We get this question a lot in support requests:

How do I place a test order in my ShopSite store?

There are a number of ways to do this, depending on how you handle payments…

Offline credit card processing

If you are not using a payment gateway like Authorize.net, then you can use the test Visa card number to pass all the initial card number checks to get an order to go through to the receipt page:

4111 1111 1111 1111

It’s just the number 4 followed by fifteen 1’s. That will allow the transaction to complete. Just be sure the expiration date is not in the past.

Real time payment gateway

If you are using a payment gateway like Auth.net, then the test Visa number will not work, as your gateway will return a declined or invalid response, which will not allow you to complete the purchase.

If this is your first time using the gateway, I’d highly recommend using a live credit card to make sure everything works as it should. Also, make sure you enable “Display error details” under:
Commerce Setup -> Payment -> Configure Processor

so you can see the detailed error code if the gateway is not properly configured:

If you need to place a test order to completion, and do not want to use a live credit card, then you can enable a manual / offline payment method such as “Check” or “Purchase Order“. These methods allow you to bypass your payment gateway when selected.

Just remember to disable the manual payment method after your testing is complete so regular customers do not choose that method.

Hidden payment option

If you need to enable a manual payment method for a long period of time, or you don’t want a customer to ever see or be able to choose this test method, then you can make it hidden unless a specific condition exists in the cart.

We have a detailed tutorial on How To Hide a Payment Option in ShopSite.

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Hopefully this helps with options you have at your disposal when you need to test your cart from start to finish. If you have other ideas for ways to test the ShopSite shopping cart, please share.