Mystery Shopping UK: How to Get Paid to Shop, Eat Out and More
Fancy getting paid to go shopping? How about getting your dinner reimbursed, testing customer service or earning a little extra cash while you’re already out and about?
Welcome to the world of mystery shopping!
Mystery shopping can be a fun and flexible way to make a little extra money. And depending on the assignment, you could also bag free meals, products and other perks.
It isn’t going to replace your day job, but if you’re looking for a flexible side hustle that you can fit around work, university or family life, it’s definitely worth knowing about.
Here’s everything you need to know about becoming a mystery shopper in the UK, including some of the best mystery shopping companies to try.
What is mystery shopping?
A mystery shopper, sometimes called a secret shopper or mystery guest, is an ordinary customer who is asked to visit or contact a business and report back on their experience.
Companies use mystery shoppers to find out what it’s really like to be one of their customers.
You might be asked to visit a shop, restaurant, café, bank, petrol station or another business and pay attention to things such as:
- How friendly and helpful the staff are
- How quickly you’re served
- Whether certain procedures are followed
- How clean and tidy the premises are
- Whether products are displayed correctly
- How easy it is to use a website or booking system
- Your overall customer experience
You’ll normally receive detailed instructions before the assignment, so you’ll know exactly what you need to look out for.
And no, you don’t need to turn up wearing a trench coat and sunglasses. In fact, the whole point is to look like a perfectly normal customer!
Why do companies use mystery shoppers?
Businesses can look at sales figures and customer reviews, but those don’t always tell them exactly what happens during an everyday customer interaction.
That’s where mystery shoppers come in.
Mystery shopping gives businesses independent feedback on the customer experience. They can then use the results to spot problems, recognise good service and work out where additional staff training might be needed.
Your report might feel like a small thing, but when it’s combined with feedback from other shoppers, it can give a company a much clearer picture of what customers are experiencing.
Is mystery shopping worth it?
Mystery shopping can be worth doing if you approach it as a way to earn some extra money or enjoy occasional freebies, rather than expecting it to provide a full-time income.
Some assignments pay a fee. Others reimburse you for something you’ve been asked to buy, such as a meal or a few groceries. Some offer both.
The biggest perk is flexibility.
You can usually choose which assignments you want to apply for, making mystery shopping easier to fit around:
- A full-time or part-time job
- University or college
- Parenting
- Retirement
- Other side hustles
If you’ve got a free lunch break, evening or weekend, you can simply check whether there’s anything available nearby.
What does a mystery shopper actually do?
Forget the idea that every assignment involves wandering around a clothes shop.
Modern mystery shopping covers all sorts of customer experiences.
Depending on the company and assignment, you could find yourself:
- Buying something from a shop
- Ordering food in a restaurant or takeaway
- Visiting a petrol station
- Asking a member of staff a specific question
- Checking whether you’re asked for ID
- Making a telephone enquiry
- Testing an online booking or purchasing journey
- Visiting a showroom
- Assessing a hotel, leisure venue or other attraction
Some assignments don’t even require you to leave the house, with telephone and online mystery shopping jobs available too.
You’ll then submit a report or questionnaire explaining what happened.
How much do mystery shoppers get paid in the UK?
There’s no standard mystery shopper salary because assignments vary enormously.
One job might offer a straightforward fee, while another might reimburse a purchase or meal. More involved assignments may offer a larger payment to reflect the extra time and reporting required.
Before accepting a job, always check:
- The fee you’ll receive
- The maximum reimbursement available
- What you’re required to purchase
- How long the assignment is likely to take
- How detailed the report is
- When you’ll be paid
Remember that reimbursement and payment aren’t necessarily the same thing.
If you’re told you’ll be reimbursed up to £20 for a meal, for example, that doesn’t automatically mean you’re earning £20 profit – it may simply mean your qualifying expenses are covered.
Mystery shopping is therefore best treated as occasional extra income and a way of getting some everyday expenses covered, rather than guaranteed earnings.
How to become a mystery shopper in the UK
Ready to give it a go?
The good news is that you don’t usually need previous mystery shopping experience.
You can register with several reputable mystery shopping companies and then look for assignments that suit you.
It’s worth joining more than one company because the number of jobs available will vary according to your location, age and shopper profile.
Watch out for mystery shopping scams
Before you sign up to anything, do your homework.
A genuine mystery shopping company shouldn’t need you to pay a large upfront fee just for the privilege of accessing ordinary assignments.
Be particularly cautious about unexpected messages promising huge mystery shopping earnings or asking you to transfer money, buy gift cards or send money elsewhere.
You can also check the MSPA Europe/Africa member directory when researching mystery shopping providers. The MSPA is an industry association for mystery shopping and customer experience companies.
Best mystery shopping companies in the UK
Want to start looking for assignments? Here are some established mystery shopping companies currently operating in the UK.
1. Tern
Tern has been working in mystery shopping and customer experience for decades.
Assignments can include visiting shops and other businesses, making telephone calls, submitting enquiries or testing online customer journeys.
