MSPA Certification

Hi Bethany,

What is MSPA certification…and is it necessary?  I thought we weren’t supposed to pay to shop?

-Befuddled Bargainer

The MSPA stands for “Mystery Shopping Providers Association” they’re kinda like the fraternity of the Mystery Shopping realm.  It’s really geared towards Mystery Shopping Companies…not shoppers.  In recent years, there has been a LOT of mis-information out there about mystery shopping, and a lot of would-be shoppers have gotten into this industry but have not really conducted themselves with professionalism. So the MSPA developed a “certification” process to help people understand what it means to be a good shopper.

The first level is the “silver” certification.  It’s an online questionnaire that covers about 5 paragraphs of information with 30 questions regarding mystery shopping.  The cost is $15.

Once you passed the silver certification, you are then qualified to get “gold” certified.  This is a one-day training seminar, where you can meet other shoppers, network with company owners and schedulers, and have a grand old time.  It’s held in various locations across the US, and the fee is $99.

Now, you do NOT need to be certified to be a shopper.  You can get assignments without it.  But, it may make you a little more “visible” to schedulers…especially those shoppers who are just starting out. 

Let me tell you an experience that I had when running my little Mystery Shopping company in Michigan: I had to find someone in Grand Rapids to do a shop for me.  At the time, all of my shoppers were pulled from my classes in the Detroit area, so I didn’t have anyone to cover the assignment.  I found a “GOLD” certified shopper, (through the message boards on volition.com) who agreed to do the shop for me.  I felt secure because I figured that she knew what was what, and things would be taken care of…but, ultimately…she dropped the shop on me.  Never completed it, and didn’t even give me a good reason why.

So, in my mind, I really don’t care if someone is certified, I care that they get the JOB DONE! I think most schedulers feel the same way.

However, the catch-22 to that, is that the Gold certification got her noticed.

If you feel that you’re not getting enough shops, you might want to get silver certified…it’s only $15, (which is tax-deductible) and it may open some doors for you.  It certainly can’t hurt!
Now in regards to having to pay for it, yes, we in the mystery shopping field believe that it is unethical for companies to charge shoppers to work for them.

No legitimate mystery shopping company would ever charge you a fee to be a shopper.  However, there are companies who will charge for information, training, services, etc…and you’ll have to decide if its worth the fee.  Some of these can turn out to be scams.  I can tell you wholeheartedly, the MSPA certification is NOT!

I hope this helps!  Good luck and Happy Shopping!

-Bethany

Still have questions?

Maybe you need our comprehensive guide to all things Mystery Shopping:
The Become a Mystery Shopper Training Program!