Performing a test order on Shopify is a crucial step to ensure that your store’s checkout process works correctly and to familiarize yourself with the customer experience. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do a test order:
Step 1: Access Your Shopify Admin
- Log in to your Shopify account to access the admin dashboard.
Step 2: Enable Test Mode
- In the Shopify admin, go to ‘Settings’ and select ‘Payments.’
- Scroll down to the ‘Payment authorization’ section.
- Enable ‘Test mode’ or ‘Use test mode’ for the payment gateway you want to test (e.g., Shopify Payments, PayPal, Stripe).
Step 3: Add Test Credit Card Details
- In the ‘Payment authorization’ section, you’ll find a list of test credit card numbers and details provided by Shopify for different scenarios (e.g., successful payments, declined payments, etc.).
- Choose one of the test credit card numbers, such as the one for successful payments, and copy the details (card number, expiration date, CVV).
Step 4: Place a Test Order
- Go to your Shopify store’s frontend (the customer-facing side).
- Browse your store and select a product you want to test.
- Add the product to your cart.
- Click on the cart icon to proceed to checkout.
- Fill out the customer information as if you were a real customer. Use a valid email address for the order confirmation.
- Enter the test credit card details (card number, expiration date, CVV) that you copied earlier in the payment section.
- Complete the checkout process, reviewing the order details and confirming the payment.
Step 5: Review the Test Order
- After completing the test order, check your email for the order confirmation.
- Log back into your Shopify admin and go to ‘Orders.’ You should see the test order listed there.
- Verify that the order details, including customer information and payment status, are correct.
Step 6: Disable Test Mode
- Once you’ve successfully completed the test order and confirmed that everything is working as expected, return to the ‘Payments’ settings.
- Disable ‘Test mode’ for the payment gateway you tested.
- This ensures that your store is ready to accept real payments.
Step 7: Clear Test Data
- To maintain accurate order records, you can delete the test order you placed in your Shopify admin. This helps keep your order history clean and organized.
By following these steps, you can perform a test order on Shopify to ensure that your store’s checkout process functions smoothly. It’s a crucial step in setting up your online store and provides peace of mind knowing that your customers will have a seamless purchasing experience.