Hello,
I'll try giving some broad explanations and advice, so you know how the process works and where to start.
-Once you log into iSecretShop, go to the "Available Shops" page, and browse the shops that are posted.
-When you see the one you are interested in, you click "View Details" and it will open a pop-up window with all the information on the shop.
-Then, you can either self-assign that shop, or click "Request shop" to submit a request for a specific date. The schedulers are frequently reviewing these requests, so it should be approved soon.
*If you are prompted to sign the iSecretShop Terms of Use or the Mystery Shopping Provider's contract first, you can do so on the "Provider Contracts and Policies" page.
-Once you have a shop assigned to you, you can always view it on the "Assigned Shops" page - there you can see all shops you have assigned, and can click "Complete Shop" on any of them to see the full shop information, the shop instructions, the questions, or/and fill out the shop report.
-If you have any questions about a particular shop, you can always contact the MSP that posted it, and their schedulers/editors will be happy to help.
-When you are done filling out the shop report - you click "Finalize Shop" to submit it - it will be reviewed to editors and either approved, or returned to you for additional information (if so, it will appear back in your "Assigned Shops" page).
-After the shop is approved, you can communicate with the MSP regarding your payment for that shop.
I also advise going to iSSprep.com and doing courses like "iSS 101" and "iSS 102" - these will not only provide you with additional knowledge, but will also grant you shopper points, boosting your rank rather quickly.
If you have questions related to a specific assignment (including questions about the loss of your points and requests for their restoration), please contact the MSP responsible for the shop. They have the authority and the ability to restore them should they deem it appropriate.
I hope this helps!
Hi Monica,
The most common reasons for an unpaid payment include:
1) Shop completed too recently - not scheduled until the next payment cycle.
2) No Paypal address on file in your Extended Profile
3) Independent Contractor Agreement not signed for this MSP
4) No W9 form (if required) on file with the MSP https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9.pdf
The only course of action when it comes to payment-related questions is to continue trying to reach the MSP - use their official company email and phone number, as individual schedulers can't always be reached. If you need assistance with the MSPs contact info, you can open a support ticket at iSS.
I hope this helps!
That's right, signing the MSP contract does not automatically sign you up for the shop, it just enables you to see the details and request the shop if you wish.
Hi Radhika, and welcome to iSecretShop! Here's how payment works:
Each Mystery Shopping Provider that posts shops on iSS is responsible for paying shoppers that complete their shops. When you complete a shop, and the editors review and approve it, the MSP will make the payment according to their payment schedule. Most MSPs use PayPal as their method of payment. There are a few different terms when it comes to the amount of money each shop pays:
- Compensation (a.k.a. "shop fee", "shop pays", etc) - this is a fixed amount that is paid to you for successfully completing a shop.
- Reimbursement - this is the amount up to which your expenses on a shop will be reimbursed after successfully completing it (i.e. if you spend $42 on lunch while doing a restaurant shop, and the shop reimburses up to $50, then you get $42 in reimbursement.)
Some shops have a Compensation, some have the Reimbursement, and some have both.
3. Bonus - this is a fixed fee that's paid to you for successfully completing a shop, in addition to the compensation/reimbursement. It's usually added on shops that are hard to schedule, or when schedulers are approaching a deadline/end of the project.
Here's an example of a shop with all 3:
Compensation: $20
Reimbursement: $40
Bonus: $5
Once the shop is approved you'd get $20 + $5 + up to $40.