TicketSpice offers a few different ways to test your ticketing page depending on your needs and preferences. Testing is an important process to ensure everything is looking and exporting just as you'd expect. Testing allows you to review the entire ticketing and admin experience.
Preview Mode will not allow you to save data, but will allow you to text the ticketing experience.
Testing on a Tester Payment Processor will allow you to both test the ticketing experience as well as reporting, exporting, editing orders, integrations, etc.
Testing on a Real Payment Processor will allow you to do all of the above, as well as ensure your processor is successfully accepting transactions.
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Test in Preview Mode
Overview
The first and easiest way to test your page is using Preview Mode. The Preview Mode button can be found in your TicketSpice page builder, which launches a test page in a new tab and places a red border around the page, letting you know that the page is for testing only
Preview Mode is best for testing the visual and communication experience of your ticketing page, including the purchasing experience, confirmation page, and confirmation email. To test reports, analytics, integrations, and exports with real data, you will want to choose another testing method.
The Preview Mode respects actions and dates, so you can test your page in real time
Note: Preview mode will not process real card information (even if you try). When using Preview mode, no data will be saved to your account, and no reports will be generated from orders placed in Preview Mode.
In addition, Preview Mode will not issue real tickets, so you won't be able to view or scan these tickets. It will not alter any capacity limits or inventory of any items you are selling, and it will not generate any reports or be reflected in your analytics, integrations, or exports.
How to Use Preview Mode
On the Pages tab in the top menu bar, click the pencil icon on the page you'd like to test
Save any changes on your page by clicking Save in the top-right corner
Select the Preview button in the top right corner
Warning: Because the Preview Mode is only used for testing, do not share this URL with attendees. This link will not accept real orders or payments.
Summary of what can and can't be tested through Preview mode:
Preview does not generate real tickets that can be viewed, printed or scanned
Preview mode will not alter any capacity limits or inventory of any items you are selling
Preview mode will not generate any reports or be reflected in your analytics, integrations, or exports
Apple Wallet doesn't work in Preview mode, as no real tickets are issued
Preview mode doesn't allow you to access a virtual event
Preview mode will display your page even if your ticketing page has closed or has a future opening date. This allows you to make changes and review the page as it will appear, even when the page isn't accessible to the general public
Test With a Test Payment Processor
Overview
The Tester payment processor allows users to add a fake payment processor that accepts certain test credit card numbers
The Tester payment processor is best used for testing the exports, reporting, analytics, order management, and integrations without spending real money
Note: The Tester payment processor is best when deep and extensive testing is needed. For example, if you are setting up an integration through Zapier, you will want to test certain workflows and review how the data flows to those services. Since Preview mode does not work for this and you won't want to pay real money, the Tester Payment processor is an excellent use.
Using the Tester payment processor enables you to issue real tickets for testing the scanning app. The Tester payment processor also allows you to practice editing orders, including upgrades, downgrades, and cancellations. All exports, reports, and analytics can be used, except for Payout Summaries and Payout Reports, since no actual funds are processed.
Warning on Test Data:
Be advised that data captured and processed with the Tester payment processor is just like real transactions and cannot be deleted.
Typically, after customers have tested their page using the Tester payment processor, they will clone the page and then add their real payment processor to the new page (and archive the old page linked to the Tester payment processor). This process archives the test data, ensuring a clean start on the new page without test transactions affecting your reporting.
Add a Test Payment Processor
Hover your mouse over the gear icon in the right-hand side of the top menu bar
Select Payment Processors from the dropdown
Click the Add Payment Processor button
On the Payment Processor dropdown, select the Credit Card dropdown
On the Provider dropdown, select Tester (for Testing Only) from the bottom of the list
The Tester payment processor will ask for Merchant ID and Merchant key. Make up a set of numbers to enter in there such as 11111111
Add a Reference Name that clearly identifies this gateway as a tester gateway
Click the Save button
Publish your page to the Test Payment Processor
On the Pages tab in the top menu bar, click the pencil icon under the page you want to test
Click the Publish button
Select a Tester payment processor from the Select Payment Method dropdown
To use the Test payment processor, go to the Published page and submit fake information to the page. When you submit an order, enter one of the following dummy credit card numbers, enter an expiration date in the future, and make up the CVV number
Tester Visa Card number: 4111-1111-1111-1111
Tester American Express number: 3782-8224-6310-005
Tester Mastercard number: 5555555555554444
Test With a Real Payment Processor
Overview
Testing with a real payment processor and entering a real credit card ensures that your payment processor is accepting and processing credit cards as expected.
Testing with a real credit card should be reserved primarily for testing the payment processor, and is not useful for repetitive testing
NOTE: Many credit card processors may flag your account as fraud if they see the person who set up the payment processor running transactions through it.
We would recommend:
Being sure to cancel and refund yourself before the transaction is included in your payout, because paying yourself can be seen as money laundering.
Or, see if you can use someone else's credit card to perform the tests to avoid this. You can always cancel and refund the transaction later.
Testing with a real credit card will issue real confirmation, capacities and limits will be deducted, all data will be saved, and reports and analytics will all be generated with the order. You cannot delete this data or tests, but you can cancel the orders or archive the page. Testing with real credit cards should be reserved primarily for testing the payment processor. If you test your own credit card too many times, your own bank may flag your activity as suspicious and lock your card.
FAQs
Can I edit my page after I've published it?
Can I edit my page after I've published it?
Yes, you can make changes to your page even after it's been published. However, we advise against deleting any fields once you've begun processing sales to avoid losing data. Instead, we recommend using an action to hide the field rather than deleting the field entirely. Click here to learn how to hide a TicketSpice field.
Am I charged TicketSpice fees for tickets that use the tester payment processor?
Am I charged TicketSpice fees for tickets that use the tester payment processor?
No fees are charged for tickets that run through the tester payment processor.
What credit card numbers should I use when testing with a Tester Payment Processor?
What credit card numbers should I use when testing with a Tester Payment Processor?
You can use any of the following tester credit card numbers:
Tester Visa Card: 4111-1111-1111-1111
Tester American Express: 3782-8224-6310-005
Tester Mastercard: 5555555555554444
What happens if someone tries to place an order with a real credit card when my page is published to a tester payment processor?
What happens if someone tries to place an order with a real credit card when my page is published to a tester payment processor?
If someone tries to use a real credit card on a page linked to a tester payment processor, the order will be declined. The ticket buyer will receive this error message: "Oops: Card Processing Error! An error has occurred while attempting payment. Please try again or contact your bank for details: Tester gateway is unable to process with live card."
If ticket buyers receive this error, we recommend changing the payment processor on the page to a real payment processor that can process transactions.
