Welcome Back
Welcome to the second edition of The Mystery Shopping Insider. Tax season is here, and we’ve got the numbers you need. The IRS bumped the mileage rate. The 1099 threshold just changed. And NRF 2026 showed us exactly where retailers are heading with customer experience.
We promised last time that we’d dig into AI and retail trends. The industry’s biggest conference delivered — and there’s good news for mystery shoppers. Human feedback still matters. A lot.
Let’s dive in.
Industry News and Headlines
NRF 2026 Puts Human Connection Front and Center
The National Retail Federation’s Big Show wrapped up January 11–13 in New York City. Over 40,000 retail leaders packed the Javits Center. The theme? “The Next Now.”
AI dominated the headlines, but not the way you’d expect. Speaker after speaker said the same thing: AI is a tool to help employees, not replace them. Retailers want to get closer to customers, not further away.
Google unveiled “agentic commerce” tools with Walmart. Microsoft launched Brand Agents for personalized shopping guidance. But the message from Nordstrom, REI, and others was clear: when customers want face-to-face help, brands need to deliver.
What This Means for Shoppers
Retailers are investing heavily in in-store experience. That’s where mystery shoppers come in. AI can’t evaluate a smile, read body language, or feel the vibe of a store. Your feedback fills that gap. Expect continued demand for quality evaluations as brands double down on CX.
New Market Report Shows Strong Growth Ahead
Coherent Market Insights released a fresh report on the mystery shopping industry this month. It covers market trends, growth forecasts, and key players through 2033.
The report names the usual heavy hitters: Ipsos, Market Force, Bare International, Service Management Group, Intouch Insight, and others. It also breaks down the market by type (in-store, online, telephone) and by industry (retail, hospitality, banking).
The takeaway? The industry keeps expanding. More companies want customer experience data. That means more opportunities for shoppers.
IMT Residential Hits 15 Consecutive Quarters of Platinum
Here’s a case study worth knowing. IMT Residential, a nationwide apartment operator, just earned Platinum status in the Ellis Partners in Management Solutions program for the 15th quarter in a row. They were the only company to hit Platinum all year in 2025.
What’s Platinum mean? Their mystery shopping scores averaged 98%, compared to an industry average of 84%. That’s a 14-point gap — huge in this space.
This shows what happens when companies take mystery shopping seriously. They use the data for coaching, not just compliance. Results follow.
Tax Season Updates
IRS Mileage Rate Hits All-Time High
The IRS announced the 2026 standard mileage rate on December 29. Starting January 1, the business rate is 72.5 cents per mile. That’s up 2.5 cents from 2025 and the highest rate ever.
If you drive for mystery shops, this matters. Update your tracking app or spreadsheet now. Every mile adds up.
The medical and moving rate dropped slightly to 20.5 cents per mile. The charity rate stays at 14 cents. But for most shoppers, it’s the business rate that counts.
1099 Threshold Jumps to $2,000
Big news for independent contractors: the One Big Beautiful Bill Act raised the 1099 reporting threshold from $600 to $2,000. This applies to payments made starting in 2026.
What does this mean? Mystery shopping companies won’t be required to send you a 1099 unless they pay you $2,000 or more during the year.
Important
You still have to report all your income to the IRS. No 1099 doesn’t mean no taxes. It just means less paperwork from companies. Keep your own records for every shop, every company, every payment.
Upcoming Events and Dates
MSPA Legacy Gold Deadline — 76 Days Away
Deadline: May 1, 2026
We mentioned this last edition, but it’s getting closer. If you earned your original MSPA Gold certification before 2025, Legacy Gold retires on May 1. After that, only the updated Gold course counts.
Check your account now. If you need to refresh, don’t wait until April. Visit the MSPA Americas certification page.
MSPA Europe/Africa Events
Two upcoming events for our international readers:
- March 4, 2026 — Italy (details TBA)
- March 18, 2026 — Prague, Czech Republic
The big one is MSPA EA Conference 2026 in Alicante, Spain on May 19–21. Save the date if you’re shopping in Europe.
North America Conference Season Coming Up
Mark your calendar for these U.S. events:
- ShopperFest 2026 — June 26–28, Las Vegas (MSPA Americas)
- ShopCon 2026 — Las Vegas at the Flamingo (dates TBA)
- Talking Shop 2026 — September 25, St. Louis (Ipsos)
ShopperFest early bird pricing runs through December, but standard registration is open now. $275 gets you in the door.
Scam Watch
Still Active: IntelliShop LinkedIn Scam
The scam we flagged last month is still going. Someone is posing as the IntelliShop COO on LinkedIn, offering $300 per shop, then asking for credit card info to “complete onboarding.”
IntelliShop will never ask for payment info. Real companies pay you — not the other way around.
Other scams making the rounds:
- CLEAR Evaluations texts. Fake messages offering $500 for Walmart shops. Not real.
- Fake check mailers. Letters with cashier’s checks asking you to wire money back. Classic scam — the checks always bounce.
- Mystery shopping “certifications” for a fee. Legitimate MSPA courses cost money, but random companies demanding upfront payment are almost always scams.
Stay sharp. When in doubt, check the MSPA Americas scam alerts page or report it to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Shopper Tip of the Edition
Tip: Get Your 1099s — Then Verify
1099s should be arriving now. But with the new $2,000 threshold, you might get fewer than last year. That’s fine — as long as your records are solid.
Pull up your payment history from each company. Compare it against any 1099s you receive. If the numbers don’t match, contact the company before you file.
Remember: the IRS mileage rate is now 72.5 cents per mile. If you tracked your miles in 2025, that’s money back in your pocket.
Quick Stats and Numbers
What’s Ahead
The MSPA Legacy Gold deadline is approaching fast. In our next edition, we’ll break down what the updated Gold certification covers and whether it’s worth the refresh if you’re already certified.
We’ll also keep tracking any new scam alerts and early ShopperFest announcements as registration picks up steam.
See you in two weeks.
The Mystery Shopping Insider is a biweekly report from Mystery Shop Starter.
Questions? Tips? Drop us a line. And if you found this helpful, share it with a fellow shopper.
© 2026 Mystery Shop Starter. All rights reserved.