Secret Shopping Apps and Products
Apr 01, 2023
Perfect! This needs expansion and needs to focus more on apps while keeping the products. Here's the enhanced version:
Title: Secret Shopping Apps and Products: Top Must-Have Tools for Mystery Shoppers
Meta Description: Discover the best secret shopping apps and essential products for mystery shoppers. Learn which tools and apps maximize efficiency and earnings in 2026.
Essential Secret Shopping Apps and Tools Every Mystery Shopper Needs
Mystery shopping is a popular way for companies to evaluate their customer service and overall customer experience. As a mystery shopper, you may be assigned to visit a store, restaurant, or other business and report back on your experience. To do your job effectively and maximize your efficiency, you need the right combination of secret shopping apps and essential products. In this comprehensive guide, we'll look at the top must-have secret shopping apps and products that professional mystery shoppers rely on.
The right secret shopping apps can transform your mystery shopping experience, making it easier to find assignments, complete shops efficiently, and submit reports quickly. Combined with a few essential physical tools, these secret shopping apps will help you become a more successful and profitable mystery shopper.
Top Secret Shopping Apps for Finding and Managing Assignments
- Mystery Shopping Platform Apps
The most important secret shopping apps are those provided by the mystery shopping companies themselves. Many major mystery shopping companies now offer dedicated secret shopping apps that make it easy to browse available assignments, accept shops, and submit reports all from your smartphone.
Popular secret shopping apps from major companies include:
iSecretShop - One of the most widely used secret shopping apps, available for both iOS and Android. This app connects you to thousands of assignments from multiple mystery shopping companies. You can search for shops by location, view assignment details, and submit reports with photos directly through the app.
Presto Insta Shops - Another excellent secret shopping app that aggregates assignments from various companies. The interface is user-friendly and allows you to quickly find shops near you.
Shopmetrics - A secret shopping app that offers a clean interface and easy navigation for finding and completing assignments.
These secret shopping apps save you time by eliminating the need to log into multiple websites. You can check for new shops throughout the day, accept assignments immediately, and even complete reports while sitting in your car after finishing a shop.
When choosing which secret shopping apps to download, look for features like:
- Push notifications for new assignments in your area
- GPS integration to find nearby shops
- Ability to upload photos and complete reports in-app
- Assignment tracking and deadline reminders
- Payment history and earnings tracking
- Note-Taking and Organization Apps
Beyond company-specific secret shopping apps, general productivity apps can significantly improve your mystery shopping efficiency.
Evernote or OneNote - These note-taking secret shopping apps allow you to organize your shop notes, create templates for different shop types, and sync across all your devices. You can create a notebook for each mystery shopping company, store shop guidelines, and even clip web pages with important information.
Google Keep - A simple, free note-taking app perfect for quick shop notes. The color-coding feature helps you organize notes by shop type or company.
Notion - A more robust organizational tool that some professional mystery shoppers use to track their assignments, deadlines, payments, and shop history all in one place.
These secret shopping apps help you stay organized, especially when you're juggling multiple assignments from different companies with varying requirements.
- Mileage and Expense Tracking Apps
Since mystery shopping is a business, tracking your expenses and mileage is crucial for tax purposes. These secret shopping apps make it easy:
MileIQ - Automatically tracks your drives and categorizes them as business or personal. This secret shopping app runs in the background and creates a log of all your trips with mileage calculations.
Stride - A free mileage and expense tracker designed for independent contractors and gig workers. Perfect for mystery shoppers who need to track both mileage and shop-related expenses.
Everlance - Another excellent option that automatically tracks mileage and allows you to photograph and categorize receipts from your shops.
Using these secret shopping apps ensures you don't miss any deductions at tax time and helps you calculate your true hourly rate by factoring in all expenses.
- Mapping and Route Planning Apps
Efficient route planning is essential for maximizing your mystery shopping income. These secret shopping apps help you create optimized routes:
Google Maps - The classic mapping app, but use it strategically. Input all your shop addresses for the day and let it optimize your route to minimize drive time.
Waze - Offers real-time traffic updates and can help you avoid delays, ensuring you arrive at your shops on time.
Route4Me or Badger Map - More advanced route planning secret shopping apps that allow you to input multiple stops and automatically create the most efficient route. These are particularly valuable for mystery shoppers doing routes with 5+ shops in a day.
