Traveling works very well for some, but I personally like to stay within a 25 mile radius of my home and can often get generous bonuses and work out a great route without having to travel much. Not long ago I picked up two audits for $80 each on the same day at locations that were very close to each other and only 13 miles from my house. I was done in 4 hours. I can often do a short route of maybe 6-10 shops that are all within 20 miles of my house and sometimes 2-3 of them will be in the same mall or within a mile of each other, usually with different MSCs. It depends on whether you live in a metro or urban area and also how many other shoppers are in the same vicinity. I like being home by late afternoon or at least early evening, sipping wine and cooking dinner with my husband, unless we are doing a restaurant or hotel shop somewhere; the only time I am willing to travel is for high-end hotel shops that involve a 2-night stay, and then I don't go more than 100 miles from home, and those shops often involve mileage reimbursement to cover fuel costs. By limiting my travel radius, I have managed to keep low miles and very little automotive work and repair on my cars. The last car I had which I sold earlier this year was a 2004 Saturn with only 76,000 miles on it. Basically the only maintenance I ever had to do on it was oil changes (which were shops) and changing out the wiper blades (another mystery shop) and then brake pads once, which I could not find a shop for at the time, though they do have them. You have to do what suits you best when it comes to travel, though many shoppers in here make great money doing it---but they also aren't home much.

Shopkins, you do have to sign up with more MSCs to get more work. When the Commonwealth of Massachusetts sent me a notice about their intent to review my state tax form, I pulled all of my information together. I found out that I had submitted shop reports to 43 different companies in 2016.

Wow Ceasesmith I am so excited after that great pep talk. I'm inspired by the great tips and your willingness to share your personal experiences with me. I know that I should get out of my comfort zone, really take the plunge and dive in. I'm still fresh out of the water and trying to find my way. Trendsource, IPSOS and InStore Group I haven't tried yet. But I will be very soon. BestMark didn't have anything in my area the last time I checked. I love Maritz. The team members have been calling to offer some very nice bonuses for me to go out of my area.

Hello JASFLALMT sounds like you and your husband make a great team of mystery shoppers. I tried talking with my hubby he's more of an Uber guy. Many of the jobs that I receive state that I cannot have anyone with me when I do the job. I have only really had one bad experience at a gas shop when I went out of my area. I was so frightened when I pulled around the back of the gas station, and two guys aggressively approached me. I backed my car out of there so fast. I scrapped it on the brick wall. I really felt like I was in danger. I will never again ignore the red flags. I saw the condition of the station as I pulled up. Most of the pumps didn't work. Beer cans, trash overflowing, graffiti. I never should have even tried to complete that shop but I did for a measly $6.00. Live and learn right I still haven't gotten my car fixed but it's just a reminder for me to keep myself safe no matter what. It could have gotten a lot worse. I just wanted to get the job done because I am new at this and I didn't want to get dropped if I didn't complete the job.

Hello Alannajm
I wondered if after a while the IRS does an audit of some sort. I did a little research prior to becoming a Mystery Shopper and decided to do it after a coworker informed me that they were already doing it. I learned about this a few years ago but I was also hesitant because of the scams that are out there. I learned from YouTube that the money we make is tax free right? If I understand correctly the MS companies only provide tax forms, if we make $600.00 or more during the year with them. Is that the limit for reporting to the IRS or are we still required to fill out some other type of form with the IRS?

Hi Shopkins, my husband is not a shopper, he is a catastrophe insurance adjustor. But, when I do high-end hotel shops where I am gone for 2 or more days, he goes with me, and most high-end restaurant shops require two people, so again, he goes with me. The rest I do alone.

As far as taxes go, it does not matter if you make less than $600 per calendar year with each company, in which they do not report it to the IRS but it is still taxable income. Look at the "new mystery shoppers" section (link at bottom of the page) for information on taxes and more.

@shopkins wrote:

I learned from YouTube that the money we make is tax free right? If I understand correctly the MS companies only provide tax forms, if we make $600.00 or more during the year with them. Is that the limit for reporting to the IRS or are we still required to fill out some other type of form with the IRS?

It is only tax free if you are into tax evasion.

Definition: Tax evasion is an illegal practice where a person, organization or corporation intentionally avoids paying his true tax liability. Those caught evading taxes are generally subject to criminal charges and substantial penalties.

Hmmm.....taking tax advice from YouTube....is this wise?

