Compensation or Payment Policy
The compensation for each assignment offered by Confero is clearly stated in Confero’s client opportunity postings and during the scheduling and assignment (shop) confirmation process. In addition to compensation, there may be other considerations offered with specific assignments that hold value for you.
Some clients require that shoppers make purchases of their goods and/or services as an integral part of the research program for that client. In such cases, the client will set forth the guidelines for which goods and/or services, and dollar amounts, and shoppers will pay for them at the time of the evaluation, and then be reimbursed by the client (via Confero as client program coordinator), up to the limits specified. All such reimbursements require a valid, accurate receipt submitted within the client’s required timeframe.
Social Security Verification
To ensure that Confero complies with all IRS rules and to aid us in preventing individuals from falsifying reports and creating multiple accounts on our reporting system, we ask that all U.S. mystery shoppers provide their Social Security Numbers (SSN) or Tax ID numbers through our secure Compass mystery shopper website.
Information is encrypted and housed securely in a manner approved by the Internal Revenue Service. A SSN or EIN is required for payment for any shops conducted after November 1, 2008.
We do accept new mystery shoppers prior to SSN/EIN verification. This allows new mystery shoppers to preview Confero’s client mystery shopping opportunities to decide if they want to conduct shops. However, payments to mystery shoppers are not issued until SSN/EIN has been verified.
There are 3 ways to get SSN/EIN verified:
- Enter your SSN on our secure, encrypted website, or
- Enter the Employer ID (EIN) of your business. If you do not yet have an EIN, contact the IRS and request an Employer ID number for your mystery shopping contract business and enter that number instead of your SSN. This is a simple process that can be completed by visiting the website: irs.gov/businesses and clicking on Employer ID numbers, or by calling the IRS at 1-800-829-4933, or
- You may print a W-9 form, fill it out and mail it to us. When we receive the document, we will enter it onto the system for you. To obtain a W-9 form, please visit http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9.pdf Please understand that the delay for this service is about 14 working days to allow us time to enter the information for you. The address is Attn: Supplier Verification, Confero Inc., 535 Keisler Dr Suite 204, Cary, NC 27512
For any of these three (3) options, if your name and SSN (or TIN) do not exactly match the Internal Revenue Service’s system, you (and Confero) will receive an email notice that there was not a match. Please do not be alarmed. Typically, the system will send back an “unverified” message if the name and SSN do not exactly match (e.g. you are John A Public in our system and you are John Anthony Public in the Social Security System). We can accept reasonably similar matches but it takes our system about 5 days for that to occur.
Submitting Invoices to Confero for Your Mystery Shops
To keep costs down for all involved, a completed and client-accepted mystery shop report in the Confero online reporting system serves as an automated invoice from shopper to Confero. There is no need to send an invoice to Confero.
However, If your business process requires you to send a hard copy of your invoice, you may submit invoices directly to the following address:
Accounting
Confero Inc.
535 Keisler Dr Suite 204
Cary NC 27518
Compensation via PayPal Only
Confero does not issue checks to mystery shoppers for any reason. We adhere to this policy so there can never be any confusion between the Confero and the scams involving fake “checks”.
Please do not sign up to shop for Confero if you cannot accept PayPal payments.
Paypal is free to use. Your funds will arrive faster if you are registered for your free PayPal account at http://www.paypal.com.
When a payment is sent to you, an email will arrive from shopperpayments@conferoinc.com which indicates how to claim the funds. The message will also indicate the date range the payment covers, so you may view your online shopper log to see what has been paid. Mystery shops that have been Paid are marked “Paid” on the log.
Payment is sent out from Confero via PayPal to the email address in your Shopper Profile using an automated process. To receive the payment, be sure the email address in the Confero shopper profile is associated with your PayPal account. If it is not, the automated email message from PayPal will instruct you regarding how to claim your payment.
PayPal will notify you by email once payment has been made by issuing an email message from shopperpayments@conferoinc.com. You can also log-in to your account to view payments at http://www.paypal.com
Payment Timing
Payments for reports completed and submitted between the 1st and 15th of the month will be issued between the 25th – 30th day of the following month. Payments for reports completed and submitted between the 16th and 31st of the month will be issued between the 10th and 15th day of the second following month.
Confero reserves the right to revise this schedule at its discretion.
Here is an example of the payment schedule:
| Shop date/report submitted: | Payment released to PayPal: |
| 1st – 15th of March | On or around April 25th – 30th |
| 16th – 31st of March | On or around May 10th – 15th |
On the Spot Prize Payment Exception
Mystery shops that involve on the spot prizes follow the same payment processes as outlined above with one exception: if a payment is due to a mystery shopper and that shopper has not yet returned unused prizes for an on the spot rewards program, Confero will delay payment until the prizes are received. After prizes are received, the payment will be made on the next scheduled date for shopper payments to be released.
Income Reporting and Tax Forms
As an independent contractor, mystery shoppers, auditors and interviewers are responsible for reporting their own earnings.
PayPal, Confero’s third-party payment issuer will issue a 1099 to your account if your earnings for the year are over their threshold for reporting requirements.
- For the 2021 tax year, the threshold is $20,000, meaning that the combined amount you contracted for from all sources, including Confero, must be greater than $20,000.
- Starting with the 2022 tax year, the reporting threshold will be $600, meaning that the combined amount you contracted for from all sources, including Confero, must be greater than $600.
Confero does not send 1099 forms to contractors. The IRS instructs us not to send 1099’s to contractors who are paid via third parties.
Payment Policy Questions?
We value our relationships with mystery shoppers and want to make sure all mystery shoppers receive complete and timely compensation. If you have a question about a payment, please email Confero at shopperpayments@conferoinc.com. Be sure to include your assignment number, date the shop was conducted and your first and last name.
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