Sarah Foley

What is video mystery shopping?

Video has changed the game for both mystery shoppers and the companies that work with them. Video mystery shopping gigs are usually much higher-paying than traditional mystery shopping, and they give companies a much more honest, detailed look at their retail experience. So how can you make the jump to these higher paying video mystery shopping gigs? Read on to find out. 

How does video mystery shopping work? 

Video mystery shopping requires you to have a specific type of video equipment – your cell phone camera, unfortunately, won’t provide the quality they’re looking for. For video mystery shopping, you need to use a hidden camera – if shop employees know they’re being filmed, it affects the integrity of the results. These hidden cameras are usually wearable – they often look like a shirt button – so you’ll feel like a true secret agent when using them. There are a few companies that provide video equipment to their mystery shoppers. However, if you’re going to be doing video shopping assignments for several different companies, it usually makes the most sense to just invest in your own equipment. 

Just like any other mystery shopping assignment, you will be given a series of tasks to complete while you are in the store. You may need to ask the staff specific questions, check the stock and cleanliness of the store, or even purchase a specific item. You will also need to record your experience in the store as directed. This can require more than just turning the camera on – you’ll need to control it to make sure the footage you’re recording will provide value to the end client. 

How much can I expect to get paid? 

Because video mystery shopping is much more difficult than other mystery shopping assignments, you can expect to get paid much more as well. Video assignments usually start at $50, but they can go up to several hundred dollars plus reimbursements, particularly if schedulers are having a difficult time finding someone to do the job. If you get consistent video mystery shopping assignments, you could potentially do it as a full-time job – although it can take years of experience to get to this point.

Here are some companies known to offer video assignments:

Your Comments:

  1. David Hartley says:

    This is a great article and very
    Informative for shoppers. I did find
    It interesting that of the companies
    Listed, only one is truly a video mystery
    Shopping company. You also left off
    The two largest and most established video
    Shopping companies. Feel free to reach
    Out to me for further insight.
    David, CEO, Elite CX Solutions

    • Karen Probus says:

      What other reputable MSC do video shopping?

    • Chris says:

      Can you tell who the two biggest companies are?

    • karen stephens says:

      which companies were left out I have been thinking about doing this but just a question a lot of stores have metal detectors wont they go off with something like this? just wondering

    • Melissa Wallace says:

      I am ready to purchase my own equipment for video shopping. I know I need to purchase a PV500 and am wondering if there is a bundle I need or anything else in particular? Also, what are the other two companies?
      Thank you
      .

  2. khairalla says:

    Is not there any company support that in Egypt (North of Africa )

  3. Ferroni123 says:

    I am a registered shopper with Pinnacle. I have performed video mystery shops for them so I know they are definitely one. I have also worked for Clear Evaluations and Advanced Feedback they are not a 100 % video mystery shopping company per se however, they do offer video mystery shopping gigs from time to time. When I decided I wanted to try a video mystery shop I did some research. I got the equipment did some online certifications that add to your resume as a mystery shopper. Most were free others less than 50.00. After looking for the video shops I found a lot of the companies that had the good shops with the good pay would ask that a I send them a video or two with my equipment. I always asked them what type of content they wanted the video to entail. I always got the job when I complied. So as an FYI this even is if not asked for could be offered to any prospective employer as an added incentive for them to pick you for their shop. I hope this will be helpful. I also read in here about record or note keeping on mystery shop companies this is crucial as well. Keeping good records of the various companies I have been employed by has saved me a bunch of time. Also money because if I am I offered work by 2 different companies I pick the one who has treated me the best even if it was not the highest paid one. The reason for this is more money is not always mean better. The companies that have treated me better have shown me my worth and kept me checking myself to give the best work possible. Those companies that have the integrity to treat you as you should be treated ended up being the same companies that had more gigs in the long run. They also provided good references for me when I asked them if they could give me a reference. Which without saying a good reference is gold in this type of work. I am now considering doing the airport mystery shops. If anyone has any tips or tricks that you can offer that will be helpful I will appreciate it. Thank you!