Being a mystery shopper is a flexible part-time opportunity for students to make extra bucks. One of the benefits is that you will get paid on time, choose working hours, and get gifts in the process.
So many companies have registered their need for mystery shoppers. This means that there is a lot of work to do. In the UK alone, there are about 500,000 registered as mystery shoppers, so job competition is getting fiercer every day.
We browsed the best mystery shopping companies and compiled this comprehensive guide to provide you with all the necessary information.
Have a read through our guide here to see the best mystery shopping companies in the UK and see how to get started!
Meanwhile, see the table of content here below for an overview of what you’ll see in this article.
Table of contents
- Best Mystery Shopping Companies In Uk
- What is mystery shopping?
- Who is a Mystery Shopper?
- What does a mystery shopper do?
- How Do I Become a Mystery Shopper?
- What Are the Requirements to Become A Mystery Shopper?
- Can I Earn Money As a Mystery Shopper?
- How Much Does A Mystery Shopper Earn?
- What Are the Best Mystery Shopping Companies in UK?
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Best Mystery Shopping Companies In Uk
- iShopFor Ipsos
- Market Force
- Red WigWam
- Serve Legal
- Assosia
- International Service Check
- Clickworker
- Tern
- GWB Mystery Shopping
- Grassroots
What is mystery shopping?
Mystery shopping is a flexible paid exercise that involves visiting anonymous companies, restaurants, supermarkets, and minimarts to verify that certain conditions (such as hygiene and good customer service) are met.
Who is a Mystery Shopper?
Mysterious shoppers are everyday shoppers. They are natural people like you and I. The only thing that makes the difference is that they come in disguise. They come as normal shoppers, but in a real sense, they are undercover agents sent to check things related to the store.
Here are some of what mystery shoppers might want to check;
- Excellent customer service
- Inventory level
- Quality of food provided during a restaurant visit
- Security of lives and properties
What does a mystery shopper do?
A mystery shopper might do many different things. Usually, they are required to go to several different types of places to check stuff out.
So, what places would you be asked to visit if you were a mystery shopper? Some examples might be:
- Go to a restaurant for dinner: The mystery shopper company you are working for will have different tasks for you. This might include sending you to restaurants to have lunch or dinner and also checking stuff out. They’ll tell you how much money you have to spend there as well.
- Shop at a specific store: Like mystery shopping at a restaurant, the system will tell you and what to buy and how much they’ll repay you. The main aim here is to see how things are in the store.
- Travel: Travel companies, including airlines, also use mystery shoppers to help watch their backs.
- Service-based institutions: You may be asked to some service-based offices like banks, companies, and other government offices to inquire about specific products or take an eyesight test.
It is important to note that you must write a report on what you observed after completing each visit. Some of the reports will require you to just check boxes, while some will require you to write out your thoughts.
Sometimes, you must take pictures of certain parts of the visit. Brands usually want all stores to comply with their standards, and the image can tell the brand headquarters that the store adheres to these standards.
Usually, the system you are working for will tell you exactly which image you want to capture, so it’s no guesswork!
How Do I Become a Mystery Shopper?
Want to become a mystery shopper soon? What you’ll find here is a guide that will help you become a mystery shopper soon. Interestingly, there used to be only a few mystery shopping companies in the UK in times past, but there are now many companies to choose from.
To become a mystery shopper, you’d need to complete the application process and be accepted as a mystery shopper by a mystery shopping company. Here below are some of the requirements.
What Are the Requirements to Become A Mystery Shopper?
You don’t need an official certificate or a certain kind of training to become a mystery shopper.
Basically, what you need is some free time which you’ll need to embark on your mystery shopping adventures. You’ll also need a camera or a smartphone to take pictures at sites.
Some companies will require you to complete some written tests. This ensures that you can write the final report for your clients correctly. These tests are not difficult, although they will take some time at first.
Can I Earn Money As a Mystery Shopper?
Yes! When you start working as a mystery shopper, you’ll earn some good money off the job. How much you’ll earn will greatly depend on your level of experience and the company you are working for. This is a mystery shopper but the way you pay may vary depending on the job and the company.
How Much Does A Mystery Shopper Earn?
Mystery shopping is a part-time job and a very flexible way to make extra cash. It is also good you understand the money you’ll make wouldn’t be so much big amount. On average, you could be making between £50 to £100 per month.
Interestingly, some full-time mystery shoppers have reported earning between £30-40,000 per year, but this is after spending many years on the job and earning a reputation in the industry.
What Are the Best Mystery Shopping Companies in UK?
There are so many good mystery shopping companies you can find in the UK but we’ll be highlighting the best ten in this compilation.
Kindly look through the list below to see and apply to any of the companies that interest you.
