OddsyncSide Hustles

Mystery Shopping & Paid Focus Groups

Get paid to rate shops, cafes and services
5
Setup steps
3
AI prompts
4
Tools & links

What it is

Visiting a shop, restaurant, hotel or bank as a normal customer, then filling in a report on the service. You are usually repaid for what you buy and paid a small fee. Paid focus groups pay more for discussing products or adverts.

Watch this first

How to find legit mystery shopping jobs and avoid scams

Step by step

  1. 1

    Sign up to legitimate companies

    Check the company is a member of the Market Research Society (MRS) or the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA). Genuine companies do not charge you to sign up.

  2. 2

    Beware of scams

    If you are sent a cheque and asked to send money back, it is a scam. Genuine shops repay you after the visit.

  3. 3

    Complete a few easy assignments

    Start with simple shops and supermarkets. Good, timely reports get you more offers.

  4. 4

    Write detailed, honest reports

    Notice small details: greeting times, queue length, cleanliness. Clear, fair feedback is what you are paid for.

  5. 5

    Join focus group lists

    Sign up with local recruiters to be considered for paid groups. They usually pay more per hour than surveys, but places are limited.

AI prompts to try

Copy one of these into ChatGPT, Claude or your AI tool of choice and adapt it to your situation.

Report
“Help me write a clear mystery shopping report for a visit to a [TYPE OF SHOP]. Here are my notes: [NOTES]. Structure it with greeting, service, cleanliness, product knowledge and overall rating, keeping it factual.”
Is it legit
“Here is the website or message from a mystery shopping company: [PASTE]. Check it against common scam signs and tell me how to verify the company with the MRS or MSPA.”
Plan a day
“I have 3 mystery shopping jobs in [AREA] on Saturday. Plan the route and timings, including what I need to buy and keep as receipts, so I can claim every cost back.”

Useful links

MSPA (Mystery Shopping Providers Association)↗Market Research Society↗Action Fraud↗Gov.uk: trading allowance↗
Started? Run it from one place

A free OddSync account gives you a booking page, quotes and invoices sent as a link, and a running tax estimate for your side hustle.

More in Work online

← All side hustle guides