I am doing my first job for a new mystery shopping company today (my 6th mystery shopping company overall) after registering with them in January, about 3 months ago. Before now, they either rejected every application or else had jobs that were too far away from me or otherwise I couldn't do. This constant rejection is pretty typical for when I join a new company, and it happened for the other 5 too. I have decided that, for the first job, I'd just accept anything that I can physically do.

So the first one that they accepted is this:
Pay: $0
Reimbursement: $35

There is no minimum spend, and no narrative. I just walk into a store, buy something if I want to, and then fill in a report, and I get reimbursed for whatever I decide to buy, up to a maximum of $35.

I've never done a mystery shop without a narrative, so that's new. I also signed up thinking it was an adult's clothing store and I could get something for myself, but then they randomly assigned me a children's store, even though I don't have any kids - nor anyone else's kids who I can talk along with me. I do have nieces and nephews, but they are interstate. I had to call my sister to ask what their sizes are so I can buy something for them, but then I will have to post it for them.

The thing is that when I do these purchase shops, the total amount, including purchase, is rarely much more than $35.

These are some comparison amounts:

Realise Online: $8 pay + $10 reimbursement but minimum spend was actually $15
Service Integrity: $15 pay but no reimbursement but minimum spend was actually $7.50
Personally Recommended: $10 pay + $26.10 reimbursement and that was the actual spend
Shopper Now: $22 pay + $10 reimbursement but the actual minimum spend was $19
Human Experiences: $40 pay + $60 reimbursement (but I feel like comparing anything to Human Experiences is unfair, as they are just so much better than the others)

So only 1 shop (Personally Recommended) got over $35 once I included the reimbursement and pay, so if I wanted the stuff then it's not too bad. But I didn't mind the $19 minimum spend and $10 reimbursement because I was getting liquor and you actually use that. It was essentially $32 off some alcohol.

So this is $35 off some children's clothes, and I probably would buy my nieces and nephews clothes anyway, except that I'd have gotten them online because they live too far away and the postage is too high (it will cost me about $10 to post them).

I don't know how I feel about this.

How have other people felt about doing a shop with no pay and they just pay for reimbursement? Is that a good thing to do? How about when they swap it from an adult clothing store so you can buy something for yourself to a children's clothing store and you don't have any kids?

I do reimbursement shops for things I want or need, like an oil change.

I do need gifts and maybe you'll visit with your family at some time, so posting isn't required.

I do oil changes and certain (TRH) food. The oil changes usually pay something.

Reimbursement only shops are great for folks with other revenue streams to depend on. For almost 12 years mystery shopping was my only source of income. I did grocery shops for food, and oil change shops for basic car maintenance, and I learned fast that taking low paying shops doesn't cover the rest.

I only take well bonused shops. Other than grocery and oil change shops, I try to avoid shops that require a large purchase, and I prefer shops that don't require any purchase at all.

I've always been poor, low income, just barely above poverty level, except when I actually was receiving assistance to survive when my boys were very young. So I've learned to be what folks these days call a "prepper." I have chest freezers and they are full.. I keep a certain amount of canned goods, I store water and gasoline, enough for about a month. I have always had a generator too, in case the electricity goes out.

It really comes down to what you value.

I don't place much value on the goods, services, or entertainment offered as compensation for work in compensation only, or mostly compensation, work. Especially when it comes to food. I shop at local farms as much as possible, and don't value eating out as much as I used to.

I recently did a Vans shop for a pair of shoes, $80 retail value. Shop wasn't difficult, and I can always use a good pair of new shoes. That's great value to me.

I started off doing bank shops for Informa. They paid well, and the shops were good fits for me. My M.O. really hasn't changed since then.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/20/2026 12:45PM by retrodaddy.

