By placing a test order, you can make sure that your checkout process and settings for order processing, inventory, shipping, and taxes are all correct.


You won't be charged for a test order. Any order that has been canceled and refunded is not paid out or subject to transaction fees. You should place at least one test order during your store setup, or whenever you make changes to your payment settings.


There are two ways to place a test order:

  • Use The Custom Payment Gateway option to simulate a transaction
  • Use a real payment provider, and then immediately cancel and refund the order. 

Applies to Version(s): 3.9.x  Series

Complexity Level: Easy
Estimated Time for Completion: 8 minutes 


In this article, you will learn:

How to Set up a Custom Payment Method to Be Used for Purchase Orders

Place a Test Order with a Real Transaction

How to Set up a Custom Payment Method to Be Used for Purchase Orders


Note & Pro tip: Some merchants prefer to have their users type in a Purchase order number or invoice number. This can be added to the cart using the "custom fields" feature.


1. In the cart admin, click the Settings > Payment & taxes > Payment methods.

2. Under Third-Party Payment Providers, select the Custom Payment option from the drop-down.

3. Click the Setup button.

set up custom payment method


4. In the Title field, type in the name you want people to see when they chose this new option. For purchase orders, we suggest just using TEST Order (Offline Payment), but you can use whatever you like.


activate custom payment method


Note: You have the option to type in some instructions. The content you type into the Checkout Page Instructions box will show on the cart’s checkout page, next to the Place Order button. 


For purchase orders, you may want to use this section to put in some instructions that explain how to send in payment for orders or maybe some messaging about any net terms you would like them to agree to. 


The content you type into the Thank You Page Instructions will show on the cart’s Thank you a.k.a. Completed page, which is the confirmation page that shows up after the user finishes the checkout process and clicks the Place Order button.


5. After filling out the fields, click the Activate button. You should now see your new payment method on the list.

custom payment method activated


Now that your new Test Order payment method is enabled, go test it out by going into your storefront, adding items to your cart, and proceeding to checkout. You should see your new Test Order payment methods as one of the payment options as seen in the screenshot image below:

custom payment method on storefront


Place a Test Order with a Real Transaction


To use a real payment provider to place a test order: 

  1. Make sure that you've set up the payment provider that you want to test.
  2. Make a purchase from your store as a customer would, and complete the checkout process using genuine credit card details. 
  3. If you're using a third-party payment provider, then log in to your payment provider to make sure that the funds were processed. 
  4. Cancel and refund the order as soon as possible to refund yourself and avoid paying any transaction fees. 


Links to Related Articles


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If you didn't get your question answered, please contact the Pinnacle Cart Support Team. To submit a ticket, go to the My Account drop-down menu at the top right of the admin area and select Support.