I mean I get your point but is it any less wise than an forum? lol

I think it's safe to take the advice that you need to pay your taxes on income earned from mystery shopping, even if you don't receive a 1099. Otherwise, seek a tax professional regarding more detailed information.

@shopkins wrote:

Thank you for the great advice and suggestions I will keep swimming and try to keep my head above the water. First thing on my list today is to check out jobslinger.com

Hey, shopkins

Any improvement with shop selection yet? Have you joined the multi-company job board websites yet (some of whom I listed on the previous page)?

I'm going to start adding more companies to my own list (I am registered with 78 right now) after a slow 10 days or so. Not really seeing enough work that I can batch together and route and don't feel like driving out for just one low-wage shop (I'd possibly LOSE money doing those!!).

One "tip" I'll throw out there that I've been looking into in regards to my own shopping is mileage and wear & tear on your car. The U.S. government gives a rate of $.54 (2016 - although, I think I've seen $.58 for another year...but very similar ballpark) for every mile that you drive that you should be "earning" if you drive for a living.

That number figures in:

i.) gas
ii.) car depreciation & replacement (having to buy a new one in the future at some point)
iii.) cost of auto insurance per year
iv.) cost of maintenance and wear & tear (car tire replacement, oil changes, car fluid replacement, brake pads, windshield wipers, tire rotations, random stuff breaking down, and so on)

The government recommended rate, however, doesn't distinguish between cars that get better mileage, nor regional differences in cost of gas. I think (I'd have to check) they just use some average/generic assumptions in their formula of a "regular" car that most people would drive and an average gas price rate.

Using that figure, though and looking at the cost of gas too, I've found that I may have lost money on some early shops I did in the past. They were low-wage food shops that I had to drive decently far for. Although, I can honestly say that I also saw those as an "investment" or learning experience and don't mind too much. I was too much of a newbie to do 2, 3, or more shops in a single day. I was scared (rightfully) that I might mess up a shop and not get paid and/or lower my shopper rating. Therefore, I only did one shop per outing for a while. I invested a bit of time to just learn the ropes and probably lost money or broke even on some earlier shops by not factoring in gas costs, mileage, and wear & tear.

It's just a good newbie thing to keep in mind!!

You can actually lose money on shops if you don't plan them correctly! And if you don't have a lot of shops you can route, then it's probably harder to plan "good" outings.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/20/2017 10:36AM by shoptastic.

@ceasesmith wrote:

The secret is being willing to travel, perhaps further than your comfort zone. Many companies that don't like to bonus jobs will, when they get desperate. I got $75 each for two shops last week that normally pay $10 each. They were 100 miles from home, but the two shops were just blocks apart. Each one took 45 minutes on-site,
an hour prep, and an hour for the report. I also picked up a fast food shop for $80, which normally pays $5. The ff shop was in the same parking lot as one of the $75 shops -- and I had to eat, anyway! Tomorrow I'm doing a new car shop for $75, a fast food for $25, and a post office shop for $30. It's 270 miles round trip, so I need to pick up a couple more jobs to really make it worth while. The new car shop and the post office shop will pay me in two weeks; that will give me funds on hand for my shops the last week of the month.

Hi, cease

For your super bonus shops, have they typically always been in remote locations?

Also, did it take you long to get those rates (like having to prove your self over x number of well-done shops)? Just curious as I'm looking into some possible travelling (though not super far) to broaden my shopping horizons so to speak.

Lastly, though, do you think it's possible to get a good bonus for ff or just "regular" run-of-the-mill shops that aren't in these remote locations?

And if so, is it weird asking for a bonus for one if you live in a decent sized city like I do (approximately 500,00 ppl here and the local driving really stinks with constant traffic back-ups). We have a lot of shop locations that stay on the board for a long time and that people don't pick up. I've tried to brainstorm why that would be. Low pay? Unsafe neighborhood? Undesirable guidelines, etc. etc. Some seem to be in undesirable locations, because I'll see a shop nearby get picked up, but a few miles over that same shop type won't ever go. I know that location too. IT IS UNSAFE!!! Others, I think are just very far and at the edge of the city where not many people live. Others, I have no idea why people don't take them.

If I were to ask for a bonus on one of these never taken shops, would it be weird to just say that I'd like a bonus 3x, 4x, 5x, etc. the going rate? Again, these aren't shops that I'd have to drive super far for (30 minutes one-way at MOST and 1 hour round-trip). But just taking, for example, that dangerous location shop (lots of crime in the news for that area), would you think it offensive if I asked a scheduler about a bonus by saying it's a high-crime area? lol I'm being very serious even though I think it's a slightly funny topic. It just seems kind of weird to broach this topic with a scheduler.

