Mystery shopping apps pay you to visit a store, restaurant or gas station — or sometimes just make a phone call — and report back on what you saw. Unlike most money-making apps, they usually send you somewhere in person, and many jobs reimburse a required purchase rather than paying much on top. The Federal Trade Commission notes that many professionals in the field treat mystery shopping as part-time or occasional work, not a replacement for a full-time job.
That makes the details matter: what each job pays, how you get paid and how long you wait. We checked every company below against its own website. Where a company doesn’t publish a detail there, we say so instead of guessing.
None of these companies lists a sign-up fee, and five of the six say on their own sites that joining is free. Walk away from any “mystery shopping” offer that asks you to pay.
| App | Best for | Pay per job | How you’re paid | What the company’s own site says about speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iShopFor Ipsos | In-person, phone and online jobs | Shown before you accept | PayPal only | 7–10 days after your survey is approved |
| Field Agent | Short in-store jobs | Not listed on its website | Bank account | Not listed; funds can be held up to three business days after your work is accepted |
| PrestoShopper | Fast pay on quick shops | Shown on each shop | PayPal, Amazon credit or Tango Card credit | 1–3 days after approval; clients have 72 hours to approve |
| iSecretShop | Many companies in one app | Set by each company | Set by each company | Varies by company, from days to monthly |
| Market Force | Proposing your own fee | Not listed on its website | Direct deposit or PayPal | Once a month for the previous month’s approved shops |
| Secret Shopper | Higher-paying shops | $15 into the hundreds | Direct deposit or mailed check | Once a month for the previous month’s shops |
PrestoShopper and iShopFor Ipsos are the only two that put a payout timeline in days on their own sites. Market Force and Secret Shopper pay monthly, iSecretShop leaves timing to each company and Field Agent doesn’t publish a timeline.
| Earning potential | Cash-out from | Payout methods |
|---|---|---|
| Varies by job; pay and any reimbursement shown before you accept | Not listed; paid per approved shop | PayPal only |
How it works: iShopFor Ipsos is Ipsos’ mystery shopping program, with more than 1 million shoppers in 180-plus countries. You register free, browse jobs in the iShopFor Ipsos NEXT app and see the pay and any reimbursement before you accept. Along with in-person visits, it offers phone and online tasks you can do from home.
Ipsos pays only through PayPal, 7–10 days after your survey is approved. You’ll need to be 18 or older with a smartphone, a PayPal account and a Social Security number or TIN/EIN.
| Earning potential | Cash-out from | Payout methods |
|---|---|---|
| Not listed on its website | Not listed on its website | Bank account (through payment partner Dwolla) |
How it works: Field Agent pays you to gather photos and information for brands and retailers at chains like Walgreens, Target and Kroger. Job types include audits, product trials, ratings and reviews, scavenger hunts and mystery shops, plus short surveys about your shopping habits.
You’re paid once the client accepts your work, and you cash out to your bank account. Field Agent’s agreement says it can hold funds for up to three business days after acceptance and can set a minimum cash-out at any time. Field Agent merged with Shelfgram in June 2025.
| Earning potential | Cash-out from | Payout methods |
|---|---|---|
| Shown on each shop; no range published | Not listed on its website | PayPal, Amazon credit or Tango Card credit |
How it works: PrestoShopper comes from the makers of SASSIE, a mystery shopping platform companies use to post jobs. Sign-up takes about 60 seconds, and you can claim Presto Insta-Shops on the spot without waiting for approval. Its map shows each shop’s pay, requirements and survey before you commit, along with traditional SASSIE shops from other companies.
Presto says clients must accept or reject your Insta-Shop within 72 hours or it’s approved automatically, and payment goes out one to three days after approval.
| Earning potential | Cash-out from | Payout methods |
|---|---|---|
| Set by each company posting jobs | Set by each company | Set by each company |
How it works: iSecretShop is a job board, not a mystery shopping company. It pulls jobs from many companies into one app and website, including mystery shops, price audits, merchandising jobs, research panels and intercept interviews. There’s no application process, and you can work from the app, mobile web or a computer.
iSecretShop doesn’t pay shoppers itself. Each company sets its own payment policy, which you can review before you accept, and some pay within days while others pay monthly. Intouch Insight, for example, says on its own site that it posts shops through iSecretShop as well as the Sassie and Shopmetrics platforms.
| Earning potential | Cash-out from | Payout methods |
|---|---|---|
| Not listed on its website | No minimum listed; paid monthly | Direct deposit (ACH) or PayPal |
How it works: Market Force hires mystery shoppers for clients like restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations and movie theaters. Its Eyes On Global app lets you find shops on a map, schedule them, take photos and file your report, which is due within eight hours. On “Make an Offer” shops, you can propose your own fee.
Market Force pays once a month for shops approved the previous month, by direct deposit or PayPal. Your first shop is a Level 1 “test shop,” and it isn’t paid until you move up to Level 2 by submitting your address and SSN within 90 days.
| Earning potential | Cash-out from | Payout methods |
|---|---|---|
| $15 for basic shops, into the hundreds for bigger ones | No minimum listed; paid monthly | Direct deposit (ACH) or mailed check for US shoppers |
How it works: Secret Shopper hires independent contractors to evaluate businesses in person, by phone or online. Its free app lets you self-assign shops, get directions and file reports, which are due by noon Central Time the next day unless the instructions say otherwise. You need to be 18 or older, but you don’t need experience.
Pay ranges from $15 for basic shops into the hundreds for bigger ones, and some restaurant shops cover a meal for two. US shoppers are paid monthly for the previous month’s shops, by direct deposit or a check mailed on the 20th.
We started with the mystery shopping apps that come up most often for US shoppers and kept only those with a dedicated mobile app and no sign-up fee. Every detail about pay, payout methods and timing comes from the company’s own website. If a company doesn’t publish something there, we mark it “not listed.”
We left out BestMark because its own FAQ says assignments are completed on its website in a browser, not in a dedicated app.
Most mystery shopping apps follow the same basic steps, whether the app belongs to the mystery shopping company or works as a job board for many companies:
The main difference is who you’re working for. iShopFor Ipsos, Field Agent, Market Force and Secret Shopper post their own shops. iSecretShop and PrestoShopper show shops from multiple companies in one app.
Usually a little at a time. Secret Shopper says its shops start at $15 and can reach the hundreds for more involved ones. The other companies show pay on each job rather than publishing a range.
A reimbursement isn’t extra income. If a shop pays $10 plus a $15 meal reimbursement, you’ve earned $10 and gotten lunch. Many companies also pay weeks after you’ve covered the purchase, so mystery shopping isn’t one of the better ways to make money fast.
The FTC says that if you have to pay an upfront fee to become a mystery shopper, it’s always a scam. Here’s what else to watch for:
If driving to stores for small jobs doesn’t fit your schedule, these options pay you without a shopping trip:
The best mystery shopping app depends on what matters most to you. PrestoShopper and iShopFor Ipsos are the clearest about fast payment, Field Agent offers a wide mix of short in-store jobs and iSecretShop puts many companies’ shops in one place. Market Force and Secret Shopper pay monthly, and Secret Shopper’s bigger shops can pay into the hundreds.
Whichever you pick, expect modest pay, follow every guideline and never pay to join.
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