It’s free to register, and Tern says assignments may reward shoppers with money or vouchers depending on the job.
This could be a particularly useful one to try if you like the idea of mixing in-person assignments with jobs you can complete from home.
2. Serve Legal
Serve Legal specialises in compliance auditing and operates across the UK and Ireland.
It’s particularly well known for age-verification work, where auditors check whether businesses are correctly following procedures around age-restricted products and services.
Although Serve Legal has traditionally been popular with younger shoppers because of this type of work, it now advertises auditor opportunities for people of different ages, including dedicated roles for those aged 20+.
If you’re reliable, detail-focused and happy travelling around your local area, it’s worth a look.
Apply to become a Serve Legal auditor
3. Market Force
Become a Market Force mystery shopper
Market Force offers mystery shopping assignments where you can pose as an ordinary customer and report back on your experience.
After registering, approved shoppers can look for available jobs and complete assignments using its shopper system.
Depending on the job, your qualifying shopping expenses may be reimbursed along with an additional payment.
Market Force itself makes an important point that applies to mystery shopping generally: don’t expect to make a full-time living from it. Think of it as a way of supplementing your income instead.
4. Proinsight
Join Proinsight as a mystery shopper
Proinsight is a UK mystery shopping and customer experience company with opportunities across the country.
It offers flexible assignments and also advertises opportunities that can be completed from home.
You can register your details and postcode to hear about suitable assignments, making it another useful company to add to your mystery shopping list.
5. GBW
GBW – now part of Sonata Software – operates customer experience programmes internationally.
Its mystery shopping work covers physical and digital customer experiences, supported by a large network of evaluators across many countries.
It’s a more global option than some of the UK-focused companies on this list, but it’s worth knowing about if you’re building up a selection of mystery shopping platforms.
6. Mystery Dining
Calling all foodies!
Mystery Dining specialises in hospitality assignments.
As a mystery guest, you can select suitable restaurant visits and provide an objective report on your experience. In return, you’ll receive the agreed reimbursement for your visit.
You have the flexibility to take on as many or as few visits as you like.
So if the idea of writing a detailed report in exchange for getting your meal covered sounds considerably more appealing than checking supermarket shelves, this one’s for you.
How to be a good mystery shopper
Getting an assignment is one thing. Getting offered more of them is another!
The trick is to be reliable, observant and accurate.
Pay attention to the little details
You might need to remember staff greetings, timings, names, displays and other details.
Read your assignment brief before you visit so you know exactly what you’re supposed to observe.
Complete your report as soon as possible
The longer you leave it, the more likely you are to forget something.
If possible, complete your notes or report shortly after finishing the assignment – while everything is still fresh in your mind.
Keep every receipt
Seriously. Don’t bin it!
If an assignment involves spending your own money and claiming it back afterwards, your receipt may be essential evidence.
Keep it safe until you’ve received your reimbursement and payment.
Follow the brief exactly
Mystery shopping isn’t simply about saying whether you liked somewhere.
You might be asked to order a particular item, arrive during a certain time window, ask a specific question or take a photo.
Missing one of those steps could mean your report can’t be used.
Sign up with several companies
Available mystery shopping jobs can be competitive, particularly in busy areas.
Joining several legitimate agencies gives you a better chance of finding assignments that suit your schedule and location.
Be objective
Your job is to report what happened rather than write a dramatic restaurant review.
Give clear, factual and balanced feedback. If something went wrong, explain what happened. If the service was brilliant, explain that too.
Mystery shopping: pros and cons
Still deciding whether mystery shopping is for you? Here’s the quick version.
The pros
- Earn extra money: Some assignments pay you for completing the job.
- Get expenses reimbursed: You could have qualifying meals, shopping or other purchases covered.
- Flexible: Pick assignments that work around your existing commitments.
- Try something different: One week could involve a restaurant and the next a shop, telephone call or online enquiry.
- Help improve customer service: Your feedback can genuinely help businesses identify what’s working and what isn’t.
The cons
- Income isn’t guaranteed: The number and value of assignments can vary considerably.
- Good jobs can disappear quickly: Popular assignments may be snapped up fast.
- Reports take time: Don’t forget to factor the questionnaire or written report into whether an assignment is worthwhile.
- You may need to spend first: Some jobs require you to pay upfront and claim the money back later.
- Payment can take time: Reimbursement isn’t necessarily instant.
- You need to follow instructions carefully: Missing part of the assignment brief could cause problems with your report or payment.
Is mystery shopping a good side hustle?
Mystery shopping probably won’t make you rich – and any website promising that it will deserves a very raised eyebrow.
But as a flexible UK side hustle, it can be a fun way to make a little extra money, enjoy reimbursed meals or shopping and put otherwise-empty time to good use.
The key is to be selective.
Before accepting an assignment, work out how much time it will take, whether you’ll need to travel and what you’ll actually earn after any expenses.
Sign up with a few reputable mystery shopping companies, keep an eye on new assignments and start with something straightforward.
You never know – your next coffee, meal out or shopping trip might just pay for itself.