Unless there is a benefit to me, I won't do them. So if I WANT to go out to dinner, I will do it for reimbursement only. If I WANT a frozen yogurt, I will do it. But I won't do them just because they have jobs to fill. I just did a job with no fee but $60 reimbursement for take out food. Was great, I used the food for dinner and also lunches for the week. To me, that was worth it. During holidays, I don't mind the jobs where I can go out and get some gifts. The VANS job is awesome and have done it several times. My daughter is a VANS junkie.

If I am having a month where I NEED to make money, then I am not doing shops with no fees. It really depends and you have to do what is right for you. If you are doing a side gig to make money, then find other jobs.

It sounds like you are new to MSing. In that case, taking a job as you did that doesn't really benefit you can help you get your foot in the door for better jobs if you do it well. It gives you experience and an idea of what you'd like to focus on going forward. When I was starting I tried just about anything from fish food to checking flush holes in public toilets (not proud of that choice) to investment shops where I had a ton of money I did not have, to hotel and casino shops. Now I know what shops I will jump on and those I immediately delete. WTBS, every once in a while I still try something totally different to change things up and keep out boredom. Good luck, and try to find shops that at least pay you something.

I think they're great. They keep my competition occupied while I get paid elsewhere.
I don't do anything without a fee of at least $10.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/20/2026 04:34PM by KA047.

The last zero fee shop I completed was also my last fine dining job; it was in 2007. Since that work, I have accepted some with the small fee of $5 or $10, but I discontinued that practice in 2022. Now and going forward, I work strictly for money or a defrayment of non-shopping travel expenses. I do understand, though, leisure jobs can be quite rewarding IF it is an activity of interest.

I work for $$$$ only. I have never successfully completed a mystery shopping job for $0. It is very rare that I do a mystery shop for $10 or less. There are plenty shops that pay, so I do not need to work for free.

@KA047 wrote:

I think they're great. They keep my competition occupied while I get paid elsewhere.
I don't do anything without a fee of at least $10.

I like the way you put that! I could say the same thing, except that I have had more MS jobs than I could handle in each of the last three years. Eighty shops last month, and shop only M-F.

So I did this one and now I am getting offered $25 and $30 paid jobs, with no purchase required. It seems like this was a test.

Really depends on the shop and the amount. There are some out there that reimburse well but are an absolute beast to report. Others are painfully easy. Sometimes you have to weed through them...

I just received an email about a lunch deli shop in my area.. I used to do them all the time (Some times for supper) for an $ 5 fee with reimbursement up to $ 14.50

Now they have it for an $ 0 shop fee with up to $14.50 reimbursement.

I guess this MSC is following the same policy as the Burger Drive In Stall Place (Unless it's bonus)

@Isaiah4031a wrote:

I just received an email about a lunch deli shop in my area.. I used to do them all the time (Some times for supper) for an $ 5 fee with reimbursement up to $ 14.50

Now they have it for an $ 0 shop fee with up to $14.50 reimbursement.

I guess this MSC is following the same policy as the Burger Drive In Stall Place (Unless it's bonus)

Both MSCs that handle Drive In Stall Place bonus nicely. Just have to wait until the end of the month/cycle. Deli shop MSC bonuses but not as nicely.

@boridi wrote:

@Isaiah4031a wrote:

Both MSCs that handle Drive In Stall Place bonus nicely. Just have to wait until the end of the month/cycle. Deli shop MSC bonuses but not as nicely.

I have seen bonuses with the drive In stall before.. I have not taken one in several years.

I will do shops for no fees; it's usually places like Choolaah, TXRH, Capital Grille, because the reimbursement is more than enough to cover my costs, and I usually end up taking food home. I have done no-fee shops for art supplies (reimbursement was up to $35), and hotel stays with drinks and dinner, but those tend to be few and far between in my neck of the woods. I'm not doing the sandwich place or burger stall place for no fee because I don't enjoy that food. Basically, if it's food I like with a decent reimbursement, or a "treat" for myself, I'll do no-fee.

I do enjoy the food at the no fee sandwich shop... But we have all options