Odd debit/cash shops

March 25, 2024 01:45PM

There's quite a few of these available in my town but they are at weird locations. Examples: a medi-spa, nail salon, and a beauty shop. None of these offer items or services that come close to the reimbursement limit. How would that even work? I get a pedicure, pay for it, then say oh wait, I want another pedicure, here's my debit card? Or, get my 25 units of botox, then get more? Strange.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/25/2024 01:46PM by callinectes.

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March 25, 2024 01:46PM

There is another thread on this same topic. Take a friend and one will pay in cash and one will pay with debit card.

March 25, 2024 03:36PM

I don't see that working so well at the Medispa where treatments are hundred of dollars and reimbursement is $16. LOL

March 25, 2024 03:52PM

Did you read the specific instructions for these kind of shops?

March 25, 2024 08:58PM

You cant see the detailed instructions before accepting the shop. As such, I have not.

March 25, 2024 09:01PM

Many many many threads about this exact topic. Some good reading...

March 25, 2024 09:44PM

@callinectes wrote:

You cant see the detailed instructions before accepting the shop. As such, I have not.

The guidelines open in a file. Its two pages. You dont have to accept the shop to see the instructions.

March 27, 2024 07:16PM

So, I don't know what platform you are on but this is literally all it says in the job posting:

Visit the assigned location and make two identical purchases, one with the required debit card and one with cash. Take a photo of the store exterior, door, counter/register area and item/menu pricing.
Contact Mystery.Shopping@XXXX.com with questions.

GUIDELINES ARE LINKED AT THE TOP OF YOUR SURVEY FORM.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
You can 't see the survey form without accepting the job. I even emailed to ask about a location that I am very familiar with. I know for a fact this place has no counter/register area nor is there a menu of services. I emailed asking what one is supposed to do if there is no menu. The response I received was "take a photo showing the menu has no prices. I'm glad you are having luck with these but it looks liek one big mess to me.

March 27, 2024 07:51PM

On the magic app you can self assign one, look over the instructions, then just let it drop off if you decide it's not for you. No penalty.

March 27, 2024 08:45PM

callinectes, The exact same shop is on Presto, you can download the guidelines without claiming the shop there. It is the EXACT same shop, same guidelines and everything. They are the red pin insta-shops, NOT the orange pin Sassie MSC shops.

I'm not doing any of the nail or spa shops either. There is a shop for an industrial metal fabrication company, and a wholesale online only place that only sells to stores, not individuals, in my area too that I won't be doing. I wish, that wholesale place is a craft supply place, they sell yarn, knitting needles and crochet hooks, I would have been there with bells on as many times as they let me.. lol

March 27, 2024 10:19PM

@callinectes wrote:

So, I don't know what platform you are on but this is literally all it says in the job posting:

Visit the assigned location and make two identical purchases, one with the required debit card and one with cash. Take a photo of the store exterior, door, counter/register area and item/menu pricing.
Contact Mystery.Shopping@XXXX.com with questions.

GUIDELINES ARE LINKED AT THE TOP OF YOUR SURVEY FORM.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
You can 't see the survey form without accepting the job. I even emailed to ask about a location that I am very familiar with. I know for a fact this place has no counter/register area nor is there a menu of services. I emailed asking what one is supposed to do if there is no menu. The response I received was "take a photo showing the menu has no prices. I'm glad you are having luck with these but it looks liek one big mess to me.

In the app, click on red pin, small pop up window comes up, bottom right click on 'view survey', window pops up and at the top says 'view guidelines' click on that. Window or file comes up. Two pages. Got to hit the arrow at the bottom right for second page. Or something like this. You dont have to accept the shop. You can also view the guidlines about the same way on desk top website. Hope this helps.

March 27, 2024 11:54PM

There are hundreds of posts about these. Try searching "Visa" or "Debit" and you'll find them.

For a MedSpa, you could try to buy a product for $20 or less. Doubtful they would have anything unless its a lip balm or similar. For those, where there is nothing $20 or less to buy, I think the guidelines now say to just leave and you get paid $1 (or maybe you just cancel all together). High risk, low pay, lots of unusual locations that could go sideways have made these projects undesirable for my many. They have been on Presto for months and now moving to Sassie as well as they are trying to get people to do them.

But would be good to do your research here as there is TONs of information from those who have tried.

March 28, 2024 10:24PM

Has anyone successfully completed a nail shop? There is one close to my work. I thought about taking my daughter and myself for a pedicure. If anyone has and ran into a snag, let me know.

March 28, 2024 11:13PM

@gigishopper wrote:

Has anyone successfully completed a nail shop? There is one close to my work. I thought about taking my daughter and myself for a pedicure. If anyone has and ran into a snag, let me know.

You only make one purchase for nail salons.....

March 30, 2024 02:27AM

Here's a question I haven't seen addressed yet. Does anyone know the partial amount paid on these for commercial/no sales or service/closed locations? I don't mind taking them if they're reasonable, it still checks a box for me.

March 30, 2024 02:37AM

@lowcloud - I have done two locations that were permanently closed and they paid me $5 each. I haven't done any of strange places that I know will not work. In my area, one is a bail bonds agency, one is an attorney's office, one is a place that you can rent an office from for the day. Really weird stuff like that.

March 30, 2024 03:12AM

I completed a pedicure, manicure and eyebrow wax at 3 different places this week. No issues with any being accepted. 1 was on Sassie and 2 were on Presto.

On 1 could not provide a cash receipts so I asked the shop to write on a business card and mark paid.

