Did you know there are places where can get paid to shop? Learn about the best places to get paid to shop, how they work, and how much you can earn.
Want to start a side hustle but don’t know where to start?
You’re not alone. Many people want to use their spare time to get a side gig and start earning more money. But finding a new opportunity can be difficult if you’re already committed to a full-time job.
But did you know you can get paid to shop?
Some excellent services are looking for people like you, who want to earn more money shopping. And getting started is easier than you think.
Check out this article to learn about the 9 best places where you can get paid to shop.
These days, you can get paid for just about anything, even something as simple as texting.
Getting paid to shop is a growing category in the gig economy. These positions can have different names, like mystery shopper or personal shopper, but they all boil down to the same thing.
You get paid for running around a retail store, online shopping, or buying your favorite products through a specific app or browser extension.
Indeed data shows personal shoppers earn around $14.95 per hour in the United States, while an undercover shopper earns a bit less, around $14.44 per hour.
Rates differ a lot based on where you live, whether you’re shopping online or in-person, and performing extra tasks like writing a report after a mystery shopping trip.
If you want to get paid to shop, you’ll need:
We’ve included an overview of our top picks above. For a full list and detailed information on each pick, scroll down.
This side gig is versatile and can be fitted even into a busier schedule.
If you’re ready to kickstart this new career, here are nine solid platforms where you can get paid to shop:
There are lots of ways to make money on Amazon, and shopping is one of them.
Becoming an Amazon Personal Shopper means working in one of their grocery warehouses, which is less like a classic warehouse and more like a larger supermarket.
You get paid to gather orders for delivery and do some inventory tasks.
Amazon salaries all start at a $15 hourly rate. You can get paid more depending on your location and which shifts you choose.
Personal shoppers can also access their funds at the end of each shift with the Anytime Pay feature.
Amazon personal shopper gigs are ideal if you want to stay in one place during your side gig. Shoppers don’t have to deliver the groceries to clients and only need to prepare the orders for delivery.
You can also gain experience with store logistics and inventory management.
Instacart Shopper is a grocery delivery service that provides a great opportunity to make money with your car.
Shoppers download the Instacart Shopper app and choose the shopping gig they want to complete.
Shoppers handle the task from A to Z, meaning you’ll need to both gather the items from the grocery store and deliver them to the client.
Shoppers view an estimated payment rate for each shopping gig before they select it. The price can differ depending on your location and how complex the task is.
As an independent contractor, you get to make your hours, so this also factors into how much you’ll make. On the plus side, you get to keep 100% of the tips.
Instacart Shopper is for people who want flexibility both regarding how much time they put into this gig and the types of shopping tasks they perform.
You can choose from a wide variety of gigs included in the list of tasks and find out how much it’ll pay before you accept it.
The app also lets you talk to the customer if you need clarifications or if you can’t find one of the items on the shopping list at the grocery store.
Care.com is a platform where you can find jobs centered on caring for kids and the elderly.
It has a wide variety of gigs, including babysitting, grocery shopping, and living in a house with an elderly person who needs more daily supervision.
Care.com users can set their hourly rates based on their experience or the types of tasks they perform.
You can also browse through the existing list of tasks in the grocery helper and other categories and find one at a convenient rate.
This gig is for anyone who wants a human aspect to this type of side gig.
You can get a recurring job helping someone older or with a disability get their groceries and even socialize with someone new.
It’s a great opportunity to change a person’s life while getting paid for it.
Secret Shopper is a market research company that provides one of the most popular mystery shopping service providers on the market.
Mystery shoppers (also known as undercover shoppers) are people who visit certain stores, cafes, and restaurants and pretend they’re real customers.
Thousands of stores work with Secret Shopper to gather information about customer service quality.
Secret Shopper freelancers make between $15-$25. Some task rates may be higher and include the cost of services and products.
Sometimes, Secret Shopper will ask you to pay for the items or services upfront and then reimburse you.
As a market research company, Secret Shopper wants you to behave like a regular customer. You don’t have to play a role.
You simply head to the real store or business you need to test, use its services, and then provide an account of your legit customer experience.
Uber Eats is a food delivery service, but unlike its ridesharing counterpart, you don’t need a car to complete tasks. The company also accepts scooters, bikes, and even on-foot deliveries.
Uber Eats pays around $15-$17 per hour, depending on where you live.
You keep all your tips and can even combine the food delivery gig with the ridesharing one to make even more money.
Uber Eats offers high levels of flexibility.
You can log in to the app and view delivery gigs in your area, and choose the ones you like best based on how much they pay.
It’s also great if you don’t have a car, since you can deliver food by bike or even on foot for short distances.
TaskRabbit is a service that connects freelancers directly with people looking for various tasks.
You can find a lot of small gigs on the platform, from testing products to helping someone move, furniture assembly, or shop at real stores.
Wages are influenced by the type of tasks you accept and your location. For example, shopping pays an average of $20 per hour in Boston, and $25 in Miami.
TaskRabbit has an online calculator that’ll show you how much you can expect to make for different tasks in your area.
