For every mystery shopping assignment that pays well, it is easy to find one that pays practically nothing. Some assignments pay just five dollars for what amounts to an hours worth of work.
So how do we deal with these assignments?
Easy. Just say no. Or, ask for more money. You might be surprised at how often they’re willing to give you more.
Or better yet, wait until the end of the month. Because if no one has taken the low paying assignment, the mystery shopping company will often put a ‘bonus’ on top of it that might make it worth your time. Its not uncommon for an assignment to get a ‘bonus’ of $10. I’ve even heard of some low paying assignments getting bonuses of $50, just because the company was desperate to get it filled.
The bottom line is that you don’t need to accept low paying assignments. Yes, accepting one or two might be good to get your feet wet, but in the long run you’re going to want to stick to the better paying assignments.
So how do you find those? First, apply to a lot of mystery shopping companies. Then find out which of these companies has assignments that you want, and that pay well.
Another way to deal with low paying assignments, as long as they’re not too low, is to group a bunch together for one quick run. Four or five $10 assignments in an afternoon just might be worth your while.
There will always be companies offering low paying assignments. And, I suspect there will always be some shoppers willing to take them.
The way to get ahead as a shopper is to apply to as many companies as you can. That way, all of them are competing for your time. The more companies you apply to, the better off you’ll be. Trust me.