Become a Mystery Shopper
APPLY NOW
Start your mystery shopping journey now
Join our team
Looking for a flexible, rewarding way to earn money while gaining real-world investigative experience? Learn how to become a mystery shopper with Sting Investigations – a trusted, full-service investigations agency with over 25 years of industry experience and is an investigations and security training agency.
Why Work With Sting Investigations?
Unlike typical mystery shopping companies, Sting offers professional training, career development, and opportunities to grow into security or investigative roles.
- Over 25 years of experience in mystery shopping and investigations
- Professional training and certification programs
- Opportunities for advancement into security and private investigations
- Flexible assignments that fit your schedule
- Work across retail, hospitality, compliance, and security sectors
Independent Contractor Guidelines
Mystery shoppers work as independent contractors, not employees. You can choose assignments that fit your schedule, are responsible for your own taxes and expenses, and must complete all evaluations and reports accurately, professionally, and on time while following project guidelines and confidentiality requirements.
Open Positions
Mystery Shopper (5 Positions Available)
We’re hiring reliable, detail-oriented individuals across British Columbia, including major cities like Vancouver, Surrey, Victoria, Courtenay and Nanaimo. Evaluators who show reliability, strong report writing skills, and a drive to succeed may qualify for our Mystery Shopper to Private Investigator Program. Sting Investigations is accredited to provide Private Investigator training in Alberta, with equivalent programs available in British Columbia, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.
How to Become a Mystery Shopper
STEP 1: APPLY ONLINE
Submit your application here: APPLY NOW
Sting Investigations will verify your application. If approved, you’ll receive emails and can set up your Shopmetrics account.
You can opt out anytime.
STEP 2: Sign up in our portal
Create your profile and gain access to available assignments.
Step 3: get certified
Complete our training (Level 1 Certification) to qualify for jobs and improve your skills.
Step 4: APPLY FOR jobs
Choose assignments that suit your schedule and interests.
Watch: How to Sign Up
What does a mystery shopper do?
A mystery shopper evaluates businesses by posing as a regular customer. Your role may include:
- Measuring customer service quality
- Checking compliance with laws and regulations
- Gathering detailed information about products and services
- Submitting reports through our online portal
desired skills and experience
- Grade 12 (or equivalent)
- 19 years or older (18 in Alberta)
- No criminal involvement, criminal record or pending charges
- Valid email account and paypal for payment is required
- Good computer skills (ability to use smart phone, voice recorder and camera is required)
- Ability to ride in a vehicle for prolonged periods of time (drivers license and vehicle is an asset)
- Ability to carefully and accurately observe complex situations
- Ability to carry items up to 20 pounds
- Experience conducting mystery shops and using software like Shopmetrics (an asset)
NOTE: You will be applying for a position with an Investigative Agency. Our reputation demands we thoroughly screen all of our employees. Part of our hiring process includes using the tools we have at our disposal. We will run a thorough background check and depending on the position applied for, our recruitment process may include an Interview. By applying with Sting Investigations Inc., you hereby agree to our screening process.
What type of assignments will I do?
Compliance
A Mystery Shopper acts as a customer and attempts to make an alcohol/cannabis purchase at liquor store, pub or restaurant, or dispensary. The primary task is to see if the attendant is abiding by the liquor or cannabis law – is not serving intoxicating persons and performing proper ID checks of persons under 30 years of age.
Walk-in Shopper
A Mystery Shopper acts as a customer and undertakes a series of agreed tasks. These tasks monitor the quality of customer service, ask questions, staff uniform and deportment, interior/exterior of premises, and more.
Phone Shopper
Monitor how long it took staff to answer, how they were greeted, and how professionally your request was handled was the member of staff polite and informative? Report back accurately and objectively by completing a questionnaire. This may require you to place a call through the app and submit the recording.
Online Shopping
Evaluate the site for ease of use, order processing, shipping and customer service. This may include a review social media platforms, websites and customer reviews. Answer questions, upload documents or photos, and submit reports online.
what are the Benefits of Working with us?
- FREE TRAINING in mystery shopping, retail, hospitality, safety, private security and investigations
- FREE meals, merchandise and services
- Convenience of only taking the assignments that work with your schedule
- Get reimbursed for goods and services you may have paid for anyway
- Sting can help you become a licensed Private Investigator
- Get paid to get out of the house and out on the town
- Gain employment experience working interesting sites
- Improve your observation and report writing skills
Training & Certifications
Our training programs are designed to be practical, accessible, career-focused, government accredited and are available both online and in-class.
You’ll gain essential skills in:
- Mystery shopping techniques
- Basic & Advanced Security Training (BST & AST)
- Accredited Investigations Training
- Health and safety compliance
Get certified, build real-world skills, and advance your career.
Contact us to learn more about available training and certification options.
don't be fooled by
Mystery shopper scams
As a general rule NEVER EVER do any of the following:
- NEVER pay to work or for training to work
- NEVER wire money as part of a mystery shopping assignment
- NEVER deposit cheques into your banking account and send money back
- NEVER apply for mystery shopping jobs that guarantee a lot of money
Visit our Mystery shopping scams page for more information.
Still have questions?
Overall, we expect reliability to complete the shop, 100% honesty when filling out the reports, and the reports filled out completely, with good grammar, within 24 hours of you completing the shop.
Once you login you’ll see a link on the left-hand side of the screen called Open Opportunities. Click that and it will show what is available in your area. If you don’t see many shops, extend your km’s a bit to see more. If you feel like doing a route – we can send you on a bit of a road trip.
Sting pays out our shoppers on the 7th of every month. Any shops completed correctly before the last day of the month will be paid out on the 7th.
Sting Investigations pays all mystery shoppers by PayPal only. We do not pay by any other means, including cheque or direct debit bank transfer. You would therefore need to set up a PayPal account before you start your first assignment.
Agents are paid once a month for all approved shops. Approved assignments are those that have been completed correctly, followed all instructions, with relevant information and detail in the survey and within the required timeframe.
Before you apply and accept an assignment the payment amount for a successful job will be listed. This amount varies depending on how in-depth the requirements are. Remuneration may be in the form of job fee or reimbursement to a certain amount, or a combination of the two.
Think of it like a Job Board – it will show all the shops in the area that you can apply for.
Sting Investigations, Inc. is dedicated to improving service and promoting excellence in the mystery shopping industry. Sting expects our employees to follow principles of honesty, professionalism, fairness and confidentiality to guard the interests of the public and our clients in order to promote good business practices.
Mystery shoppers work as independent contractors, not employees. You can choose assignments that fit your schedule, are responsible for your own taxes and expenses, and must complete all evaluations and reports accurately, professionally, and on time while following project guidelines and confidentiality requirements.
More Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
SHOPMETRICS MOBILE - GET THE APP!
Courses
