Dominik Szahidewicz
Table of Contents
Testing your Shopify store is an essential step in ensuring a smooth checkout experience for your customers. In the world of e-commerce, where transactions happen in seconds, it's crucial to verify that every part of your online store, especially the payment and checkout processes, works flawlessly. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the testing process, focusing on Shopify testing, test payments, and placing test orders.
Importance of Shopify Testing
Before diving into the specifics, it's important to understand why testing is critical for your Shopify store. By testing, you can simulate different scenarios that your customer might encounter. This helps you identify and fix issues before they affect a real customer during checkout.
Testing also helps you familiarize yourself with the checkout process and settings for order processing, ensuring you provide the best customer experience.
Check also our new feature: Stripe Form Recording.
Enabling Test Mode in Shopify
The first step in testing your Shopify store is to enable test mode. This feature of Shopify allows you to simulate transactions without using real credit cards or conducting real payment processes. To enable test mode, you'll need to access the Shopify admin panel and navigate to the Shopify payments section or the payment providers section, depending on your setup.
Shopify Payments Test Mode
If you're using Shopify Payments, you can enable test mode directly in this section. Once test mode is activated, you can only use test credit cards to simulate payments without any real money being transferred. This feature is especially useful for checking credit card error messages that might be displayed to a customer or for simulating a failed transaction. Remember to test your website when the traffic on the portal is lower - so no real users are affected.
Third-Party Payment Provider
If you're using a third-party payment provider, the process might differ slightly. In most cases, you can go to the payment settings and click 'Switch to a third-party provider' to access test mode options. Each provider may have specific instructions for entering test mode.
Testing Payment and Checkout Processes
Simulating a Successful Transaction
Once test mode is activated, it's time to test the entire checkout process. Create an order as a customer would, and use the following test credit card number provided by Shopify for a successful transaction. This process helps ensure that your payment methods, including local payment methods, are set up correctly and that the transaction flows smoothly from the customer's perspective.
To test a successful transaction, provide the following credit card details at checkout:
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Name on card: Make sure to enter a name consisting of at least two words.
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Expiry date: Choose any future date.
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Security code: Enter any combination of three digits.
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Card number: Select from the list below according to the card type:
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Visa: 4242424242424242
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Mastercard: 5555555555554444
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American Express: 378282246310005
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Discover: 6011111111111117
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Diners Club: 30569309025904
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JCB: 3530111333300000
Error Messages
To thoroughly test your Shopify store, simulate different customer scenarios. This includes testing various payment methods, simulating a customer being asked for credit card details, and checking how your store handles orders using different shipping options.
To display the various error messages a customer might encounter during checkout, you can test with these specific credit card numbers to trigger different types of failed transactions:
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For a "card declined" message, use the credit card number 4000000000000002.
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To prompt an "incorrect number" message, enter the credit card number 4242424242424241.
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To mimic a disputed transaction, use the credit card number 4000000000000259.
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Enter an invalid expiry month, like 13, to see an "invalid expiry month" message.
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Input an expiry year that has already passed to get an "invalid expiry year" message.
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Enter a two-digit security code to trigger an "invalid security code" message.
Testing with a Bogus Gateway
For a more in-depth test, Shopify allows the use of a 'Bogus Gateway.' This gateway lets you simulate transactions without any external payment provider. You can simulate both successful and failed transactions using specific credit card details provided by Shopify Help Center.
Test Orders and Shopify Admin
Placing test orders is an integral part of the testing process. When you place a test order, you can view it in the Shopify admin to understand how orders will appear when real transactions occur. This can help you familiarize yourself with order management in your Shopify store.
Understanding Shopify Test Payments
Shopify test payments are a vital part of the testing process, that's why you can't use real credit cards at first. By using Shopify test credit card numbers, you can ensure that your payment settings are configured correctly and that your store is ready to accept real customer payments.
Final Steps in Testing
Once you've finished testing, it's important to disable test mode and switch back to accepting real payments. Remember to check all your payment settings and ensure that Shopify Payments or your third-party payment provider is set up correctly for live transactions.
Using Real Transactions for Final Verification
While testing with simulated data is crucial, sometimes using real transactions can give you the final confirmation that everything is set up correctly. Consider making a small purchase yourself to verify the entire process end-to-end.
Conclusion
Testing your Shopify store is a non-negotiable part of setting up a successful ecommerce platform. By thoroughly testing using Shopify test mode, test credit cards, and simulating various customer scenarios, you help ensure a seamless and enjoyable shopping experience for your customers.
Remember, a smooth checkout process and error-free payment system are key to winning customer trust and boosting your online store's success.
Happy (automated) testing!