These secret shopping apps save you time and gas money, directly increasing your hourly earnings from mystery shopping.
- Time Management Apps
Meeting deadlines and timing certain aspects of shops is crucial. These secret shopping apps help:
Built-in Timer/Stopwatch App - Use your phone's native timer app to track how long it takes for service (like how long before a server greets you or how long you wait in a checkout line). Just familiarize yourself with how to use it discreetly before your shop.
Time Stamp Camera - A secret shopping app that adds date and time stamps to your photos automatically, which is required for many shops and provides proof of when photos were taken.
Deadline reminder apps - Apps like Todoist or Any.do help you track which shop reports are due when, ensuring you never miss a submission deadline.
- Photo Editing and Management Apps
Many mystery shops require photos, and these secret shopping apps help you manage and edit them:
Google Photos - Automatically backs up all your shop photos and makes them searchable and easy to organize by date or location.
Snapseed - A free photo editing app for when you need to adjust lighting, crop, or enhance photo quality before submitting.
Timestamp Camera - Adds date, time, and even GPS coordinates to your photos as you take them, which some shops require.
Photo compression apps - Some shop portals have file size limits, so apps that reduce photo file sizes without losing quality are helpful.
- Communication Apps
Staying in touch with schedulers and other shoppers requires good communication secret shopping apps:
Email apps - Ensure you have a reliable email app with notifications enabled so you don't miss shop offers or important updates from schedulers.
Facebook and Facebook Messenger - Many mystery shopping communities exist on Facebook where shoppers share tips, and some schedulers communicate through Facebook Messenger.
WhatsApp or Telegram - Some mystery shopping companies and schedulers use these messaging apps for quick communication.
- Payment and Banking Apps
Tracking your mystery shopping income is easier with these secret shopping apps:
PayPal - Many mystery shopping companies pay through PayPal, so having the app makes it easy to track incoming payments.
Venmo or Zelle - Some companies use these payment methods.
Banking apps - Connect to your business checking account to monitor mystery shopping deposits and separate your mystery shopping income from personal funds.
Spreadsheet apps - Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel mobile apps let you track your earnings, expenses, and calculate your net income on the go.
Essential Physical Products for Mystery Shopping
While secret shopping apps are crucial, you still need some physical tools to be fully prepared:
- A Reliable Smartphone
Your smartphone is the platform for all your secret shopping apps and your primary tool for mystery shopping. You'll need it to:
- Run all your secret shopping apps
- Take notes, photos, and videos during visits
- Access the internet for research before and during shops
- Time aspects of your visit
- Navigate to shop locations
- Submit reports immediately after shops
Ensure your smartphone has:
- Adequate storage space for photos and secret shopping apps
- A good camera (at least 12MP for quality shop photos)
- Long battery life or carry a portable charger
- A reliable data plan for accessing secret shopping apps anywhere
- A Notepad and Pen
Even with all your secret shopping apps, it's still a good idea to carry a small notepad and pen. You may need to take notes quickly, and it's often faster and more discreet to write them down than to type them on your phone while in a shop. A notepad and pen are also useful if your phone battery dies or if you don't have access to your phone for any reason.
Choose a small notepad that fits easily in a pocket or purse. Many mystery shoppers prefer a leather-bound notebook that looks professional if noticed.
- Portable Phone Charger/Power Bank
Since you're relying on secret shopping apps and your phone for everything, running out of battery is not an option. Carry a portable charger that can fully charge your phone at least once. This ensures your secret shopping apps remain accessible throughout a long day of shopping.
Look for power banks with at least 10,000mAh capacity, which can charge most smartphones 2-3 times.
- A Stopwatch or Timer
While your phone has a built-in timer, some mystery shoppers prefer a dedicated stopwatch, especially for shops where using your phone might draw attention. A stopwatch is useful for timing certain aspects of your visit, such as how long it takes for a server to take your order or how long it takes for a salesperson to approach you. This information can be valuable for your report and can help businesses improve their service.
The good news is your phone's timer app works perfectly fine for this - just make sure you know how to use it discreetly before doing your first shop. Practice accessing and using the timer feature so you can do it quickly and naturally.
