Preparing your Shopify store for launch

Before you launch your store, place some test orders to see how the checkout process works. When you're ready, remove the password on your store so that it's open to the public.

Place a test order

By placing a test order, you can make sure that your settings for the following parts of your store are working correctly:

• checkout process
• order processing
• inventory
• shipping
• taxes

Charges don't apply to test orders. You should place at least one test order during your store setup, or whenever you make changes to your payment settings.

This section explains how to test orders that are made using Shopify Payments. If you aren't using Shopify Payments, then you can place a test order in two ways:

• Use Shopify's bogus gateway to simulate a transaction
• Use a real payment provider, and then immediately cancel and refund the order.

Enable test mode

Steps:

Desktop

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Payments.
2. In the Shopify Payments section, click Edit.
3. Check Use test mode.
4. Click Save.

Note

After you place your test orders, make sure to turn off test mode.

Simulate successful transactions

Note

Simulated transactions will not show on your payouts menu or reports.

Steps:

1. Go to your online store.
2. Add a product to your cart.
3. Follow the checkout process for your store as if you were a customer buying a product. Use the following information when you're asked for credit card details during checkout:
   • Name on card: Enter at least two words.
   • Expiry date: Enter any date in the future.
   • CVV: Enter any three digits.
   • Card number: Use the following numbers:

Test credit card details

Card type	Test number
Visa	4242424242424242
Mastercard	5555555555554444
American Express	378282246310005
Discover	6011111111111117
Diners Club	30569309025904
JCB	3530111333300000

Simulate failed transactions

If you want to see the credit card error messages that might be displayed to a customer during checkout, you can simulate a number of different failed transactions:

• Use credit card number 4000000000000002 to generate a card declined message.
• Use credit card number 4242424242424241 to generate an incorrect number message.
• Use credit card number 4000000000000259 to simulate a disputed transaction.
• Use an invalid expiry month, for example 13, to generate an invalid expiry month message.
• Use an expiry year in the past to generate an invalid expiry year message.
• Use a two-digit CVV number to generate an invalid CVV message.

Remove your online store password

When you're ready to launch your online store, you can remove your online store password.

Note

During your free trial, your online store is automatically password protected. With the password page, you can create a password and add a custom message for your customers when they visit your store. If you are ready to launch your store during your free trial, then choose a subscription plan to remove your online store password.

There are two ways to remove your online store password: from your Themes page or from the Preferences page under Online Store in your Shopify admin.

You can remove the online store password from the Themes page of your online store in your Shopify admin.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Online Store > Themes

2. There is a banner displayed that says, "Your online store is password protected." Click Remove password. If the banner is not displayed, then your online store is not password protected.

You can also remove the online store password from the Preferences page of your online store in your Shopify admin.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Online Store > Preferences.

2. In the Password protection section, uncheck the Restrict access to visitors with the password option.

3. Click Save.