Testing orders in development stores

Caution

As outlined in the Partner Program Agreement, you can't test orders using real transactions in a development store.

If an order is processed in a development store using a draft order, manual payment method, or a live payment gateway, then the ability to process orders might be locked.

If your checkout is locked, then contact Shopify Support to have your store reviewed. When you log in, select your Partner organization name for questions related to your Partner Account.

By placing a test order, you can make sure that your development store's checkout process and settings for order processing, inventory, shipping, email notifications, and taxes are all correct. Development stores can process unlimited test orders.

Ways to test orders

You can test orders in the following ways:

• Use Shopify's Bogus Gateway to simulate a transaction
• Enable test mode for your payment provider, and place test orders through the development store's checkout:
  • Shopify Payments
  • A third-party payment provider
• You can create test orders using GraphQL Admin API.

If you're using the Admin API to test orders, then you need to set the test property or field to true.

Note

If you want to test orders with Shopify POS, then you need to upgrade to a paid plan and be using Shopify Payments in test mode. The Bogus Gateway is not compatible with Shopify POS.

Limitations of testing orders in development stores

The following limitations apply when you test orders in a development store:

• You can't test orders using real transactions. Real transactions are transactions that are processed through a payment provider that isn't in test mode, and that use real payment information such as a valid credit card number.
• You can't test gift cards, because they're processed as real transactions.
• You can't test orders using manual payment methods. This includes cash and custom payments on Shopify POS.
• You can't test orders using draft orders that you create in the Shopify admin.

To test with these transaction types, you need to transfer the development store to a paid plan.

• You can't test using draft orders you create in your Shopify admin. You need to place test orders using the development store's checkout.

Testing orders using Shopify's Bogus Gateway

To simulate a transaction on your development store's online checkout, you can set up Shopify's Bogus Gateway. Bogus Gateway is a payment provider that any store can use to create test orders.

To create an order, you need to enter test payment information at checkout. You can simulate different types of transactions, depending on what information you enter.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Payments.

2. If you have a credit card payment provider activated, then deactivate it before continuing. Click Manage > Deactivate (this button also displays the name of your payment provider, for example Deactivate Shopify Payments), and then confirm your deactivation.

3. Complete one of the following actions:

   • If you have a third party payment provider activated, then deactivate it.
   • If you have Shopify Payments activated:
     • In the Shopify payments section, click Manage > Manage payment methods.
     • At the bottom of the page, click Switch to a third-party provider, and then click Switch to a third-party provider again to confirm.
   • If you don't have Shopify Payments activated, then in the Shopify payments section, click See all other providers.
   • If Shopify Payments isn't available in your country, then in the Payment providers section, click Choose a provider.

4. Select (for testing) Bogus Gateway from the list.

5. Click Activate (for testing) Bogus Gateway.

6. Click Save.

7. Go to your online store and place an order as a customer would. At checkout, enter the following credit card details to test different checkout scenarios:

A guide to entering test payment details when using the Bogus Gateway, including specific card numbers to simulate different transaction outcomes

Field name	Details to enter
Name on card	Enter Bogus Gateway
Credit card number	Enter each of these in turn to simulate different types of transaction: Enter 1 to simulate a successful transaction Enter 2 to simulate a failed transaction Enter 3 to simulate an exception (this generates a message indicating that an error has occurred with the provider)
CVV	Enter any 3-digit number (for example, 111.)
Expiry Date	Enter any date in the future.

7. After you're done testing, click Manage next to (for testing) Bogus Gateway in your Shopify admin.
8. Click Deactivate (for testing) Bogus Gateway to remove this gateway from your checkout.

Testing orders using Shopify Payments test mode

To test your Shopify Payments setup, enable the test mode and use test credit cards to simulate payments.

You can test Shopify Payments only if you've chosen a paid plan. Depending on your region, you might need to submit information about your business before you can activate test mode.

Activate test mode for Shopify Payments

Before you can create test orders, you need to activate test mode for Shopify Payments.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Payments.

2. In the Shopify Payments section, click Manage.

3. In the Test mode section, select Enable test mode.

4. Click Save.

Simulate transactions with test credit card numbers

You can create orders and then simulate transactions by using a test credit card number. There are test numbers to create successful transactions, failed transactions, and transactions in different currencies.

Note

The test purchase amount needs to be greater than the equivalent of $1 USD in any currency.

Simulate successful transactions

To simulate a successful transaction, use the following information when you are asked for credit card details at checkout:

• Name on card: Enter at least two words.
• Expiry date: Enter any date in the future.
• Security code: Enter any three digits.
• Card number: Use any of the following numbers:

A list of test credit card numbers that can be used to simulate successful transactions for different card types in test mode

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

Simulate failed transactions

If you want to view the credit card error messages that might be displayed to a customer during checkout, then you can use the following test credit card numbers to simulate 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 security code number to generate an invalid security code message.

Test mode for third-party payment providers

Some third-party payment providers offer a test mode that you can enable in the Shopify admin. Third party payment providers must have an Enable test mode option activated in their settings to be tested in a development store. For more information about using test mode with a specific third-party payment provider, refer to the payment provider's documentation.

When a payment gateway is in test mode, requests from Shopify include the test attribute. If test is set to true, then the payment is processed as a test payment and no actual transaction is made.

Testing with real transactions

You can't test real transactions in your development store. If you need to test your orders using real transactions, then you need to transfer your store to a paid plan. For more information, refer to Transferring development stores to clients.

If you want to switch a development store to a paid plan but still be the store's owner, then choose a plan in the Shopify admin.

Note

Gift cards can't be tested on development stores because they're processed as real transactions.

Troubleshooting test mode order confirmation emails

If you're not receiving order confirmation emails from Shopify Payments test mode transactions, then try the following troubleshooting steps:

1. Check email templates: Go to the Notifications setting in your Shopify admin. Click the Order confirmation email template. If you've customized this template, then it might not include the necessary links or information. You can revert to the default template by clicking the Revert to default button at the bottom of the template page.
2. Verify email settings: Ensure that your email settings are correctly configured. If you've customized your email templates, then you might need to manually add the order status URL to your templates to ensure customers receive the correct information.
3. Test functionality: After making any changes, place a test order to see if the confirmation email sends correctly. This helps you verify that your settings are functioning as expected.
4. Check spam/junk folder: Emails might get sent to your spam or junk folder.
5. Contact your email provider: Your email provider can check for errors on their end.