Frequently Asked Questions

To ensure high-quality experiences for all customers, brands strive to maintain a consistent standard of service across all branches. One way to make sure of this is Mystery Shopping.

Mystery Shoppers are regular members of the public, who assume the role of customers. They might be making a purchase online, speaking to a customer service agent over the phone or eating a meal in a restaurant. After the interaction, they report back on the particular aspects of their experience the company has asked them to focus on. Their answers will help the company to identify where extra training might be needed – to result in a consistent, optimal customer experience.

If you’re looking for Mystery Shopper jobs, assignments for our clients change every day. Our clients want to get the best-suited people for each task, so we take great care when matching people to jobs. After you’ve applied for a task, we’ll assess whether you meet its criteria and then tell you if the task has been assigned to you.

No! You can sign up with iShopFor Ipsos and enjoy flexible hours, with no minimum or maximum number of tasks.

Without a doubt, being able to earn money from home (or while you’re out and about) is extremely convenient. Whether you’re reporting on the customer experience in a Shop, a salon or a bank, you can just select the tasks that suit your plans. We just need you to answer questions about your experience within 12 hours of completing the task. That way, all the important information is fresh in your mind.

Pick up as many or as few tasks as you like, and set them during parts of the month that are most convenient – there’s no more flexible way to earn cash.

One of the most appealing aspects of Mystery Shopping is that you’ll enjoy new experiences and visit places you might never have been to otherwise – but you are free to pick and choose which ones you would like to do. See the huge variety of tasks we have available; the list of available tasks changes every day, and we’ll keep you right up to date through emails and social media. We have tasks for all interests and abilities, including visits to a location, phone calls or online tasks you can do from home, and more.

For each task you select and are assigned, you will receive a set of guidelines outlining what is required. Before you conduct the task we’ll ask you to answer a short quiz to confirm you’ve understood it. We also regularly share training videos and materials to help you better understand Mystery Shopping tasks more broadly.

Still have questions? No worry – our helpful Shopper support team are always available.

Once your task is completed, your questionnaire submitted, and it has been reviewed by our Quality Assurance team, your task will be processed for payment. Ipsos process payment weekly, so you’re never waiting long to get paid for your tasks. See more in our Payment FAQ section.

Extra income on the side - If you want some extra cash to supplement your income, Mystery Shopping is a hassle-free way to earn it. Many people take on assignments to fit around their careers, using the money to do more of the things they love or saving it up for something special.

Flexibility - It’s precisely because Mystery Shopping is so flexible that many people make it their side hustle. You can choose the assignments you want to complete, fitting them around your schedule.

For many tasks, you won’t even need to leave home. You can complete them online or over the phone, after you’ve finished work for the day or at weekends.

Help make businesses better - We’re all customers and we all want to know we’re getting the best service possible. Companies put major time and effort into perfecting the customer experience, sometimes training hundreds of employees over days and days.

As a Mystery Shopper, you’ll lift the lid on the reality of their customer service standards. If those on the front line aren’t consistently following best practice, your reports will give companies the chance to improve.

Try new experiences for free - Mystery Shopping isn’t a normal job. It’s much more exciting than that. Every day can be different, with all kinds of interesting assignments constantly being added to our website. You’ll have the chance to visit places you never would’ve otherwise – and you can apply for the tasks that’s ound most enjoyable to you.

Click here to open iShopFor Ipsos. Click the navigation bar (three lines at the top left of your screen). Head to the ‘News’ tab to open a range of training material, general information, tips & FAQ’s. Within the ‘Tips & FAQ’s section’ you will find a quick video guide on ‘How to apply for a task’.

All tasks require acceptance by you in the system. When a task is allocated by our team, it will require a single acceptance once allocated. Self-allocated tasks require a second acceptance once you have self-assigned them. The option to accept can be found in your ‘My Tasks’ section. If a task is not accepted and exceeds the due date, these will automatically be removed from your assignments. If you have accepted a task, but it is overdue and we are unable to reach you, it will be removed from your assignments within 24 hours of the due date. To avoid this happening be sure to complete your task by the assigned date, or edit your planned visit date if needed.

Log into your iShopFor Ipsos account here and head to ‘my tasks’. Click on the 3 dots on the right-hand side of your task. Here you will have the option to reschedule the date you plan on completing the task. If this feature is not working, we can assist, please email us indicating you were unable to reschedule on your own, and include your Task ID and Survey name.

Your application will be reviewed by one of our allocators to ensure you meet the criteria for the task. Normally, an outcome is provided within 24 business hours. Keep an eye on your tasks as you will not receive an email notification when it is accepted.

Log into your iShopFor Ipsos account here and head to ‘my tasks’. Click on the 3 dots on the right-hand side of your task. Here you will have the option to decline the task if you are unable to complete.

