When and how do I get paid?
As a leading North American Mystery Shopping provider, we know that without our independent contractors, we can't deliver to our customers. As such, we are committed to ensuring our contractors get paid twice a month.
To ensure the safety and security of all transactions, Intouch Insight only pays contractors via PayPal. At this time we are unable to support Venmo payments.
Payments occur on the 15th and last day of each month for work completed in the half month prior to the current period. For example, shops performed between Jan 1st and Jan 14th inclusively will be paid on Jan 31th. Payments are typically sent to PayPal by noon of the pay date.
To see a full breakdown of pay periods, and corresponding payment dates, view the 2024 Payment Schedule.
In order for Intouch Insight to process a payment to PayPal, both the iSecretShop Terms of Use and Intouch Contractor Agreement must be accepted by the shopper. A valid PayPal e-mail address needs to be included in the Shopper's extended profile.
If a payment is denied due to an invalid email address, Intouch Insight will contact the shopper to let them know of the issue. Once resolved, the payment will be made on the next scheduled pay date.
Contractors have 30 days to claim their payments through PayPal. If not claimed, the funds are returned to Intouch and will be pended until the contractors contacts Intouch with a request to reissue.
Contact payments@intouchinsight.com if any further information is required.
How do I request/assign myself a shop?
So you want to pick up an assignment or two? Great choice! All Intouch Insight shop and audit opportunities are available for pick-up through the iSecretShop platform. Follow the easy steps below to get started!
On a computer
- Click on Available Shops in the left-hand side-bar.
- Use the map, or filtering options to find an opportunity near you or where you are travelling to.
- Once you see a shop you're interested in, click View Details.
- Read through the full description to get a brief overview of the requirements.
- Scroll to the bottom of the description and look for What date within the range will you do this shop?
- Select the date you would like to complete the shop, and hit Confirm Date.
You're all done! You should see a message pop up to let you know you were able to self-assign the shop. If you've reached your self-assign limit, the system sends a request to your scheduler to let them know you are interested. When the scheduler accepts your request, you will be notified by email that the shop has been assigned to you.
On the mobile app:
- Click the Available Shops icon.
- Once you see a shop you are interested in, tap it to open.
- Read through the full description to get a brief overview of the requirements.
- Tap Request to self-assign, or request, the shop.
- Select the date you would like to complete the shop, and hit Confirm Date.
You're all done! You should see a message pop up to let you know you were able to self-assign the shop. If you've reached your self-assign limit, the system sends a request to your scheduler to let them know you are interested. When the scheduler accepts your request, you will be notified by email that the shop has been assigned to you.
Why was my shop request declined or not accepted in time?
Our team of schedulers strives to process shop requests as quickly as possible, but sometimes it takes a little longer than expected. Please allow up to 48 hours for your request to be processed.
If our team receives multiple requests for the same assignment, we consider multiple factors when making the decision on who to assign the shop to (eg. requested date, shopper reliability, number of shops already assigned).
To receive notifications of declined requests, make sure to update your notification settings in your iSecretShop account. A message with the reason your request was declined can only be received if you toggle the "receive notifications for declined requests'' to ''yes''.
I can't do my shop on the intended date. How do I reschedule?
We know that sometimes unexpected circumstances come up! To give you the flexibility to manage your own schedule, most of our programs are designed to give you the ability to reschedule a shop one (1) time.
To avoid any issues in making sure you are paid for your time, you must reschedule your shop - even when you plan to conduct your visit earlier than anticipated. This is to avoid having multiple shoppers trying to complete shops on the same day. The iSecretShop app will alert you if you attempt to complete the shop on the same day as another shopper.
Follow these easy steps to reschedule:
- Log into your iSecretShop account.
- Find the assignment you need to reschedule.
- Click the Reschedule Button and select an alternate date.
If the reschedule button is not available, please contact the scheduler who's name is indicated on the shop to request an extension.
Please ensure to include the shop ID that you wish to reschedule along with the alternate date that you will be able to complete the shop.
Why must I read shop guidelines and where do I find them?
In order to make your job as easy as possible, our team prepares thorough descriptions of the assignments so that you know exactly what is expected, and how the job needs to be performed. These shop guidelines files are accessible once you have a shop assigned to your account.
Follow these simple steps to locate these important files:
On a computer:
- Click on the View/Complete Shop button.
- On the right-hand side, next to the location info, you will see Files.
- Click on the files to review. These documents must be reviewed prior to conducting your shops.
On the mobile app:
- Tap the assigned shop to select it.
- Scroll down to Important Files to find the additional files and questionnaire.
- Tap the files to review. These documents must be reviewed prior to conducting your shops.
I'm having issues with iSecretShop's website or mobile app.
If you are experiencing issues with the iSecretShop platform, either website or mobile app, please submit a support ticket directly to iSecretShop by clicking on ticket system found on the top menu bar (or the ticket system icon on the app). You can also submit a support ticket here: https://support.isecretshop.com/hc/en-us
Pro tip! Ensure to include as much detail as possible to explain the problem that you are experiencing such as shop ID# and any relevant screen shots or URLs. Intouch Insight schedulers often can't assist with these technical issues so it's important to go right to the source so that they can troubleshoot with you.
I received a check from Intouch Insight. Is it legit?
Intouch Insight is a legitimate mystery shopping company, in business for over 20 years.
We have received several reports of mystery shopping scams using our trademarked logos to create fake assignments which include cashiers checks of large sums.
Intouch only contacts mystery shoppers for assignments, and will never ask you to deposit money before completing a shop. When in doubt, contact us at contractorsupport@intouchinsight.com and report any such activity.
If you have received a check, we strongly advise to NOT cash the check and ask you file a report with the FTC (Federal Trade Commission). Intouch has already opened a case where we were advised to tell other victims to report their individual case to the FTC by calling 1-202-326-2222 with all the details of what you received.
How do I activate geo-tagging on my mobile device?
At Intouch Insight, we pride ourselves on delivering high quality results to our clients. In order to do this, we follow a rigorous QA process to validate results. As part of our shops, we often ask that the photos required to be taken during a Mystery Shop be geo-tagged to validate that you were at the right location. A ''selfie'' in front of the location may also be asked as an alternative to geo-tagging.
To turn on geo-tagging on your device, use the relevant support documentation.
iPhone: https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT207092
Android: https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/3467281?hl=en
Can I be advised when particular shops become available?
"Yes! Absolutely! Signing-up for notifications is the best way to get to pick up assignments as soon as they become available.
Once you have successfully completed a shop for a particular specialty, you can sign up to receive notifications when similar shops become available.
To activate these notification within your iSecretShop account, go to notification settings within your shopper profile.
Look for the section, Please select the specialties you would like to receive notifications for, and select from the specialties that you are eligible for.
Note that only the specialties that you have earned a badge for will be displayed. So don't forget to update your notification settings when you earn a new badge if you would like to receive notifications for that specialty as well.
Can I complete shops in multiple countries?
A Shopper can only complete shops in another country if they have the appropriate working papers to do so.
We cannot assign shops to you if you do not have written consent from the particular government in question. As shoppers are independent contractors, they are solely responsible for respecting proper protocol.
How do I get my earnings records for tax purposes?
Earnings records are produced by Paypal. Login to your Paypal account to download your 1099.
The app says you pay out in 13 days - why haven't I received payment?
The app averages the payout times for shops, this is not accurate data. Payments occur on the 15th and last day of each month for work completed in the half month prior to the current period.
For example, shops performed between Jan 1st and Jan 14th inclusively will be paid on Jan 31th. Payments are typically sent to PayPal by noon of the pay date.