You’ll never be bored with TaskRabbit. If you’re tired of shopping for money one day, you can scroll through the postings and find something new to do, such as pet sitting or volunteering.
DollarSprout Rewards is a browser extension you can install for free on Chrome or Safari and get cashback prizes from thousands of stores.
With it, you earn money for personal shopping and need a personal computer or a laptop to fetch rewards.
Once the extension is activated, it’ll show the cashback percentage you’ll earn back after shopping from a specific merchant.
Stores offer different cashback percentages, so it depends on what they negotiate with DollarSprout Rewards.
This is a great method to help you save money while shopping from your favorite merchants for items you already need.
You can use the extension in combination with other platforms in this review or cashback sites and increase your earnings even further. The company collaborates with thousands of stores.
Receipt Hog is a receipt-scanning app where you can leverage your real shopping habits and favorite stores to get coupon codes, deals, gift cards, and even real cash.
You can add both paper and digital receipts and increase your earnings by taking surveys.
Receipt Hog offer points based on the amount of money you spend shopping.
For instance, if the receipt is over $100, you’ll get 20 points. 1,000 points are equivalent to $5.
Receipt Hog is another low-effort way to earn extra money.
All it requires is uploading the receipts of the shopping you already do regularly.
Once you accumulate enough points, you can cash out or get gift cards or other prizes.
IntelliShop is another legitimate mystery shopping company where you can get paid to help businesses improve their customer support.
Gigs here aren’t limited to shopping. You can make extra money from a spare room by calling customer support, visiting an online store, or performing a short online task.
IntelliShop wages depend on the tasks you perform and your account rating. Indeed data shows undercover shoppers make around $20,000 per year.
IntelliShop allows independent contractors to choose the types of gigs they want.
For instance, maybe one day you don’t want to head out and shop to assess the customer experience.
Instead, choose a task that involves calling customer support, which you can do while sitting on your couch.
Getting paid to shop can be a way to make extra money monthly or even shift to a new career.
Here are some unique benefits of these types of jobs:
Getting paid to shop can be fun and exciting, but there are some drawbacks to consider:
Getting started with this side gig is simpler than it looks. Here’s a breakdown of the process:
Consider what type of side hustle or activity suits your current schedule best, as well as other needs.
If you want something simple and almost passive, then cashback sites are best. They only involve installing an app or browser extension and shopping as normal.
But if you have time and want to earn more, delivery services and mystery shopping assignments are more rewarding.
Most of these services have a short online application. They’ll ask for your full name, email address, location, and relevant payment information.
Sometimes, there could be a short test, especially for mystery shopping assignments that involve additional tasks, like writing a report.
Once you sign up and pass any necessary test, you can log in to your account or download the mobile app if the service provides one.
Some shopping gigs let you choose your tasks, while others will assign you jobs based on your location or other profile information.
If you’ve gone the cashback app route, once you install the browser extension or app, you can earn money shopping with no other steps involved.
After all these logistics are out of the way, you can start shopping for money.
Remember that your payment may also depend on the quality of your service, not just task fulfillment.
Be sure to pay attention to all task details and complete it without error to avoid payment issues.
You’re one step closer to a new side gig as a shopper.
But before you sign up for any of these services, consider the following points.
Some of these gigs will ask you to pay for a few things yourself, and you won’t get reimbursed for them.
This usually happens with freelance delivery drivers, who cover the cost of gas for multiple shopping trips and any car repairs themselves.
You should factor in these costs in your accounting and set aside money to cover them.
Calculate the actual amount of money you make by subtracting these overhead costs, and see if this gig is truly profitable for you.
With these companies, you’ll be an independent contractor and not an employee. This means you’re responsible for filing your taxes.
This is another reason you should follow your profits closely and set aside enough money to cover the income tax.
Many of these side gigs involve real interactions with people or company representatives.
As a delivery person, you need to talk to the customer directly to complete the task. Customer service skills are essential for these gigs.
As an undercover shopper, you need to gather data on customer experience. This involves gathering objective data, so you’ll need to pay attention to details and not manipulate the interaction in any direction.
Using your real shopping habits to gather real data is essential for these types of gigs.
Both shopping at online stores and real stores can generate a solid side income. Choosing between the two usually comes down to personal preference.
Using online stores is less demanding since you can do tasks from your laptop or even phone. But going to real stores is more engaging and justifies higher rates.
Cashback apps and sites negotiate their terms directly with vendors.
Shoppers receive a small cashback percentage of the value of the cart. Typically, you can expect to get at least 1% back.
If shopping isn’t the right gig for you, here are other easy ways to make more money:
Whether it’s food delivery, mystery shopping assignments, or helping someone with grocery shopping every week, shopping is a great side-gig opportunity.
The jobs you can find in this field are varied, so consider your needs, time, and resources before setting your sights on a specific opportunity.
The nine services on this list have something for everybody, so start your search here to find the best place to earn money shopping.
Let us know your thoughts on this side gig in the comments and how likely you are to give it a shot.