There should be specific guidance within your ‘Shopper Project Guidelines’. For most tasks, please ensure you check online for your locations opening times. If you arrive and the location is closed, please take a photo as evidence, and let us know by emailing southafrica@ipsos.com.

Each task has different pay rates. You are able to see it in the task description (CP columns) before you apply for the task. Some specific Mystery Shopping tasks such as visits to restaurants, sport activities, etc. might not be paid, as they will provide you with a free meal or activity.

Mystery Shopping is an occasional activity. We recognise the talent and hard work that goes into completing a task and appreciate the professionalism of our Ipsos Mystery Shoppers, however the amount paid for each task should be considered as extra money and not a primary source of income.

Yes, you get paid in exchange for successfully performing your Mystery Shopping task(s). Mystery Shopping is a great way to do what you like and get paid for it.

Any Shops completed and validated by Sunday each week are shown on your pay schedule the following Tuesday, this can be found in your ‘my pay’ tab here. Payments will be in your account the following Monday (subject to bank holidays). You can find a full breakdown of payment schedules on our app in the ‘news’ tab.

In certain countries, in order to be paid, you need to provide us with your banking details. You can find this information on your online bank account or by asking your bank. If you are not comfortable with providing us these details at your initial sign up, you can wait to perform a task. However, please remember that the payment of your Mystery Shopping task will be processed only once these bank details are entered in your Ipsos Mystery Shopper’s Profile.

Yes, your bank details are securely stored and used only to process the payments of the validated Mystery Shopping tasks to your bank account. There is no circumstance in which money would be debited from your account.

No. Ipsos Mystery Shoppers are classed as independent workers.  To find out additional information about this, please consult the Terms and Conditions.

To become an Ipsos Mystery Shopper you need to be over 18 years old, to have a smartphone and regular access to the internet. If you have never done Mystery Shopping don’t worry, our briefing process will help guide you and with a little experience we are sure you will become a talented Ipsos Mystery Shopper! If you have any doubts or questions the Ipsos Shopper Support Team will be happy to help you.

The Ipsos Shopper Support Team may contact you by phone or email. They expect you to return follow-up calls and/or emails from them in a timely manner (ideally with 24 hours latest of sending). If you encounter a situation/ problem whilst conducting/before conducting a task, always contact the Ipsos Shopper Support Team for advice. By unsubscribing to emails and newsletters you are also unsubscribing to the panel.  Since emails are our main way of communicating with our Mystery Shoppers, you need to be subscribed to at least email communication in order to continue on our panel.

Click here to open iShopFor Ipsos. You will see your profile icon (top right-hand corner). Under the ‘Setting: Notifications’ section you have the option to disable email alerts.

In the iShopFor Ipsos Portal you can reset your password by clicking on the “forgot password” button and entering the email address you registered with. If this doesn’t work, you can always contact the Ipsos Shopper Support Team.

Click here to open iShopFor Ipsos. You will see your profile icon (top right-hand corner). Under the ‘Privacy Dashboard’ section head to ‘Request erasure from IShopfor Ipsos team’. Once this request has been submitted, we will remove you from our panel within 30 days. Requesting removal from the panel means you will not receive general emails from our system however if you have visits still going through validation we may still contact you in those instances to enable us to finalise your visit and ensure you get paid for it, if completed correctly.

Our friendly support team are here to help, and you should reach out initially to southafrica@ipsos.com. If you feel you need to escalate further, you can do so by sending a short summary of your issue, along with the Task ID if applicable to southafrica@ipsos.com. This mailbox will be monitored by senior members of the team, and you should expect an acknowledgement within 24hrs of submission.

Your Ipsos Mystery Shopper Profile in the iShopFor Ipsos Portal is very detailed and contains questions from all areas such as demographics, banking, telecommunications, and interests. All the information entered in your Ipsos Mystery Shopper Profile is secure and will never be provided to a third party and will remain confidential. The offers visible in Open Opportunities depends on your Ipsos Mystery Shopper Profile, so please do complete it in full! For more information concerning your data, please consult our Privacy Policy.

To leave our Shopper Panel, you need to connect to iShopFor Ipsos Platform and submit a request in MY PRIVACY (My Settings, Edit Profile, My Privacy, Request Erasure). Please note that your request can only be processed once all the tasks assigned to you have been validated and paid. Once your request has been processed, most of your data will be deleted and your account will be deactivated. However, a certain amount of your personal data must be retained by Ipsos as a legal proof of our past collaboration, for more information please consult our Privacy Policy. Un-subscription is irreversible and therefore we won’t be able to re-activate your account.

Please submit a privacy-related request on iShopFor Ipsos Platform following MY PRIVACY (My Settings, Edit Profile, My Privacy, Request Erasure). Our team might need a maximum of 30 days to process your request after submission. For more information about our privacy please consult your country Privacy Policy.