- A Tape Measure
While this is not something you need to run out and buy before you get started, there are a few shops that require a tape measure to be completed. A tape measure is useful for measuring things like the size of a display, the distance between tables in a restaurant, shelf heights, or signage dimensions. This information can be valuable for your report and help businesses improve their layout and organization.
A small retractable tape measure (12 or 25 feet) is sufficient for most mystery shopping needs. Keep one in your shop bag so you have it when needed.
- A Wallet with Cash and Multiple Payment Methods
It's essential to carry a wallet with:
Cash - Not all businesses accept credit cards, and you may need to pay for something during your visit. Having cash on hand will ensure that you can pay for what you need without any issues. Additionally, some shops specifically require you to use cash to pay for a product to test whether employees properly handle cash transactions.
Multiple credit/debit cards - Some shops require specific payment types or test whether employees can process different payment methods correctly.
Gift cards - Some shops require you to purchase or use a gift card as part of the assignment.
Keep at least $50-100 in cash in various denominations ($1s, $5s, $10s, and $20s) so you're prepared for any shop requirement.
- A Professional-Looking Bag or Briefcase
Having a bag to carry all your mystery shopping tools looks natural and professional. Choose something that:
- Fits your phone, charger, notepad, pens, and other tools
- Looks appropriate for the types of shops you do
- Has organizational pockets to keep items accessible
- Doesn't look like you're carrying mystery shopping equipment
A mid-sized crossbody bag, tote, or small backpack works well for most mystery shoppers.
- Comfortable, Professional Clothing and Shoes
While not a "product" you carry, having appropriate clothing is essential:
Versatile professional casual outfits that work for multiple shop types Comfortable shoes since you'll be on your feet Layers or a blazer in your car to dress up if needed Weather-appropriate gear
Building Your Mystery Shopping Toolkit
Start with the essential secret shopping apps - download iSecretShop and any apps from the mystery shopping companies you've registered with. Then add organizational and mileage tracking secret shopping apps to improve your efficiency.
For physical products, begin with what you likely already have: your smartphone, a notepad, and cash. As you take on more shops, add items like a portable charger, tape measure, and dedicated shopping bag.
The investment in these secret shopping apps and products is minimal compared to the efficiency and earning potential they provide. Professional mystery shoppers who use the right secret shopping apps and tools can complete more shops per day, submit higher quality reports, and ultimately earn more money.
Maximizing Your Success with Secret Shopping Apps and Tools
The combination of secret shopping apps and essential physical tools creates a professional mystery shopping kit that will serve you well. Here are some tips for using your secret shopping apps and tools effectively:
Organize your secret shopping apps - Keep all your mystery shopping related apps in one folder on your phone for easy access.
Enable notifications - Turn on notifications for your secret shopping apps so you're alerted to new assignments immediately.
Practice using your tools - Before your first shop, practice taking discreet photos, using your timer, and taking quick notes so you can do these things naturally during actual shops.
Keep your tools charged and ready - Charge your phone and power bank every night, and keep your shop bag packed so you can grab it and go.
Update your secret shopping apps regularly - App updates often include bug fixes and new features that improve functionality.
Back up your data - Ensure your photos and notes from secret shopping apps are backed up to cloud storage in case of phone issues.
Your Secret Shopping Apps and Tools Investment
The good news is that most secret shopping apps are free to download and use. Your main investment is your smartphone, which you likely already own, and a few inexpensive physical items like a notepad, pen, and portable charger. This low barrier to entry is one of the reasons mystery shopping is such an accessible opportunity.
The secret shopping apps and tools mentioned in this guide represent the essentials that professional mystery shoppers rely on daily. As you gain experience, you'll discover which secret shopping apps and products work best for your personal mystery shopping style and the types of shops you prefer.
Get Started with Your Secret Shopping Apps Today
Ready to start your mystery shopping journey? Begin by downloading the essential secret shopping apps like iSecretShop, organizing your smartphone, and gathering a few basic physical tools. With the right secret shopping apps and products in hand, you'll be well-equipped to do your job effectively and provide valuable feedback to businesses.
The combination of technology through secret shopping apps and practical physical tools creates the perfect mystery shopping toolkit. As you build your mystery shopping business, you'll refine your collection of secret shopping apps and products to match your needs and preferences.
Happy shopping, and make sure you have all your secret shopping apps and tools ready for success!
