One of the brightest spots of any mystery shopper’s day is when he or she gets paid for assignments. Mystery shopping may seem like a fun job, and it largely is. However, mystery shoppers do work hard for their money, and they love seeing the financial rewards for the time and effort spent working on assignments. Unfortunately, one of the biggest complaints that mystery shoppers share about their job is the slow payment process that many providers have. So you are not alone if you are visiting online mystery shopping forums and asking, “How long does it take to get your mystery shopping paycheck?”
Snail Mail
The most traditional method of payment that most mystery shoppers enjoy with at least some of their providers is the snail mail method. This may be the most traditional method, but it also is the slowest method. The snail mail method requires the assignment report to be reviewed and approved before processing of the payment can begin. The payment processing method is often slower than other methods because it requires a paper check to be prepared and printed out. Then the check has to be mailed out. In addition to that, you then have to take the time to drive your check down to the bank to deposit it. This creates an even greater dealer in actually getting access to your funds.
Online Payment
Over the last few years, more and more providers have started offering online payment processing. This method is even required by some providers, and you may not get paid at all if you do not have an online account set up with a website like Paypal or another similar payment processing site. This process is faster because you do not have to wait for a check to be prepared and printed out. It does not have to mailed or taken to the bank. You simply wait for an email message to indicate that a payment has been sent to you. Then you log onto the payment processing website, transfer the funds to your own bank account, and wait a day or two for the funds transfer to go through. All in all, this process may speed up the payment process by several weeks.
Getting Paid Faster
The best way to get paid is certainly the fastest way. If you are most interested in getting paid quickly for your time and efforts on assignments, you should first make sure that you submit mystery shopping reports that are accurate and complete. Keep in mind that your payment will not be processed at all until the report has been accepted by your provider. Then, you can get paid more quickly by signing up for electronic or online payments. Some providers may require this, and you may have no other choice but to get paid through online payments. If you do have a choice, always opt for online payments. It truly is much faster and more convenient for you.
As a mystery shopper, you want to get your hands on your money quickly. More than that, you want to have your money deposited into your bank account where you can truly put it to use. Consider signing up for online payments if you have not already done so, and you can get paid more quickly.
Most of my payments are through paypal or direct deposit. It still does not matter if you have them pay online when their policy is that you do not get paid for two months after you have done the job. I have had one company that takes three months to do the job. I have had only a few that have paid within 2 weeks to a month after thejob was completed. Yet they want our reports within 12 hours or they will cancel your shop. You won’t get paid even though you took the time to do it.
Re: Surveys and $$…No way. I have joined numerous “Paid” survey sites that promise lots of $$$ and all I get is sweepstakes entries or points for useless junk. I think these are among the top scams online.Earn big bucks for answering surveys…….REALLY? Forget it !!!!!! Phoebe
Most of my paychecks are through PayPal. I was able to get a free PayPal debit card/Master Card so that I can use the funds right away if I like. So far I have not transferred mystery shopping paycheck funds to my regular checking account.
I may be in the minority on this, but I actually LIKE getting checks from the one company that sends them. It reminds me of my old days of working, when I was young, and we always got checks. I agree, though… if I needed the money from that check immediately, it would be inconvenient and slow. But as it is, taking my check to the bank as part of my errand day is kind of fun! (I may get over that someday, eh?!!)
I agree with Cathy. You still have to wait those 2 mos or more. Ritter Associates pays in about 30 days but they don’t pay much. There are very few and far between where I’ve been paid in a month or less. I’ve been doing this for 12 yrs and it’s still the same with no raises but the gas goes up!
Anyone have an increase in car insurance this year, 2010? Even with a good record and same insurance company for years? We have Allstate around 20 years, nothing on our record. Raised our car insurance 25 percent, they said everybody’s went up. What? In this economy? Now Paying 450 bucks for 6 months on two cars that are 1995 and 1997. Liability. 100 deductible. We are in our late 40’s live in California.