What is the average pay for being a secret shopper? Has anyone ever made a few hundred a week part time?

Question

I would like to hear specific numbers or be directed to a web site where I don't have to hunt around for an hour in order to find out what the pay is for being a secret shopper.

Answer 1

Most of them are scams.  There are a few legit places but they are hard to find.  (We used to get secret shopped when I worked in a restaurant but they usually sent managers from the company's other concepts instead of hiring outside strangers.)

Even the legit ones usually require you to use your own money for purchases.  Then they reimburse you for what you spent and consider the free meal/merchandise as payment.  Very few offer an hourly wage and the ones that I have seen pay something like $8/hour.  You would pretty much have to secret shop an entire mall each week to pull down a few hundred a week.

The other consideration is that you may get a small mileage allowance but may be responsible for getting yourself to the store yourself.  If your assignment is to visit 3 different Chili's restaurants, you are going to be told to visit them at specific times on specific days to measure certain service levels.  For example, they may want to know how long it takes for a full meal on a Friday night and require you to arrive at 7pm, order a drink at the bar, order an appetizer, entree, and dessert while timing how long each step takes.  They won't care how long it takes at 2pm on a Tuesday.  The assignments may not be all that close to your home and you will probably spend more in gas than a free meal is worth to you.

I hope you find something that works for you.  Good luck.  Just watch out for the scams!!

Answer 2

I already researched that kind of job, since it seems so great if I could do that and get paid.  It is a SCAM, especially if they "ask" you for money up front to register.  They are supposed to be "paying you".  Also some sites do pay you about $15 per month or something, like 0.11 cents per webpage visited, BUT they use your information to commit identity theft.  

Are you willing to risk your life's identity for a few measly dollars every month?