Field Agent works by paying you for short in-store jobs that brands post in the app, such as photographing a shelf, checking a display or answering a quick survey, which you reserve, complete on site and submit for review. The detail people miss is that every photo must be taken inside the app, and an uploaded screenshot or internet image gets an account banned.
Field Agent is a mystery-shopping style app for people who are in shops anyway. Brands want to know whether their product is on the shelf, priced correctly and displayed the way they paid for, and agents are their eyes. Here's how the whole loop works, from Field Agent's own support centre.
What a Field Agent job looks like
Field Agent says its most common audits follow the same pattern:
- Go to a specific store.
- Find a specific product or display.
- Take one or more photos of the shelf or display, inside the app.
- Answer a few questions in the app.
- Submit the job, then get paid once the review team approves your data.
Other jobs include product price checks with a photo and surveys. Field Agent recommends reading the job summary on the details page before you reserve, so you know what you're signing up for.
Finding and reserving jobs
The app has five tabs: Search for jobs near you, Active for reservations you still need to complete, Earnings for job status and cash-outs, Explore for help articles, and Account for your profile and settings. You start on the Find Jobs screen and reserve from there.
An empty screen is normal. Field Agent says jobs are posted when clients need them, and many are limited to a state, ZIP code or even a single store, so jobs appear and vanish through the day. Checking regularly matters more than anything else.
Rules that get submissions denied
- Photos come from the app only. Field Agent says an image from an internet search, a photo of another device, a computer image or a screen capture uploaded from outside the app counts as cheating and the account is banned.
- Never leave a photo blank. The system usually auto-denies submissions with missing information. If you can't take the requested photo, take the alternate one and add a comment explaining why.
- Keep moving forward. Going back or leaving the app mid-job can make it expire and lose your progress.
- Start early. Jobs have time windows, so don't leave a reservation until the last minute.
Price checks, surveys and product jobs
Not every job is a shelf photo. In a price check, the app sends you to a particular store to find a specific product, photograph it on the shelf and enter its price, which Field Agent says matters to companies watching their competition. Surveys appear in the app just like other jobs. Some programmes ask you to buy and try a product or rate it, and Field Agent's rule there is strict: if the instructions don't list substitutions, don't buy a different size, flavour or count, and don't swap a 4 count pack for four single items.
Agent Score and accuracy
Your Agent Score is 42 plus your approved paid submissions for the last 6 months. Field Agent starts it at 42 so returning agents don't see zero, and cancelled or expired reservations no longer count against it. A separate accuracy score reflects how often your jobs are approved versus denied, which is the number to protect.
How and when Field Agent pays
| Stage | What Field Agent says |
|---|---|
| Job review | Allow 3-5 business days, though it's usually quicker |
| Linking a bank account | May take 2-3 business days to verify, so set it up early |
| Cash-out processing | Within 24 hours during weekday business hours (Central Standard Time) |
| Bank transfer | Often 3 to 5 business days |
| Accounts allowed | Up to 5 cash-out accounts in total |
Timing your cash-out helps. Field Agent says money arrives fastest when you cash out on a Monday or Tuesday between 8am and 5pm CST, and slowest on Friday evenings after 5pm, at weekends or before holidays.
You can link a bank account or prepaid card, either instantly through Plaid or manually. PayPal works too, but only by entering the account and routing numbers from your PayPal dashboard by hand; it isn't available for instant verification.
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Taxes and where Field Agent is available
Field Agent files a 1099-MISC for agents who reach the IRS reporting threshold in a calendar year. Before you get there, a W-9 request arrives by email from Tax1099, and if you don't return it in time, the app pauses and stops showing jobs.
Field Agent is currently offered in Australia, Canada, Ecuador, Mexico, South Africa, Spain, Great Britain and the United States. If you're in India, Pakistan, Nigeria or the Philippines, it isn't available to you yet.
My verdict on how Field Agent works
Field Agent is a good fit if you already pass several supermarkets and chain stores in a week and you're careful with instructions. It's patchy, location-dependent work, so it suits topping up a routine rather than building one. Read every job summary, shoot every photo in the app, and protect your accuracy score. For similar flexible work, see my side hustle ideas you can run alongside a business and my guide to apps that pay you to drive.
Frequently asked questions
How long does Field Agent take to pay?
Field Agent says to allow 3-5 business days for review, cash-outs are processed within 24 hours on weekdays, and banks often take 3 to 5 business days.
Which countries is Field Agent available in?
Australia, Canada, Ecuador, Mexico, South Africa, Spain, Great Britain and the United States.
Can I upload photos from my camera roll to Field Agent?
No. Field Agent says photos must be taken in the app unless the job says otherwise, and uploading outside images gets accounts banned.
How is my Agent Score calculated on Field Agent?
It's 42 plus your approved paid submissions for the last 6 months. Cancelled or expired reservations don't count against it.
Why can't I see any Field Agent jobs?
Jobs are posted based on client needs and many are limited to a state, ZIP code or store, so they may all be reserved or not yet posted in your area.
