Test your payment page before registration opens, so you know payments work and confirmations look right. How you test depends on your payment processor.

Before you start

• New events and forms always start in test, so you can test right away. The event status is under Plan > Event Setup > Details.
  
• In test mode, the payment page shows a large TEST watermark and a red message: "This form is in testing mode. No charge will be incurred to your account." The message lists a test card number for each card type. Enter one of those with any future expiration date to get through the payment page.
• Use test registrations with an email you control, so confirmations don't go to real people.

Test payments by processor

• Stripe: test payments need a Stripe sandbox account. An Administrator connects it under Account Settings > Registration > Financial Data > Connected Stripe Accounts > Add New > Connect with stripe - Sandbox. Your live Stripe account won't accept test cards. For Stripe settings, see Integration Settings Needed for Stripe Payment Processor
• PayPal Complete Payments: an Administrator connects a PayPal sandbox account under PayPal Seller Onboarding > Add New > Connect with Paypal - Sandbox on the same page.
  
• Then pick the sandbox account for your event under Plan > Event Setup > Financials, in Select a Payment Processing Account.
  
• Chase: the event stays connected to your Chase processor. Chase knows test transactions aren't real and doesn't charge them.
• Pay.gov: leave the event and form in test mode and use the test card numbers on the payment page. Test payments go to Pay.gov's test system, not your live collection. Your agency's Pay.gov account may require the card security code, so enter any 3 digits. If a test payment returns a Pay.gov error, contact Certain Support.
• Other processors: contact Certain Support before you test, so you know which setup to use.

How to tell a test from a real payment

If you see the TEST watermark and the testing mode message, the form is still in test mode. Registrations made while the form is in test mode are marked as Test transactions. If real registrations show as Test, the form was still in test mode when they registered.

If you have logic based on payments or balance due

Test payments aren't marked as received. They don't change Payments Received or Balance Due on the registration. So if your form uses logic, statuses or emails that depend on a payment or a balance, such as a status that changes once the balance is paid, a test payment won't trigger it.

To test those rules, you also need a real payment while the event and form are live:

1. Plan this test for right after you go live, or before you open registration to attendees.
2. Create a $1 agenda item or attendee type, and register yourself with a real card.
3. Check that the payment shows as received, the balance updates, and your logic, statuses and emails work as expected.
4. Refund yourself, and mark the registration as Test.

Testing after you go live

Once the event and form are live, the test card details stop working. To check a live payment, create a $1 agenda item or attendee type and register with a real card. See Tips – Chargebacks, Adjustments, Test Payments, and Refunds

After testing

• If you tested with a Stripe or PayPal sandbox, connect the live account (Connect with stripe - Live or Connect with Paypal - Live) and select it under Plan > Event Setup > Financials.
• When you're ready, change the event status to Live. Certain asks which forms to turn live at the same time.
• Finish testing before you go live. Once an event is live, only Certain Support can move it back to test.
• Mark your test registrations as Test so they don't show in your counts and reports. See Update registrations by import without creating duplicates
• Refund any real $1 test payment to yourself.

Next step: Check your processor's test setup, then run one test registration from start to finish.