List of Best British Mystery Shopper Companies
- iShopFor Ipsos
- Market Force
- Red WigWam
- Serve Legal
- Assosia
- International Service Check
- Clickworker
- Tern
- GWB Mystery Shopping
- Grassroots
#1. iShopFor Ipsos
Ipsos is one of the best mystery shopping companies in the UK and in the world. There is a wealth of assignments on the Ipsos Mystery Shopping system covering the whole of the UK.
One downside is the reporting process for Ipsos can be quite time-consuming as you’re expected to work for your cash, but then again they do pay generously!
You can join their team by just applying using the link below.
#2. Market Force
Marketforce is a global giant in the mystery shopper industry. The registration process is free.
As a mystery shopper in Market Force, you will receive a reward for free purchases and shopping.
Marketforce has a mobile app that you can download for free, meaning you can shop and then compete through the app, whether taking a photo, completing a business report, or entering expenses.
Also, the company provides cash payments for many of their jobs, but sometimes (usually for restaurants where you sit and eat) will compensate you for your meal instead of paying cash.
Marketforce is a long-established company with a large number of business options. Make it your first-stop mystery shopping place!
#3. RedWigWam
Although RedWigWam is not as big as Marketforce, it is famous in the UK for working as mystery shoppers. They have a good range of options.
They seem to have a lot of supermarket jobs available, making this great for coinciding with your regular supermarket trip…and like other mystery shopper companies, you’ll be asked to complete a report after the jobs are completed.
RedWigWam take between 15 minutes to an hour, so factor the time in when you’re out and about and you might just be able to earn some cool money or vouchers before returning home.
#4. Serve Legal
Serve Legal is a mystery shopping company of a slightly different genre. The company employs people between the ages of 18 and 19 in so-called “age-related testing services”.
This means that if the company sells age-restricted products (such as alcoholic beverages), these mystery shoppers will ensure that they require an ID to ensure there are no minor sales.
As the market leader in this line of work, Serve Legal sends mystery shoppers to 14,000 places every month, meaning there’s a lot of work!
The best part? I’ll pay you somehow! There are cash payments for each job (up to £ 45), but you pay more for the drinking. You also get your pay for all travel expenses. As a job for 18-19-year-olds, this could be a great way to get free housing!
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#5. Grassroot
Grassroots provides obscure shopping functions for all the popular locations you would expect … high street stores, restaurants, etc. They also provide services for hotels and leisure facilities!
As you might expect, the jobs will be completed very quickly are not available for a long time, so you need to check if jobs are added frequently on the site.
To join them, you should keep visiting this site below. It will take some time, but keep checking. If you are lucky, it will be a great surprise!
#6. Assosia
Assosia is a smaller company than other Mystery Shopping companies, but their business is often slightly different from other companies too.
Once registered and accepted, You will be contacted when a job appears in your area and you are warned, which is not always the case.
The company tends to engage in more professional jobs. Maybe a particular company wants to complete a temporary job or looking for a specific job, you will be given training for that task to execute it.
Their salary is good. Each job costs around £ 10.
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#7. International Service Check
The ISC works mostly with fashion brands. So if you’re into fashion, this could be an interesting side business. Each job is assigned to someone the company thinks is suitable to do the job. You’ll be told what to do, what salary you’ll get (or pay for the purchase), and then you can decide whether to accept that job or not.
#8. Clickworker
Clickworker is a well-established micro tasking company recently expanding into the mystery shopper realm. Most of the assignments involve going to a shop in your area and taking pictures of product shelves.
The best part is that you can choose whichever shop from the chains provided. They do not make you go to specific addresses, so you have a lot of free choices. A short trip to the high street or nearest retail park is all that is usually required.
Even better, there is no purchase necessary for these assignments. Clickworker regularly offers mystery photography jobs for most countries in Europe, the Middle East and the USA.
Payment: Usually around €8 – €12 plus other bonuses
#9. Tern
Tern provides a mystery shopping business. They check company customer service and record detailed information about the visit. They provide very few jobs and will pay you on time every week.
Tern also offers work you can do online, and by phone, so you can complete work and earn some income without leaving home!
#10. GWB mystery shopping
GAPbuster has recently rebranded itself as GBW. Nobody knows why yet. McDonald’s is their biggest client, so this company is a great choice if you fancy some free Happy Meals!
They have been reported to send out repeat assignments to the same location as well to monitor improvements. So this might not be the best choice if you’re looking for variety.
Payment: Between £5-35 per job
Mystery Shopping for GWB means you will:
- Register on their website
- Log in to the resident portal
- Complete orientation and training units
- Search and choose tasks
- Download, print, and read the instructions
- Visiting and evaluating exports
- Submit results within 8 hours
- Upload the receipt within 8 hours
Each job takes about 15 minutes, and you can expect to be paid within 4 to 6 weeks after the job ends, so you need to wait a while before you can see the cash!
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