This article will guide merchants through understanding and using Test Mode.

All new Authorize.net accounts are in Test Mode by default. When an account is in Test Mode, transactions may be submitted that will not be authorized or charged to the account numbers provided in the transactions.

Test Mode Indicators:

When your account is in Test Mode, each page in the Merchant Interface will display a blue banner stating:

Your account is in TEST MODE - To update click here

Email receipts generated by Authorize.net will also indicate whether they were submitted in Test Mode, by having this text at the top of the receipt:

************* TEST MODE *************

Purpose of Test Mode:

Placing the account in Test Mode allows you or your developer to test your website/software implementation without submitting live transactions. While in Test Mode, transactions will not be saved to the database or be viewable in search results or reports.

How to turn Test Mode off?

1. Sign in to the Merchant Interface.
2. Click Account from the main toolbar.
3. Click Settings in the main menu on the left.
4. Click Test Mode under the Security Settings section.
5. Drag the toggle to Live. The interface will confirm that the Test Mode settings have been successfully applied and the account is now in Live Mode.

You may also turn Test Mode on by following the above steps and moving the toggle to Test.

If your account is still in the process of obtaining a Merchant Account or if you have applied for a Gateway Only account, additional steps may be needed before the system will allow Test Mode to be disabled. Steps and instructions on the Test Mode page will be provided on what steps and actions have to be taken based on your account status.

Billing:

You will incur transaction fee charges when Test Mode is turned off. When Test Mode is turned off, we will attempt to process all transactions we receive.

Website and Software Integration:

It is also possible to be in Test Mode through your website/software integration, which will override the Merchant Interface settings described above. To disable Test Mode through your website, you will need to work with your developer or integration provider to modify any code/setting to turn Test Mode off.

An alternative to using Test Mode on your live/production account is signing up for a Sandbox/Developer account that is in a test/sandbox environment that has no connection to your live/production account. These accounts are mean for testing web site and API integrations to Authorize.net.

To sign up go to the Authorize.net Developer Center and Getting Started to create a sandbox account.

Test Mode FAQs:

• Do I need to provide any additional information to switch to live mode?
  • If your account is still in the process of obtaining a Merchant Account or if you have applied for a Gateway Only account, additional steps may be needed before the system will allow Test Mode to be disabled.
    • If you have applied for aGateway and Merchant Account, the application for your merchant account must be completed and connected to your Processor account before Test Mode can be turned off.
      • If this has not been completed you may encounter an error of: Unanticipated error occurred. Please try again later.
    • For Payment Gateway Only accounts, you must provide and configure your Merchant Account's processor information into your Authorize.net account.