Looking to make some extra cash without a traditional 9-to-5? Mystery shopping might be your perfect side hustle.
It’s flexible, interesting, and can pay surprisingly well if you know where to look.
Whether you want to test restaurants, retail stores, or even online services, there’s a gig for you.
Plus, many mystery shopper jobs are open to anyone 18 and over, making it super accessible.
In this list, you’ll find 18+ legit mystery shopper jobs that can help you earn around $500 a month.
Ready to find the perfect match for your schedule and interests? Let’s dive in!
Retail Mystery Shopping Opportunities
Retail mystery shopping is one of the most common and accessible ways to earn extra money. You’ll visit stores, evaluate customer service, check product availability, and provide honest feedback.
The variety of retail locations means you can find shops that match your schedule and preferences, from big-box stores to specialty boutiques.
This category is perfect if you enjoy shopping and want a legitimate way to turn that into income.
1. Market Force Mystery Shopping – Market Force is a well-known mystery shopping company that partners with major retail brands. They offer assignments like evaluating cashier interactions, store cleanliness, and product displays, typically paying $10-$25 per shop plus reimbursement for purchases.
2. BestMark Retail Assignments – BestMark offers a huge variety of retail mystery shopping jobs nationwide. The tasks often involve checking promotional compliance and staff professionalism, with payments ranging from $15 to $30 per visit.
3. A Closer Look – This company specializes in retail and restaurant mystery shopping, providing detailed feedback forms that help improve service quality. Shops usually pay between $20-$35 and sometimes include bonus opportunities for exceptional reports.
4. Secret Shopper – Secret Shopper has thousands of retail assignments every month. From luxury stores to local shops, you can find gigs that pay $15-$40 depending on complexity and location.
5. IntelliShop – IntelliShop partners with major retail chains to conduct mystery shopping focused on customer service and merchandising. Payments average $20-$30 per shop, and you’re often reimbursed for purchases made during the visit.
Retail mystery shopping is a solid way to start because it’s familiar, easy to schedule, and offers a steady stream of opportunities. Next up, let’s explore mystery shopping gigs in the food and beverage industry.
Food and Beverage Mystery Shopper Jobs
Food and beverage mystery shopping is a tasty way to earn extra income while enjoying meals out or testing new products.
These assignments often involve visiting restaurants, coffee shops, or bars to evaluate service speed, staff friendliness, and overall ambiance.
It’s perfect for foodies who want to get paid for sharing their dining experiences.
6. Dining Detective – This company offers mystery dining assignments that focus on service quality and food presentation. Shoppers typically earn $20-$50 per visit plus meal reimbursement, making it a flavorful way to boost your income.
7. Restaurant Opportunities Inc. – Specializing in restaurant mystery shopping, ROI provides detailed assignments including timing your order and assessing cleanliness. Pay ranges from $15-$40 depending on the complexity and location.
8. Pinkerton’s Mystery Dining – Pinkerton’s offers reputable dining mystery shopper jobs with assignments at restaurants, bars, and even fast food. Payments are competitive, often between $25-$50 with meal reimbursement included.
9. iSecretShop – iSecretShop covers a wide variety of food and beverage businesses, from cafes to fine dining. Their assignments are flexible and pay well, usually $20-$45 per job.
10. Market Force Dining – Alongside retail, Market Force covers many restaurant chains. Their dining assignments often pay $15-$35 and provide a fun way to dine out on someone else’s dime while getting paid.
Food and beverage mystery shopping can be both enjoyable and profitable, especially if you like trying new places. Now, let’s move on to mystery shopping gigs that focus on healthcare and wellness.
Healthcare and Wellness Mystery Shopping
Mystery shopping in healthcare and wellness is a niche but growing field. It involves evaluating clinics, pharmacies, fitness centers, and even spas to ensure excellent customer service and compliance with regulations.
This category is ideal if you have an interest in health-related services and want to contribute to improving patient and client experiences.
