ath power pays on time for their schedule. They pay every 2 months. All April shops were paid June 10th. I always get a response from Ath power schedulers. They pay bonuses near the end of the month. I have shopped for them for 8 years. If you except this fact, and you schedule yourself with many companies, you will have the income every month. I use their Bill pay. Safe and reliable.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/19/2015 05:05PM by shopper8.

@shopper8 wrote:

I just don't understand why anyone has to complain about payment schedules. When you sign up for any company they tell you what their payment plan is. Ath power pays on time for their schedule. They pay every 2 months. All April shops were paid June 10th. I always get a response from Ath power schedulers. They pay bonuses near the end of the month. I have shopped for them for 8 years. If you except this fact, and you schedule yourself with many companies, you will have the income every month. I use their Bill pay. Safe and reliable.

Exactly. I have noticed two kinds of behavior that totally mystify me since I've been mystery shopping.

One is the poor-performing employee at a client location who has been shopped. When confronted with the poor report, he tells his supervisor "I KNEW she was a mystery shopper. I knew it the whole time I was waiting on her. I KNEW the minute she walked up to my register." Totally stupid. He knew but, even knowing he was assisting a mystery shopper, he couldn't make a perfect score? Or even a decent score?

The second is mystery shoppers who take a shop and then complain because of the payment terms. Did the shopper not read the payment terms before accepting the shop? Or did the shopper think the stated payment terms would change after the shop was performed?

And some who post the payment complaints say they have performed shops for months or years for a company and they are complaining about the slow payment. You ask them "when did the slow payment start?" Always. Duh. The poster made a bad personal decision (over and over) that he isn't happy with so he wants to complain and lay the blame for his poor decision on someone else.

I have never had a problem getting paid by Ath. They have paid me on the schedule they have shown. And I do a lot of shops for them.

I recommend that you set up a simple spread sheet to keep track of shops done (by MSC) and make a mark when you get paid, thus you will are not likely to overlook any. When you are doing a few shops each week, the money will still be late, but will at least come in with more regularity. I really like it when I get a check (or PP deposit) from a shop that I had forgotten about.

Cheers!

I have plenty of shops with ath and I have always gotten paid.
If a shopper shops enough and for a variety of companies then payments eventually show up and the shopper might get paid 2-4 times that week. At the end of the year when you do your taxes you'll see just how well you did.
BTW, taxes are important, however paying into your SSI is critical. Otherwise you will retire on pennies and screwed because companies are putting age limits now.
Like how a 30 yr old is treated differently than a 60 yr old...If its my company I would want this information.