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Testing Paypal - tip for beginners!

by samstephens
9 replies
I saw this question a couple of times in this forum recently, and I also have clients ask me similar things all the time, so thought I'd post it here:

How do you test a Paypal sales link?

They do have what's called "Sandbox", which is a Paypal development platform where you can run sales tests. It's better than it used to be, but it's still too much overkill for a simple test, and it doesn't actually tell you if your live sales link will work or not. It's designed for developers, and even then, as a developer, I prefer to do live tests anyway (the Sandbox can introduce bugs that don't exist in the live server).

So, an easy way to do Paypal tests?

Open a Personal Paypal account - it's free, and Paypal allow you to have:

- 1 Business or Premier account
and
- 1 Personal account

So you'll be using your Business or Permier account to sell your product with.

After you open your Personal account, transfer $10 or so from your business/premier account into your personal account. This is what you'll be using to test with.

Set your main product price to $0.01

I often see sales tests of $1, but if you set the price to $0.01 then you can do a hundred time the amount of tests, and you don't need to worry about performing refunds for the test money (it's only 1 cent, right?).

Now you can test your website live - use your Personal account to purchase the product from your main Buinsess/Premier account.

It's much quicker and easier than using the Sandbox, and it'll also tell you for sure if your live setup (which is different from a Sandbox setup) is working.

In my business I do tonnes of Paypal sales link testing, and this is by far the easiest and most accurate way.

cheers
Sam
#beginners #paypal #tip
  • Profile picture of the author shabit87
    Originally Posted by samstephens View Post

    I saw this question a couple of times in this forum recently, and I also have clients ask me similar things all the time, so thought I'd post it here:

    How do you test a Paypal sales link?

    They do have what's called "Sandbox", which is a Paypal development platform where you can run sales tests. It's better than it used to be, but it's still too much overkill for a simple test, and it doesn't actually tell you if your live sales link will work or not. It's designed for developers, and even then, as a developer, I prefer to do live tests anyway (the Sandbox can introduce bugs that don't exist in the live server).

    So, an easy way to do Paypal tests?

    Open a Personal Paypal account - it's free, and Paypal allow you to have:

    - 1 Business or Premier account
    and
    - 1 Personal account

    So you'll be using your Business or Permier account to sell your product with.

    After you open your Personal account, transfer $10 or so from your business/premier account into your personal account. This is what you'll be using to test with.

    Set your main product price to $0.01

    I often see sales tests of $1, but if you set the price to $0.01 then you can do a hundred time the amount of tests, and you don't need to worry about performing refunds for the test money (it's only 1 cent, right?).

    Now you can test your website live - use your Personal account to purchase the product from your main Buinsess/Premier account.

    It's much quicker and easier than using the Sandbox, and it'll also tell you for sure if your live setup (which is different from a Sandbox setup) is working.

    In my business I do tonnes of Paypal sales link testing, and this is by far the easiest and most accurate way.

    cheers
    Sam
    LOL I would have never thought to do that. I usually just get a friend to test it for me...of course changing the price to $.01, but this way is definetly faster if I can't get to them in time. Thanks for sharing.
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  • Profile picture of the author Michael Oksa
    Thanks Sam,

    It's a good tip, and could really come in handy.

    I will still ask friends to test the sales process, though. Because they don't have the same stuff in thier cache, and are sure to notice things I won't. It's more like a real-world test to have somebody do it that doesn't know what to expect. If that makes sense.

    Your idea is still good, and one that a lot of people can make use of. Just saying there could be other things to consider for some people.

    All the best,
    Michael
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    • Profile picture of the author shabit87
      Originally Posted by Michael Oksa View Post

      Thanks Sam,

      It's a good tip, and could really come in handy.

      I will still ask friends to test the sales process, though. Because they don't have the same stuff in thier cache, and are sure to notice things I won't. It's more like a real-world test to have somebody do it that doesn't know what to expect. If that makes sense.

      Your idea is still good, and one that a lot of people can make use of. Just saying there could be other things to consider for some people.

      All the best,
      Michael
      Its good to know I'm not the only one calling a buddy to test my paypal buy links
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  • Profile picture of the author tecHead
    Originally Posted by samstephens View Post

    I saw this question a couple of times in this forum recently, and I also have clients ask me similar things all the time, so thought I'd post it here:

    How do you test a Paypal sales link?
    ...

    So, an easy way to do Paypal tests?

    Open a Personal Paypal account - it's free, and Paypal allow you to have:

    - 1 Business or Premier account
    and
    - 1 Personal account

    So you'll be using your Business or Permier account to sell your product with.

    ...
    cheers
    Sam
    Great tip, Sam; one that I forgot about. :p

    Only thing I'd like to add/expound on is in reference to what Michael points out; cache.

    When testing, you should be doing this by default (anyway), but it would be best to have each account opened, (or manipulating), in different browsers. Like one in IE and the other in FF.

    OH.. (just remembered something else)... IF you're wanting to do full blown testing; (as in fully setting up a Personal account; you'll need separate bank account and CC info for the Personal account. PayPal doesn't allow this information to overlap between two accounts; even if they know you're the same person, (can't vouch for the SSN/EIN -- although, I'd use an EIN for the Business/Premier account and an SSN for the Personal account where applicable).

    A tad bit of a pain, (I know), but once its set... its set.

    Sorry, Sam... no intentions of hi-jacking your post, bro.
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  • Profile picture of the author samstephens
    No worries Michael and Shabit, glad I could help!

    And you're right, Michael - it's always good to get outside testers as well, especially if it's an entirely new setup. As you said, weird things in caches can play silly buggers with your proccess, as well as things like virus scanners, adware and spyware blockers, etc.

    I personally wouldn't use outside testers until I was happy that everything was working well for me - alpha testing and beta testing as it's called in the software world...

    cheers
    Sam
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  • Profile picture of the author samstephens
    Great tips about using multiple browsers, tecHead!

    Unfortunatly all browsers don't handle the same page in the same way, so as you're implying you can have problems with one browser when it works absolutely fine in another.

    The same goes for operating systems- I had someone have an issue with something on their site (can't remember what it was, now) - it worked fine in everything except Safari on a Mac. All other browser on the Mac worked, and all browser on PC (including Safari for PC) worked fine. It was just Safari on Mac that didn't.

    To be honest I think it turned out to be a configuration issue with their Mac Safari, and not a bug in their project, but it still highlights differences between not just browsers, but also OS's.

    cheers
    Sam
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  • Profile picture of the author tecHead
    Yeah, Sam... true.

    As much of a pain in the arse as it is to try to make sure our stuff works everywhere; would you really wanna see ONE company standardizing everything?

    brrrr!! scarey thought lol
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  • Profile picture of the author samstephens
    Heh, good point tecHead - and an interesting question...

    I don't think one company dictating the direction of the internet (no matter how many of them try) is a good idea.

    What I think is a little irrespnsible and self-indulgent is when a company decides they're going to handle an existing "standard", such as HTML, a little differently.

    But of course we know that "standard" HTML is a bit of a pipe-dream. Take a range of different browsers, different operating systems, and then mix it in with a wide range of different webpage design programs and template systems, and there is no way we'll ever see a "standard". Wayyy too many variables in that little cauldron!

    Is it possbile to be pro-standardization and pro-diversification at the same time?

    cheers
    Sam
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    • Profile picture of the author tecHead
      Originally Posted by samstephens View Post

      Heh, good point tecHead - and an interesting question...

      Is it possbile to be pro-standardization and pro-diversification at the same time?

      cheers
      Sam
      LOL... sure; its called Zen... involved detachment
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