On 1 it had a different name on the outside signage than on the shop. When I inquired inside, the shop told me it had changed names but the outside signage had not been updated yet. She gave me a business card with the new name on it. I reported as name did not match, explained and included an upload of the business card with the receipt.

If you do more than 1 service you might pay for them separately so you only talk to and upload the receipt you will get reimbursed for.

They are offering fairly nice bonuses on these in my area now which was an incentive to get the works done this week.

@gigishopper wrote:

Has anyone successfully completed a nail shop? There is one close to my work. I thought about taking my daughter and myself for a pedicure. If anyone has and ran into a snag, let me know.

March 30, 2024 03:28AM

It seems to be up to the Editor. Sometimes its $1. Sometimes it 50% Pay. Sometimes its $0.

@lowcloud wrote:

Here's a question I haven't seen addressed yet. Does anyone know the partial amount paid on these for commercial/no sales or service/closed locations? I don't mind taking them if they're reasonable, it still checks a box for me.

March 30, 2024 03:29AM

@MysteryHulk wrote:

@lowcloud - I have done two locations that were permanently closed and they paid me $5 each. I haven't done any of strange places that I know will not work. In my area, one is a bail bonds agency, one is an attorney's office, one is a place that you can rent an office from for the day. Really weird stuff like that.

One I saw the other day was for a minor league baseball team. I thought that was weird because it's still the offseason for the minors. I thought maybe they had the gift shop open for the offseason but no. I guess you could go into the office and buy tickets? But it would be more than $8 each.

March 30, 2024 10:53AM

@lowcloud wrote:

Here's a question I haven't seen addressed yet. Does anyone know the partial amount paid on these for commercial/no sales or service/closed locations? I don't mind taking them if they're reasonable, it still checks a box for me.

I just did a commercial place yesterday and got paid $5. I just put a detailed note in the comment section. They approved it in less than 20 minutes.

March 30, 2024 12:57PM

Is it just me, or do the editors seem to be getting a tad more forgiving with these shops than they were initially? I've actually had a couple of good interactions with editors around issues.

March 30, 2024 02:50PM

I've seen these in my area and they are at places it would be odd to do two transactions. I don't see why they can't have these as revealed audits.
"Hi, I'm here on behalf of xyz to make sure you have appropriate signage in place for surcharges or fees." would be a lot easier than doing the double purchase and covert pics.
I haven't done one so I'm not sure if businesses would push back on getting pics.

March 30, 2024 03:18PM

@joanna81 wrote:

"Hi, I'm here on behalf of xyz to make sure you have appropriate signage in place for surcharges or fees." would be a lot easier than doing the double purchase and covert pics.
I haven't done one so I'm not sure if businesses would push back on getting pics.

The ones near me are bodegas/mom and pop shops where the owners/employees are not white middle class. They are not part of a franchise.

So, no, revealed audits for Visa would not work.

March 30, 2024 07:47PM

@joanna81 wrote:

I've seen these in my area and they are at places it would be odd to do two transactions. I don't see why they can't have these as revealed audits.
"Hi, I'm here on behalf of xyz to make sure you have appropriate signage in place for surcharges or fees." would be a lot easier than doing the double purchase and covert pics.
I haven't done one so I'm not sure if businesses would push back on getting pics.

I have no clue what the fine/ penalty is if you aren't doing what you are supposed to, but I'm going to assume it's pretty high just based on how much they are spending to find this out. If it were revealed that might not go over well with a non compliant location. I wouldn't want to be doing that

March 31, 2024 05:16AM

Yes, on a shop I did at a bakery, a slice of cake was $5-$6, so I bought a 2nd item to get to the $8. The editor accepted the shop, but did make a comment to only purchase one item on future shops.

On a shop in a liquor store, it literally had no items with the price marked. The editor asked why I did not purchase a priced item. I had taken a picture of a few isles that verified no prices, but before I could get them sent, she had accepted the shop.

@Nikki21 wrote:

Is it just me, or do the editors seem to be getting a tad more forgiving with these shops than they were initially? I've actually had a couple of good interactions with editors around issues.

March 31, 2024 10:15AM

I did several of these yesterday because the fees were just so good. They were absolutely more forgiving this time around because all of mine were approved by the end of the day. Some were even approved while I was still out working. I did a few hair salons and bought a bottle of shampoo or whatever product I could find at about 20 bucks. Most product just had a written price tag on the bottle itself, written in sharpie. In the past, I am sure they would have rejected for that. Grateful they all got approved because I spent alot of money on product yesterday. But the hair salons were everywhere and once one got approved, I felt more confident and just kept going. My hair is going to be spoiled with all of these fancy products I never buy.

March 31, 2024 02:32PM

I believe the purpose of the shop is to determine whether the store is charging a fee if you use a credit/debit card. Apparently they, whomever they might be, have realized that everyone who has attempted these shops has accomplished that feat. And stopped rejecting the shops.

March 31, 2024 05:01PM

@wrosie wrote:

I believe the purpose of the shop is to determine whether the store is charging a fee if you use a credit/debit card. Apparently they, whomever they might be, have realized that everyone who has attempted these shops has accomplished that feat. And stopped rejecting the shops.

Maybe they should have realized that before banning good shoppers from the project.

March 31, 2024 05:19PM

No comment other than perhaps you're right?

March 31, 2024 05:45PM

@wrosie wrote:

No comment other than perhaps you're right?

It was more of a frustration comment... well, not even frustration, more annoyance. Not directed at you at all of course.

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