11. Pharmacy Shopper by BestMark – BestMark offers assignments focused on pharmacies, where you assess staff knowledge, wait times, and store cleanliness. Payments typically range from $20-$40 per visit.
12. HealthCare Mystery Shopper – Specialized companies offer gigs at medical clinics and wellness centers, evaluating receptionist professionalism and appointment scheduling. Pay can be $25-$50 depending on the task complexity.
13. Fitness Center Evaluator with Market Force – Market Force also provides mystery shopping assignments at gyms and wellness facilities, focusing on cleanliness and staff engagement. These gigs usually pay $20-$35.
14. Spa and Salon Shopper via A Closer Look – This company includes spa and salon mystery shopping as part of their wellness category. Assignments involve assessing service quality and ambiance, paying around $25-$45 per visit.
15. Patient Experience Mystery Shopper – Some healthcare providers hire independent shoppers to assess patient check-in procedures and staff interactions, often paying $30-$60 per assignment.
Healthcare and wellness mystery shopping might require a bit more attention to detail, but it’s rewarding and well-compensated. Next, let’s explore mystery shopping jobs centered around automotive services.
Automotive Mystery Shopping Jobs
The automotive industry offers unique mystery shopping opportunities, including visits to dealerships, service centers, and parts stores.
If you have a passion for cars or just want to help improve customer experiences in this sector, these gigs are a great fit.
Automotive mystery shopping often involves evaluating sales staff, service quality, and waiting area comfort.
16. DealerRater Mystery Shopper – DealerRater hires shoppers to assess car dealerships by testing sales staff knowledge and customer treatment. Pay varies but can be $30-$60 per visit.
17. BestMark Auto Shops – BestMark also covers automotive service centers, where shoppers evaluate repair quality, wait times, and pricing transparency. Assignments pay typically between $25-$50.
18. Secret Shopper Automotive Division – Secret Shopper offers a variety of automotive gigs, including parts stores and repair shops, paying $20-$45 per assignment.
19. IntelliShop Car Dealership Evaluations – IntelliShop’s automotive assignments focus on sales process and customer service, with payments averaging $30-$55.
20. Market Force Auto Service Shops – Market Force provides mystery shopping jobs at automotive service centers, evaluating everything from reception to repair quality, paying $25-$50 per visit.
Automotive mystery shopping is both interesting and lucrative, especially if you’re comfortable in that environment. Finally, let’s check out mystery shopping opportunities in online and digital services.
Online and Digital Service Mystery Shopping
As more businesses move online, mystery shopping has followed suit. Digital service mystery shopping involves evaluating websites, customer support chats, and even delivery services.
This is perfect if you prefer working from home and want to tap into the growing online sector.
Many companies pay well for detailed feedback that helps improve user experience.
21. BestMark Online Shopper – BestMark offers mystery shopping assignments where you review e-commerce sites, test customer support, and assess order fulfillment. Pay ranges from $15-$40.
22. IntelliShop Digital Services – IntelliShop’s digital assignments include website navigation, online ordering, and support response evaluations. Payments usually fall between $20-$45 per job.
23. Secret Shopper Online Evaluations – Secret Shopper has expanded into online service assessments, paying $15-$35 for tasks like customer service chat reviews and digital ordering tests.
24. Market Force Delivery Service Shopper – Market Force hires mystery shoppers to evaluate food and package delivery services, focusing on timeliness and professionalism, with pay around $20-$40.
25. iSecretShop Online Mystery Shopping – iSecretShop provides numerous online assignments, including app usability and support quality tests, paying $15-$40 per assignment.
Online and digital service mystery shopping offers flexibility and the chance to work from anywhere, making it a fantastic option for many.
There you have it—25 legit mystery shopper jobs across five different categories that can help you earn around $500 a month.
Whether you prefer shopping in stores, dining out, or evaluating digital experiences, there’s something here for everyone.
Start exploring these opportunities today and turn your keen eye into extra income!
