HGEM Mystery Dining Review – Worth It? (Not for Everyone)

I have recently come across a website called Mystery Dining by HGEM, and I got curious since I’m always on the lookout for great ways to earn extra cash. It claims you can get free food by working as one of their mystery guests.

So, if this is something you are interested in, then I suggest you keep reading this HGEM Mystery Dining review because it will show you what it offers, how it works, and what you can get out of it. That way, you’ll know exactly what to expect from it before you sign up.

Then, you can evaluate if what it offers is worth it or not. So, let’s dive in.

What is HGEM Mystery Dining, and what does it offer?

As the name suggests, HGEM Mystery Dining is a website that will reward you for being a mystery diner. And yes, it is legit because you can really earn rewards when dining in restaurants as a mystery guest.

However, that doesn’t necessarily mean you should sign up for it. If you want to find out if it is the right fit for you, you must first understand how it works. To do so, we must take a look at the earning opportunity it offers so you will have a clear idea of how much time and effort you must invest in it.

For that, I have made a video that explains exactly how you can earn from HGEM. You can also read all the details below the video.

Recommended: Check Out the Best Mystery Shopping Sites

The earning opportunity – Bookings

Let me just make it clear that the usual reward you will earn from the site will not be in the form of money or even gift cards. Instead, you will essentially get free food. So, if your goal is to earn extra cash, this is not the best opportunity for you.

To get free food, you must log in to the member dashboard and accept bookings. When you log in, you will immediately see all the restaurants you can book.

As the photo above shows, you must select a restaurant to visit and apply for it. You’ll have to wait for confirmation from the site to see if your application is accepted. It usually takes less than 24 hours to know if your application is accepted.

When you apply for a booking, you’ll have to indicate the date and time you plan to go. If your application is approved, then all that’s left to be done is visit the restaurant and do what you are supposed to do.

Keep in mind that the restaurant must not have any idea that you are there as a mystery guest because your goal is to experience genuine service. If they know that you are a mystery guest, chances are you’ll receive special treatment from them.  Your whole goal as a mystery guest is to provide feedback about the service the establishment provides.

Now, each booking will require you to do certain tasks. Normally, you’ll just be asked to dine in a restaurant. Sometimes, it’ll ask you to check out function rooms, book reservations, or order takeout.

 Each booking will have a certain checklist you must follow. And since you’ll most likely have to dine in, you’ll have to spend money. You don’t have to worry because HGEM will reimburse you for the expenses up to a certain amount stated in the booking brief.

After you’ve completed the tasks, you must submit your report within 24 hours of completion. You can submit your report through the member dashboard. You’ll also be asked to provide your contact number in case a representative wants to clarify a few things in your report.

Once you’ve submitted your report, HGEM will review it and if everything is in order, they will process the reimbursement and pay you within three to four weeks, which is quite a long time, in my opinion. In the next section, I will discuss how you will get paid.

Now, sometimes, bookings offer incentives where you can earn extra cash. This usually happens when the booking is urgent, so if you see an urgent booking, I suggest you apply for it right away.

Recommended: Check Out the Best Mystery Shopping Sites

How do you get paid?

As explained above, you’ll be reimbursed for the expenses you made while working on the booking. And from time to time, you can also earn money from them. However, this is quite rare, so it’s not something you can rely on.

Once you complete a booking and your report is approved, you’ll qualify for reimbursement. The payment will be sent to you via direct bank transfer, which is a very convenient payment method, in my opinion. You don’t have to earn a certain amount to receive the reimbursement.

As long as you’ve completed the booking, you’ll receive the money. But as I’ve mentioned above, it can take three to four weeks before you will receive the money. This is quite a long wait time, in my opinion, so you must be patient.

Overall, apart from the long processing time, I would say the payment system of HGEM Mystery Dining is relatively straightforward and convenient. I like the fact that it uses a convenient payment system like direct bank transfer.

If you are interested in more sites that use a convenient payment system, I recommend you also check out the top sites that pay via direct bank transfer.

How much money can you make?

Most of the time, bookings will ask you to spend around $6 to $85, which is quite a significant amount. So, expect that the meal you will essentially get for free (due to the reimbursement) will be quite decent and satisfying.

As for the availability of bookings, it will mostly depend on your location. From what I observed while exploring HGEM Mystery Dining, the majority of booking opportunities are found in the UK. So, if you live in the UK, you will most likely get free food regularly.

If you live somewhere else, opportunities will be quite rare. Some countries don’t even have any. This is why I would say it is not for everyone.

Can you use it on mobile?

HGEM Mystery Dining doesn’t have a mobile app you can download, but you can still log in to the member dashboard using your phone since it is mobile-friendly. This can be quite useful especially if you forgot certain tasks of the booking.

You can just log in to the dashboard using your phone and check the booking brief. But as for submitting reports, I recommend you use a computer for convenience and accuracy.

Who can join HGEM Mystery Dining?

You can apply as a mystery guest regardless of where you live. However, as explained earlier, most booking opportunities can only be found in certain countries.

As you can see in the photo above, HGEM Mystery Dining is only available in certain regions like the UK, some countries in Europe, certain parts of the Asia Pacific and the Americas, the Middle East, and Africa. So, if you live in a region that is not mentioned, it is not suitable for you.

But if you plan to visit any of the regions mentioned, signing up can be a good idea if you want to get free food or taste the local cuisines of the region. As mentioned, you must apply to become a mystery guest.

To do so, just fill out the application form, write a sample report, choose a region, and explain why the region you’ve chosen will be convenient for you to visit. After you submit your application, just wait for confirmation from the site.

You’ll hear back from them if your application was successful or not. It can take a few days to hear back from them, so you must be patient.

Can you get support?

If you have questions about the site or your account, you have to log in to the dashboard to access the Help section. The contact form is also not accessible on the website, which is why I would say the support it provides isn’t that great.

It would have been better if the site would at least have a FAQ section you could check out to resolve common concerns. Aside from that, a contact form that is readily accessible would also make the user experience significantly better, in my opinion. It can be annoying to have to keep logging into the dashboard just to submit an inquiry.

Final Verdict

HGEM Mystery Dining is a legit site that will essentially let you get free food by being a mystery diner. It has a couple of decent features, but it also has certain limitations you must consider.

To help you with your decision, I have summarized its pros and cons so you can get a clear overview of what it offers.

In my opinion, HGEM Mystery Dining is not for everyone. If your goal is to find opportunities to earn cash, this is not for you because all you will get from it is free food. But if you just want to enjoy various dining experiences, this can be a good option, provided you live in a region where it is available.

Now, if you are looking to earn extra cash, I recommend you check out the top survey and GPT sites in your country instead. The sites and apps on this list all have good earning potential, so you can earn a decent amount quickly.

Plus, you will definitely find a site or app you can join regardless of where you live.

If you have any comments, questions, or experiences with HGEM Mystery Dining, I would love to hear from you in a comment below.