With the cost of living rising faster than a loaf of sourdough in a warm kitchen, many Australians are searching for clever ways to stretch their dollars further.
But what if we told you there’s a side hustle that pays you to shop at your favourite stores—think Woolworths, Bunnings, and Costco—and could put an extra $1,000 in your pocket each month? No, it’s not a scam; you don’t need a fancy degree or a 9-to-5 commitment.
Mystery shopping is a flexible, accessible side hustle where you get paid to visit businesses, make purchases, and report on your experience.
Retailers and service providers use mystery shoppers to ensure their staff deliver top-notch service and that their stores are up to scratch.
It’s a win-win: businesses get valuable feedback, and you get paid for your time (and often reimbursed for your purchases).
Take Ri Springbett, a 37-year-old mum from Adelaide, as inspiration. Like many of us, Springbett sought ways to ease the financial squeeze on her family of three.
She wanted to boost her income without sacrificing her flexibility as a mum, volunteer, and all-around busy bee. That’s when she discovered mystery shopping.
‘I thought, how can I do this without having to apply for a 9-to-5 and still be a mum, still do pick up, drop off, pick up my nieces and nephews, volunteer at school and integrate all of the things in my life that create happiness for me?’ she said.
Springbett now completes around 15 mystery shopping jobs weekly, earning about $1,000 monthly. The gigs are varied and surprisingly straightforward.
She’s been paid $10 to buy specific items at Woolworths (and reimbursed for her groceries), $4 to pick up lollies at Costco, and $26 to ask staff about tools at Bunnings. Her highest-paying job so far? A cool $40 for a single assignment.
How does it work?
The process is simple. You sign up with mystery shopping platforms—Springbett recommends Smartspotter and Snooper—and browse available jobs in your area.
Each job comes with instructions: maybe you’ll need to ask a staff member a question, check the cleanliness of a store, or buy a particular product.
After your visit, you fill out a report, which can take anywhere from a couple of minutes to 20 minutes, depending on the assignment.
The best part? You can fit these jobs into your routine. Springbett often combines mystery shopping with her usual errands, so she’s not wasting time or petrol.
‘If I needed to go to Costco and get a few things, I see what’s out there, or I needed to go to the servo the other day and I mystery shopped it at the same time as I was getting petrol,’ she said.
‘Quite often, I’ll accept a job on Smartspotter, and as I’m walking around shopping, I’m submitting it at the same time. So I’m getting paid to shop essentially.’
Why are so many Australians taking up side hustles?
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, nearly a million Australians work multiple jobs—about 6.5 per cent of the workforce.
That’s higher than in decades, and it’s not just students or those in casual work who are picking up extra gigs to make ends meet. Even white-collar professionals are picking up extra gigs to make ends meet.
Sally McKibbin, a career expert at Indeed, said the trend is driven by underemployment and the rising cost of living.
‘There are a lot of people that are underemployed, so they are employed but they would like more hours, and they often pick up more hours in a similar job that may also be part-time or supplemental to that,’ she explained.
Here are a few tips to get started:
- Sign up with reputable platforms: Smartspotter, Snooper, and others have plenty of jobs across Australia.
- Be organised: Keep track of your assignments and deadlines.
- Integrate jobs into your routine: Combine mystery shopping with your regular errands to save time and petrol.
- Write quality reports: The better your feedback, the more likely you will get repeat gigs.
While mystery shopping is a legitimate way to earn extra money, being wary of scams is essential.
Never pay upfront to join a platform; be cautious of any company that asks for your bank details before completing a job. Stick to well-known, established platforms, and always read the fine print.
Also, while the reimbursements are a nice perk, remember that you won’t get rich overnight. Most jobs pay between $4 and $40, so it’s best seen as a way to supplement your income rather than replace a full-time wage.
Have you tried mystery shopping, or are you tempted to try it? Share your experiences, tips, or questions in the comments below—we’d love to hear from you!
Also read: Retiree earns $750 a week from side hustle—you could do it too!
One has to be a particular type of person to undertake mystery shopping; it’s not for introverts, nor is it for people looking for a substantial boost to their income. It’s also not suited to regional – and definitely not for rural – communities. All that to say, one must really enjoy mystery shopping to keep at it as the time and effort one has to put into it is very poorly compensated and even less appreciated.