How to Do Test Order on Shopify: A Step By Step Guide

Shopify has expanded quite a bit since its original launch in 2004. It has become a very common e-commerce platform for new sellers to create online stores. In order for a seller to run a successful Shopify online store, they need to test the order function of the website. The goal here is to provide a functional online store to customers.

What’s a test order

First of all, why do you need to make a test order? The main reason is to avoid any issues in the future when your real customers purchase from you. It will help you ensure that your process of checkout, order processing, inventory, shipping, email, and tax settings work as intended.

Making a test order is free of charge, so it’s recommended to do it at least two times: during the setup and after making changes to payment settings. In Shopify, you can make a test order by simulating a purchase via Shopify's Bogus Gateway by using Shopify Payments test mode if you use their payments.

When to simulate a test order? Anytime you want to make sure that your settings work.  For example, if you provide free shipping for a certain sum of purchase, then you can make a test order to ensure that the shipping discount is applied.

What is the value of a Shopify test order?

How to do a test order on Shopify?  Many new store owners are uncertain if their payment gateways will work. This is one of the biggest problems sellers might face, but luckily there is very easy way around it.

Testing the Shopify payments process will prevent customers from running into any trouble after deciding to pay for the product they plan to purchase.

In addition to the above, a Shopify test order can also help a store owner achieve the following:

• lay to rest any worries that their customers might run into any obstacles when they process orders;
• verify that all your shipping details have been provided and your customer is well informed during their transactions;
• you can check on your inventory and make sure it is just right;
• stay abreast of your tax details.

Once you look at all of the features we have just named, you will have a clearer picture of what corrections to make if you run into any issues.

8 steps on how to make a test order in Shopify (using the real gateway)

Shopify has made the method of testing orders very convenient for sellers. Not only is it simple to follow, but it also does not cost anything to do. This means that every online store owner has the liberty to run as many tests as they want.

So how to test Shopify payments? Shopify has encouraged sellers to always test their payment method. This should be done when a new account is being set up or some payment details were changed on an already functioning account. Here are some of the steps for performing test orders in Shopify, so you’ll know how to do a test transaction on Shopify.

1. Choose the payment provider

Shopify offers a wide array of payment options. The most popular however are PayPal and credit cards. To access the payment providers, all you have to do is go to Shopify’s settings.

2. Select the mode of payment

After accessing the payment providers, choose the mode of payment you prefer. In this case, it is advisable to pick a credit card, which is linked to Shopify Payment.

3. Look for a suitable payment gateway

Once you pick credit card as a mode of payment, select the credit card gateway. Some countries might not support this gateway, and for this reason, you can use PayPal as an alternative.

4. Activate the gateway

Once you have selected a suitable gateway, proceed to activate it. The best way to activate the gateway is while the test mode is on, therefore make sure this is activated as well.

5. Make a purchase from your own store

How to test checkout in Shopify?In order to finally check if you payment gateways work, try to buy from your own shop. This is one of the best ways to be sure that your customers will not run into any problems when they make purchases from your store.

Make sure you use a valid credit card to place your order and make sure your system is able to identify it. If you run into any issues in receiving order notifications, try to fix them before you proceed to the next steps.

6. Ensure that your transaction is successful

Sometimes sellers can run into problems with verifying orders. This problem is important to prevent and the testing process is the best solution for addressing this before it happens to a customer.

This problem usually arises when the seller chooses a third-party gateway. Therefore, make sure you are logged out from that gateway to make the verification.

7. Check the orders on the panel

In the next step, look for the orders section and check if your order is in the database. If the order is not present, check to see if you made any errors when placing it or if there are any issues with the gateway.‍‍‍

‍

8. Cancel the order and request a refund

A successful order means that your customers won't have any problems buying from you and you will be able to identify all of their orders. However, the business process might not end there. Some customers might cancel an order and demand a refund. On Shopify, you are able to test this as well. To do this, cancel the test purchase you made and return the money to the credit card you used.

By following the steps highlighted above, any seller can easily make sure their store is functioning as it should. Shopify also offers an alternative way to do an order test. This method is an alternative to make sure you unselect the gateways you chose in the previous method. Let's look at it briefly and get to know how to test Shopify store:

• look for the payment providers in the admin section of your online store;
• add a new provider (usually third-party as it will be specified);
• proceed to select the new provider and accept the credit card option;
• you will then have to activate this alternative pathway (shown as a Bogus pathway) or reactivate it if you have previously used it before.
• Make sure you test this new pathway by placing an order with your own card to make sure it is working. Now let's check how you can actually set the test purchases up by using Bogus Gateway or by order with a real transaction.

(Source)

Setting up a test purchase using Bogus Gateway

How to make a test purchase on Shopify? Here are 8 things you need to go through to perform a test purchase.

• Log in to your Shopify admin account.
• Select Settings and pick Payment providers.
• Once there, see if you’ve enabled a credit card payment provider. In case you have, deactivate it as you won’t be needing it. Simply click edit, select Deactivate, and you're done.
• Once you’ve deactivated your provider, the Accept credit card section should appear. Go to that option and pick Add a provider.
• Now that you configured everything, click on the Third-party menu and open the Provider tab.
• Select Other and pick (for testing) Bogus Gateway.
• Press Proceed and then choose Activate.
• Now initiate your marketplace and arrange an order just like a real customer would. Once you’re done selecting, proceed to checkout and type the credit card information as provided:
• Once you’ve tested everything, go to your Shopify account and select Change provider in the menu to reset the payment provider.

Perform a test order with a real transaction in 5 steps

Here’s a step-by-step instruction on how to create test order Shopify:

• Log in to your Shopify admin account.
• Navigate to the Payment menu and configure the test provider.
• Go to your store and try to perform a purchase like a real customer would by entering genuine credit card info.
• Check if your funds are processed, and in case you employ a third-party system, log in to that platform and see if your funds are being processed.
• Once you’ve verified that the transaction is on its way, quickly cancel and refund your order so that you don’t have to pay any interest.

Keep in mind, once a new billing phase begins after you’ve placed an order but right before you terminated it, you will be charged for the transaction. You can cancel the transaction, however, after you’ve paid your bill. The transaction fee will be issued as credit which will be applied in all future operations.

Final thoughts

Shopify has helped a lot of online retailers find a market for their products and now you know how to do test order Shopify. They have done this by creating online shops that make it easy for buyers to purchase products. A Shopify order test is required to make sure that none of your customers run into any complications while buying any of your products.

MakeBeCool - a Shopify development company, offers the best possible help on anything that has to do with Shopify. We have the right expertise to help you do a Shopify test checkout and make it easier for you to run your online store.