Test mode: make test payments on Checkout Page

What are test payments?

Test mode lets you go through your checkout flow without charging a real card: the checkout, event booking or form, the one-click upsells, and the emails and integrations after payment. It works on every plan, and you can use it before you connect Stripe.

Use test payments to verify:

• Checkout pricing and fields
• Payment confirmation messages
• Customer and administrative emails
• Invoices
• One-click upsell funnels
• Other actions that occur after payment

Test payments do not appear in Stripe. They are kept separate from live payments and do not contribute to live payment or revenue totals.

Test payment modes

Each checkout has two test payment modes:

• Preview only: Test payments work only inside the checkout editor. The live checkout continues accepting real payments.
• Everywhere: Test payments work inside the checkout editor and on the live checkout. Real payments are declined on that checkout until you switch back to Preview only.

The selected mode applies only to the checkout you are editing. It does not affect other checkouts in your account.

Open test payments

1. Go to Storefront → Checkout pages.
2. Open the checkout you want to test.
3. Click Edit checkout.
4. Click Test payments in the top-right corner.

The test payment settings, test card details, and previous test payments appear beside the checkout preview.

Test inside the checkout editor

Use Preview only to test the checkout without affecting customers who visit the live checkout.

1. Open Test payments.
2. Select Preview only.
3. Choose a test card scenario from the menu on the test card.
4. Copy the card number, expiry date, and CVC using the copy buttons.
5. Complete the required checkout fields in the editor preview.
6. Paste the test card details into the card field.
7. Click the payment button.

The live checkout continues accepting real payments while Preview only is selected.

Test the live checkout

Use Everywhere to test the complete checkout experience through the checkout’s public link or your website.

1. Open Test payments.
2. Select Everywhere.
3. Open the checkout using its public link or through your website.
4. Confirm that the orange Test payments only banner appears at the top of the checkout.
5. Complete the required checkout fields.
6. Enter the test card details shown in the checkout editor.
7. Click the payment button.

While Everywhere is active:

• Test payments work in the editor preview and on the live checkout.
• Real card payments are declined on that checkout.
• A Test mode label appears on the checkout overview and in the checkout list.
• The live checkout displays a Test payments only banner.

Important: Customers cannot make real payments on that checkout while Everywhere is active.

Pay with the test card

A Test card appears above the payment button in the editor preview when Test payments is open, with either mode. On your live checkout, it appears only while Everywhere is selected.

1. Fill in the checkout fields.
2. Click the payment button on the Test card.

The payment goes through as Visa 4242, so you don't need to type or paste a card number.

The Test card doesn't appear on forms, on upsell steps, or when nothing is due.

Test with an AI agent

Some AI agents, such as Claude in a browser, won't type a card number on a live website, even a test card. The Test card lets them finish the purchase.

An agent tests your live checkout, so select Everywhere before you ask it to test. Switch back to Preview only when it is done.

Test a one-click upsell funnel

To test a one-click upsell funnel on your website, enable Everywhere on the first checkout in the funnel.

You do not need to enable Everywhere on the upsell checkout. When you start the test payment from the first checkout, test mode continues through the one-click upsell flow and works on both checkouts.

1. Open the first checkout in the funnel.
2. Click Test payments and select Everywhere.
3. Open the checkout through your website.
4. Complete the first checkout using the test card.
5. Continue to the one-click upsell and test the upsell checkout.

After completing the funnel, turn off live test mode on the first checkout.

Turn off live test mode

When you finish testing the live checkout:

1. Return to the checkout editor.
2. Click Test payments.
3. Select Preview only.

The checkout can accept real payments again. The Test mode labels disappear from the checkout overview and checkout list, and the Test payments only banner disappears from the live checkout.

What happens after a successful test payment?

After a successful test payment:

• The confirmation message starts with [TEST].
• The test payment appears in the Test payments list beside the editor preview.
• Emails sent by the test payment are prefixed with [TEST].
• Zapier, webhooks and other integrations run too. Webhook and Zapier data include livemode: false, so you can filter test payments out of your CRM or fulfillment workflow.
• No payment is created in Stripe.
• The test payment does not contribute to live payment or revenue totals.

View a test payment record

Open Test payments in the checkout editor to view the test payments made for that checkout.

Select a test payment to inspect its complete record. The available tabs include:

• Order details: Review the products, amounts, customer information, and payment status.
• Emails: Check the delivery status of customer and administrative emails.
• Invoices: Review invoices generated by the test payment and confirm their amounts.
• Transactions: Inspect the payment attempts associated with the test payment.

Test payment records are separate from live payment records.

Common questions

Why don't my test payments show in Stripe?

Test payments never reach Stripe, so they don't appear in your Stripe live or test dashboard. Find them under Test payments on the checkout.

Why was my test card declined on my live checkout?

Preview only is probably selected. It lets you test inside the editor only. To test your live checkout, choose Everywhere. Real cards are declined until you turn it off.

What if I forget to turn off Everywhere?

Real cards are declined, so customers can't buy. Anyone with a test card number could also complete the checkout for free and receive your files or license keys. Switch back to Preview only as soon as you finish testing.

Can I test a declined card or 3D Secure?

No. Test mode only offers cards that succeed. To test declines or 3D Secure, use Stripe's own test tools.