Service Monitor Mystery Shopper Terms & Conditions

Our Terms and Conditions apply to all mystery shopping assignments which you undertake on behalf of “Service Monitor” or “Service Monitor Ltd” (referred to as “we” and “us” below). Please read through them carefully. By accepting an assignment you agree to the version of these terms in force at that time. We may revise these terms from time to time, but changes will not apply to assignments you have already accepted. Failure to comply with these terms and conditions may result in us reducing or withholding payment for work completed, as set out below.

Eligibility

You must be aged 18 or over, resident in the United Kingdom and entitled to work in the United Kingdom. You may carry out mystery shopping assignments for other agencies, but you must tell us if you are employed by, or provide services to, a business that competes directly with us.

You must not accept an assignment if you or any of your family or associates work for or have worked for, or are known to, the organisation that we have asked you to mystery shop.

Confidentiality

All work that you undertake for us is confidential. You must not reveal yourself as a mystery shopper or disclose any information relating to your assignments to a third party, including on social media or review websites. This does not prevent you from making disclosures required by law, or to your professional advisers, HMRC, the Market Research Society, a regulator or law enforcement authorities.

Carrying out assignments

You agree that you will carry out each assignment in accordance with the briefing that we supply to you and within the dates and times specified. If you require clarification of any of the details, please contact us directly.

You will perform your obligations with reasonable care and skill and to the best of your ability and will not do anything to damage our business reputation and interests.

You must behave lawfully and considerately while on an assignment. You must not make audio or video recordings, or photograph staff or other customers, unless the briefing expressly instructs you to. Where a briefing does require this, we are responsible for ensuring the collection is lawful and complies with the Market Research Society Code of Conduct. Where an assignment involves purchasing alcohol, you must not drive if you have consumed it.

This agreement is personal to you and you cannot ask another person to carry out an assignment on your behalf.

Reports

You agree to complete all questionnaires fully, accurately and honestly.

You agree to return the survey to us within 24 hours of the assignment taking place. Where a report is returned late without good reason, we may make a reasonable and proportionate reduction to the fee or, where the delay means the report can no longer be used, withhold it.

We will assess reports reasonably. Where we have concerns about a report we will contact you for clarification before making a decision. Our decision following any clarification is final.

Where you materially fail to comply with the briefing or these terms and, as a result, the report cannot reasonably be used, we may withhold the assignment fee. Where the report remains usable but its value has been materially reduced, we may make a reasonable and proportionate reduction to the fee. Except in cases of suspected fraud or deliberate falsification, we will give you a reasonable opportunity to provide clarification before making a final decision. Where a report contains misleading or false information we may also remove you from our mystery shopping database immediately.

Fees and expenses

We will pay you an agreed fee for each assignment that you complete in accordance with the briefing instructions. You will be notified of the fee prior to commencing the assignment. Fees and approved expenses will be paid directly to your bank/building society account within 12 working days of us receiving your completed questionnaire, photos and receipt.

We will reimburse only those expenses set out in the briefing, and only where you provide an itemised receipt. Claims must be submitted with your report.

Where an assignment requires you to make a purchase or booking in advance, you do so at your own risk. We will reimburse agreed costs only where the assignment is completed and the report is submitted in accordance with the briefing. We will not reimburse costs for bookings that are cancelled, not attended or not completed, including where the booking is non-refundable, unless the assignment is cancelled by us or our client, the venue is closed or unable to trade at the time of your visit, or we agree otherwise in advance.

If we or our client cancel an assignment after you have accepted it, we will reimburse reasonable costs you have already incurred in accordance with the briefing, provided you supply receipts. No fee is payable for a cancelled assignment.

Your status

You act as an independent contractor in respect of the assignments that you undertake for us. These terms and conditions do not form a contract of employment between you and us and we will not deduct PAYE or National Insurance from the fees that we pay you. You are responsible for declaring your earnings to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).

You are responsible for taking reasonable care of your own safety during an assignment, and for ensuring that any vehicle you use is appropriately insured and roadworthy. You are not covered by our insurance. Nothing in these terms excludes or limits any liability which cannot lawfully be excluded or limited, including liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence.

We cannot guarantee the number of assignments which may be offered to you whilst you are registered as a mystery shopper.

Termination

Termination by you: If you no longer wish to be part of our mystery shopping database, please contact us and request that no further assignments are offered to you.

Termination by us: If we have reasonable cause to believe that you are failing to abide by these Terms and Conditions, we reserve the right to remove your details from our mystery shopping database and no further assignments will be offered to you.

Data and intellectual property

You assign to Service Monitor Ltd all present and future copyright and other intellectual property rights in the reports, questionnaires, photographs and other material you produce in the course of an assignment. To the extent any rights do not pass under this assignment, you grant us an irrevocable, royalty-free licence to use that material for any purpose. We may use this material as we see fit, including but not limited to feedback, support and training for the venue or client, and may contact you for clarification or further information where required.

Your personal data will be processed in accordance with our Privacy Policy and applicable data protection legislation, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

We will ensure that any research we conduct conforms to the Market Research Society Code of Conduct as well as the national and international legislation relevant to a given project.

Governing law

These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales.

Last updated: 10 September 2026