And then there are shops that people don't take, but don't seem to have anything wrong with them. Just no one takes them. And I don't live in a remote location. Would it seem weird to just suddenly ask for a huge pay increase for a shop like that? Say it's a $10 shop. If I just come out of nowhere and ask for $35-40, would that be weird?

As one of the resident mystery shopping sages and bonus experts, I thank you very much in advance for any thoughts/advice you might have and would be open/willing to share!!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/20/2017 07:31AM by shoptastic.

Hi. Good luck on your msing adventures. Just to let you know, many MSC do not want you to jeopardize your personal safety. Email the scheduler when that occurs. If the MSC harps about the shop needs to get done no matter what, it's time to put that particular MSC on the ten foot pole list. There are many types of shops available. Try out that one type of shop first before signing up for more. For example, new vehicle dealerships, apartment shopping, fine dining, fast foods. Each MSC have their own requirements so the reporting will not be the same. Wait to do the high end reimbursements shops (fine dining or hotel shops) after you get your feet wet because it may require more details/narratives. For example, the high end reimbursements are up to $200 but there is always the possibility that your report will not get approved so you may be shorted of the high end reimbursement fees.

Shop, all my bonuses are in out of the way places -- with no other shoppers willing/available to do them for less.

It's not "weird" to ask for $30 or $40 for a shop that stays on the boards.

Hi Shoptastic

Yes I have gotten some great advice and registered with a few new companies out there. Jobslinger.com, Blink Research, Customer Experience Experts, Reality Check, All Srar Customer Service Inc and others. I even applied for the Marketforce CFA Certication, so that i can do movie theaters, but nothing in or around my area so far. I'm still not going to give up though. I am currently working steadily with 4 of the 16 Mshops that i have been able to register with so far. Thanks for the tax advice. I just got my transmission serviced and my oil changed.

If there are motels in that area then AboutFace has motel parking lot audits than can be done at about 30 different motel chains in any city across the country any Monday - Thursday. It is a great way if you are already out doing shops to add something additional to your route. If you would like information on these audits, please email Donna at clp@aboutfacecorp.com

Hello msops51
I am registered with AboutFace. I've looked for their shops in my area they don't have any, but I will keep checking. I appreciate the heads up on the email. I will check it out. Happy Shopkins

In order to stay busy, serious shoppers register with at least 75 MSCs; 100-150 would be even better. Any day that you wanted to shop, but have no assignments, then your job is to grow your business by signing up with 5-10 more MSCs.

Hi walesmaven
You are absolutely right! I've been on it shopping for shopping ops, lol. My registered companies have increased to about 30 and counting. I go back to MSPA to locate legitimate companies and register. I have gotten some great suggestions already on the forum.

Thank you so much

You are MUCH better off using the list provided here. Some of the best MSCs have chosen NOT to join MSPA, including most of the video MSCs. MSPA protects the interests of the MS Providers; not so much the shoppers. Legit does not necessarily equal reliable!

Too funny. We are having this same conversation about the MSPA and non-member companies on a thread under Introductions

True legit does not mean reliable, but it does mean scam free. I learned about Mystery Shopping years ago but I didn't get into it until recently, only because I know someone who is actually doing it and he referred me to MSPA organization. It is a great start but I haven't reached the finish line. I'm willing to check out the listed companies here on the forum as they appear to be reputable. I am registered with sassieshop.com kerns scheduling and jobslinger.com. I don't believe that I have seen either of those sites on the MSPA website.

Thanks for your awesome feedback and suggestions

Jobslinger.com is a division of Sassie. Since Sassie is just a reporting platform, Jobslinger is an aggregate job posting site and Kerns a scheduling company, I don't know how that works with MSPA membership. I always thought it was just the actual provider companies who were members.

Hey Shopkins! I will echo what others have said. The more MSC's you are signed up with the better. I too did the free month with jobslinger plus.. the greatest benefit for me of that was the use of their 'one stop' application process. Using that I was able to apply for multiple MSC's in quick order.. jobslinger plus can make signup a LOT faster because of the Sassie template. I'm also very fortunate to have a mentor in my area who has been shopping for a loong time.. she will send me links when she hears about shops in my area. I'll say again that this forum is a GOLD MINE of information. Make the search function you biznitch (lol) and look for the shops that interest you as well as locational tips.