I am super annoyed about this. I used to grab loads of Circle K shops. Even though they only paid $12 + $6 reimbursement they were quick and easy. Now they've changed MSC and the pay is only $5!! I hope they sit on the board for a loooong time!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/04/2022 09:24PM by callinectes.

Once again, the MSC which handles Circle K varies from one part of the country to another. The MSC in my area has not changed, and they have not changed the fee ($14) or the reimbursement ($2.50). The scheduler who handles them in my area is truly a gem.

@callinectes wrote:

I am super annoyed about this. I used to grab loads of Circle K shops. Even though they only paid $12 + $6 reimbursement they were quick and easy. Now they've changed MSC and the pay is only $5!! I hope they sit on the board for a loooong time!

Me, too. I've done lots of them.

My area was a Prophet company for$10 fee & $1 reimbursement. I hope that company still has those but I have seen the new ones.

Ok, well in S. Georgia these shops were with New Image. The schedulers were wonderful.

My primary point, however, was that the same job now pays less than half of what it did before.

@myst4au wrote:

Once again, the MSC which handles Circle K varies from one part of the country to another. The MSC in my area has not changed, and they have not changed the fee ($14) or the reimbursement ($2.50). The scheduler who handles them in my area is truly a gem.

I've just seen them pop up on Presto as Insta-shops. for the $5 as noted along with $3 gas and $3 purchase. They used to be $12 with a different MSC that used Shopmetrics in Upstate NY.

I am in New Engand and all my Circle Ks are the Great Lakes version. The usual MSC had them listed recently (starting pay $6) and they popped up on the Presto app for the $5 pay and $6 reimbursement the other day. These shops were on the Presto app a couple of months ago. Maybe the Presto app shops are a quartlerly thing?

Calli posts--Circle K changed MSC and cut pay in half!

Bob comments--That is correct. Everyday, I check the job board for the new MSC. Their current shop model is to begin the month in the fee basement and move up, as need be, on the way to the penthouse. Waiting has both its risks and rewards; as for me, I am content to wait. I do, though, understand some are not financially able to risk not being assigned.

When a shop is paying less than minimum wage, what is the real risk of waiting for the fee to go up? In a general sense, if I were in a situation where it would be detrimental to miss out on a fee that is less than minimum wage, I really should just go get a regular part-time job. Regular employment is paying more than it ever has. Even if it was just temporary. I can't imagine being in a situation where passing on a less than minimum wage fee could be detrimental. That's just a general observation from my point of view. I have noticed that with inflation, high gas prices, and the increased pay rates for regular employment, the mystery shopping companies really struggled this last quarter. Instead of renegotiating with the clients to offer more competitive pay, they have doubled down and are offering even smaller starting payment. There were signs this last quarter that some shoppers had finally had enough and dropped out of the game. Several 100% completion projects didn't get 100% completion in the fourth quarter. They're still sitting on the job boards. I hope this trend continues. Many of the clients, especially gas stations, have a lot of money and make a lot of money. They could afford to increase their payment for their evaluations. Then, that money could be passed on to shoppers and also help stabilize the finances of the mystery shopping companies. Instead, they offer even less pay and hope that they can find a new sucker. That is why they recruit so heavily. Once a new shopper realizes that low fees are not worth it, they stop doing them. They have to find a new sucker.

@shopperbob wrote:

Calli posts--Circle K changed MSC and cut pay in half!

Bob comments--That is correct. Everyday, I check the job board for the new MSC. Their current shop model is to begin the month in the fee basement and move up, as need be, on the way to the penthouse. Waiting has both its risks and rewards; as for me, I am content to wait. I do, though, understand some are not financially able to risk not being assigned.

In Q3/4 of 2021, Circle K started at $5 + $3 + $3 as well. Jumped up fairly quickly to $12 +$3 +$3.

Patience, Grasshopper.

I'm so confused! Some of these are listed on Presto for $5 plus $6 reimbursement others are listed on the MSC's actual website at $8 plus $6. Seems to be the exact same shop!

@wrosie wrote:

I've just seen them pop up on Presto as Insta-shops. for the $5 as noted along with $3 gas and $3 purchase. They used to be $12 with a different MSC that used Shopmetrics in Upstate NY.

I do have to admit I picked up one of these insta-shops on Presto for $6 plus the $6 reimbursement. I was on a route and the location was two blocks from a highly bonused shop and I needed gas for the route. I got $5.03 in gas and a soda for $2.52.

I went over on the gas purposefully because how many people put less than a gallon of gas in their car and it's $3.49 a gallon?

I wonder if I'll get the full $6 reimbursement or just $5.52. And I know I probably screwed someone who was waiting for a bonus.

With the old MSC I was always able to negotiate a higher shop fee for the out of the way locations prior to going to them. The location I did today is just such a location. I probably would have gotten $15-20 shop fee depending on how often it was taken for the base fee in the past.

The other thing I noticed is there was another insta-shop listed in my route that disappeared after I did the first one.

But how do you negotiate a bonus with an insta-shop?

@thunderdeacon wrote:

When a shop is paying less than minimum wage, what is the real risk of waiting for the fee to go up? In a general sense, if I were in a situation where it would be detrimental to miss out on a fee that is less than minimum wage,

Walmart near me in Upstate NY had a sign posted on the side of the store stating the starting pay for overnight stockers was $18 and hour. I guess if you can complete this shop and report on Presto in 20 minutes you'd be making close to that You'd also get the reimbursement.

Please understand, I'm not advocating doing these at base pay as Instashops unless there are extenuating circumstances, like I said, needing gas for a route.

The fee seems to be going up by about a dollar a day. I'm getting a sick little thrill, being able to get THREE DOLLARS worth of overpriced snacks! Really, others reimburse 1 or 2 bucks. Some not at all. And we don't have to buy a specific item, which is nice. Another MSC's CK program was gas and pics only which started out simple a few years ago, then they kept adding on more pics until the project rivaled blue and yellow. Nope.

One of the other MSCs who has had these for years just posted. They have 2 programs: one straight mystery shop where you buy a fountain soda and one where you reveal, audit and get a mgr. signature. The second is what was just released. I just love that MSC. Very fair and professional.

Changed companies here quite a while ago and payment dropped. And I've never seen it go up. I leave them on the job board.

same thing happened here, but the new MSC bumped the prices up $13 within two weeks. I did half my metro area, and by the next day someone had done the other half. Hopefully they'll start the jobs higher next month.