To test Stripe payments in WordPress, connect a Stripe test account in your WooCommerce Stripe settings, enable test mode, and complete checkout with Stripe’s sandbox card number—not real payment details. Then confirm the order, payment record, and webhook processing before switching to live payments.
Set up Stripe test mode in WooCommerce
- In WordPress, go to WooCommerce > Settings > Payments > Stripe > Settings.
- Select Configure connection, open the Test tab, and create or connect a Stripe test account. Keep this separate from the live account.
- Turn on Enable test mode and save the settings. Check that the test connection and test API credentials are active before opening checkout.
The official WooCommerce Stripe extension documentation describes this setup. Test mode is essential: Stripe says not to use real card details, and test API calls must use test values and test keys.
Run a test checkout
- Add a product to the shop cart and proceed to checkout.
- For a successful card payment, enter Stripe’s interactive test card number 4242 4242 4242 4242, a valid future expiry such as 12/34, and any three-digit CVC. These are sandbox values and work only when the checkout is connected to Stripe test mode.
- Place the order. A successful test should complete the checkout and show the order-received page.
- In WooCommerce, open the resulting order and inspect its payment details. Follow its linked Charge ID to the Stripe test dashboard to verify the corresponding test payment.
Stripe’s official testing documentation lists test values for additional scenarios and payment methods.
Test more than a successful card payment
A successful checkout confirms only one path. Use Stripe’s documented sandbox values to exercise the cases your store supports:
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- Declines and invalid data: Confirm checkout displays a useful failure and does not treat a failed payment as paid.
- Fraud-related outcomes: Exercise the relevant test cases to see how your store handles a blocked or flagged payment.
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Webhooks notify WooCommerce about payment events, so a checkout page alone does not prove that asynchronous updates are working. In the Stripe settings account details, check that both the Live and Test webhook statuses show Configured, then review the processing status for events.
WooCommerce documents this endpoint pattern: https://www.example.com/?wc-api=wc_stripe. The example domain is illustrative; use the endpoint associated with your own store. You can trigger webhook events by performing sandbox actions, or use Stripe CLI or Stripe for Visual Studio Code to test event delivery and repeat scenarios. See WooCommerce’s Stripe webhook documentation and Stripe’s webhook documentation.
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| Method-specific sandbox values | Testing a supported non-card payment method using its documented test flow. | Card behavior or methods not enabled for the store. |
Keep test payments separate from live transactions
- Do not enter real card details in a test, and do not use Stripe test values with live API keys.
- Keep orders in test mode. WooPayments warns that live-mode test orders can incur transaction fees that are not refunded.
- Do not load-test Stripe’s testing environment. Stripe says test environments have stricter rate limits and recommends a separate load-testing approach.
Before accepting real payments, disable test mode only when ready to use the live Stripe connection, then verify the live account and webhook configuration deliberately.
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