How to Do a Test Order on Shopify: A Step-by-Step Guide

Before the first real customer arrives, you should buy something from yourself. A test order shows you exactly what shoppers experience, from the cart to the confirmation email, and it catches mistakes like wrong shipping rates or missing tax settings while they're cheap to fix.

Three ways to place a test order

Method 1: Shopify Payments test mode

1. Go to Settings > Payments.
2. Open your Shopify Payments settings (click Manage).
3. Find Test mode and turn it on. Save.
4. Open your storefront in a new window, add a product to the cart and go to checkout.
5. Enter a test card number from Shopify's help center (Shopify publishes cards for successful payments, declines and specific error scenarios).
6. Use any future expiry date and any CVV, then complete the order.

The order appears in Orders marked as a test. While test mode is on, real customers can't check out, so don't leave it on.

Method 2: The test payment gateway

If you aren't using Shopify Payments, Shopify offers a test gateway (long known as the "Bogus Gateway").

1. Go to Settings > Payments.
2. If a provider is active, deactivate it temporarily.
3. Under Add payment methods or Supported payment methods, choose the test gateway option.
4. On checkout, use the test details shown in Shopify's help article (the gateway accepts specific numbers to simulate success or failure).

You'll need to be on a paid plan to use it. Reactivate your real provider afterward.

Method 3: A real order you refund

Testing a third-party gateway like PayPal or a regional processor often requires a real transaction.

1. Create a cheap product or a 100% discount code that still requires payment of shipping.
2. Complete checkout with a real card.
3. Cancel and refund the order from the order page.

Some providers keep their processing fee even when you refund, so treat it as a small cost of testing.

What to check during the test

Don't just watch for "Thank you." Go through this list:

• Product page: Variants, images and price all look right on mobile.
• Cart: Discounts apply. If you plan to stack codes, see how to use multiple coupon codes in Shopify.
• Shipping rates: The right rates appear for domestic and international addresses.
• Taxes: Tax shows correctly for the regions you collect in.
• Payment methods: Shop Pay, PayPal, buy-now-pay-later options and wallets display as expected. If one is missing, our guide on Afterpay not showing at checkout covers common causes.
• Order confirmation email: Arrives, uses your branding and has the correct sender address.
• Inventory: Stock levels go down after the order.
• Fulfillment: Mark the order as fulfilled and confirm the shipping notification email sends.
• Apps: Upsell, review request and email marketing apps fire as expected.

Clean up afterward

• Turn off test mode or reactivate your real gateway.
• Archive or cancel the test orders so they don't clutter your list.
• Restock inventory if the test reduced it.
• Remove test customers from your email marketing tool, so automations don't keep emailing your own address.

When to run another test

Repeat a quick test any time you change your checkout, install a payment or shipping app, change themes or add a new market. It takes ten minutes and regularly catches problems that would otherwise surface as lost sales.

Once checkout works, focus on getting people there. Our guide to increasing your conversion rate is a good next step.

Frequently asked questions

Do test orders cost anything?

Orders through Shopify Payments test mode or the test gateway aren't charged. A real order you refund may incur processing fees.

Do test orders show in my reports?

Shopify says test orders don't appear in payouts or reports, though they do show in your order list and can be archived.

Why can't I use the test gateway?

Shopify's test gateway is available after you've chosen a paid plan.

Sources and further reading

• help.shopify.com/en/manual/checkout-settings/test-orders

Platform features, prices and policies change. Check the official help pages linked above before you act on a detail that matters to your store.