What is Payments Testing?
Payments testing is a type of functional testing in which the Tester uses a payment instrument (PI) in order to verify the payment flow is working properly. Payment instruments include: Credit Cards, Debit Cards, Online Accounts (GPay, Apple Pay..etc). This includes:
verifying the total amount is calculated correctly,
the tax is calculated according to the country's regulations,
the currency is displayed correctly,
the payment flow can be completed without an interruption
the payment flow can be interrupted/paused/dismissed at any moment without any issues
Typically, the Testers are required to perform the full flow, starting from adding an item to the basket through paying with the specific payment method. Often, you will be asked to cancel the order afterward.
Payments Testing task examples:
Sandbox payments testing for Client apps
Performing a purchase of an item from the online store with a defined payment method, canceling the purchase within 15 minutes to get a full refund
Purchasing a service with a Client, including a 99% discount code
Verifying location-specific pricing. The main goal of the task is to verify that the expected and actual price of the product or service matches the specific country
“Pay-In” testing task, where the testers are expected to make a payment (with a specific payment method) using a certain application or web link. Typically, the payment amount is small.
“Payout” testing task, where testers are expected to provide their account information (for a specific bank, wallet, or app). Afterward, it’s also necessary to confirm that you received the funds. The Client on their end is verifying the API call from the payment method.
On-site testing. Visiting a mini-market and performing cash payments for an item defined by the Client. Afterward, it’s also necessary to report back on the experience: experience, including ease of use and process speed, and to also report any issues during the process. You may also be asked for a store ID and Clerk’s name.
On-site testing that includes payment processing at a gas station, either at the pump, in-store, or both, using a predetermined amount specified in the Test Case.
Keep in mind US Gas Station merchants may hold up to $100.00 when using credit or debit cards using the payment terminal at the pump. The $100.00 needs to be available in the account in addition to the specified amount in the Test Case.
This amount is determined by the gas station and Not the Credit card company or Bank
The $100 hold can be avoided by using a PIN (at the pump terminal) or paying inside the Gas Station
Video recording full payment flow of the specified application. Please use our recommended blurring tools to blur sensitive data, and submit the recording with your task. The video recording will be used by the product team to analyze the payment flow usability, integration with payment apps, timeouts, etc.
How to Prepare for Payments Testing?
Make sure your payment and location information is up to date on the Testlio profile. Testlio Services Team is using this information to compile the team for the needed workspace.
Order a separate bank card for testing purposes only - this way you can keep track of your personal funds and payments testing funds separately
Sign in to your eWallets, crypto wallets, online banks, and payment apps to make sure your accounts are functional
If applicable, ensure the payment method is correctly connected to your store profiles (e.g., Apple ID, Google Pay ID, etc.)
Keep your cards available to use, including sign-in credentials & pin codes
Dedicate a separate budget for payments testing - this is your investment in getting more testing opportunities
Make sure you have a functional mailbox that can be used for testing purposes as most of the payment testing tasks involve verifying purchase confirmation emails. Best practices for the mailbox:
Email functions, like filters, should be avoided
Create a sub-address per workspace. For example, bill.white+workspagesname@gmail.com
It is important to keep in mind that while you are testing any product on the Testlio platform that is not yet available to the public, you have to protect the information and not discuss the product details outside of the corresponding workspace environments.
Pay close attention to Test Run Instructions. Sometimes there may be a warning that purchases should NOT be fully completed because refunds cannot be processed (e.g. testing on production environments).
FAQ
Do I need to be an expert in finances in order to do payment testing?
No, you don’t. Handling your daily financial life (e.g., having a bank account, doing online payments, etc) already indicates you understand common payment flows. If we need a specific financial background, it will be specified and communicated accordingly before testing.
Similarly, if your credit score is important to meet testing requirements, we will check separately.
Do I need to share my private information?
Please note that no one should require access to your financial accounts. In case someone ever asks you for such access, please always flag it to the Testlio team - the Engagement Manager, Testing Manager, or use Testlio’s Whistleblower Guidelines.
It’s rather rare that you’ll need to share your private information. In some cases, we do need to ask for your bank account details. Please note, private information will not be shared with 3rd parties and will be only used for product analysis purposes.
How to get reimbursed for processed payments?
All funds that you will be processing during testing will be reimbursed. This also includes transaction fees, conversion fees, payout to compensate for the time to reach a location for on-site payment, etc. Please note that you will not lose any of your money while performing payment testing on the Testlio platform.
Refund and reimbursement processes will be documented in the corresponding workspace details. In case you want to learn about the process before accepting the workspace invitation, please turn to the Testlio team. All possible refund options will be defined with the Client. The most common methods are:
Refund by the Client. You will need to share the transaction ID, account ID, and receipt.
Refund by Testlio with direct funds transfer. You will need to provide a receipt or account statement.
How much money will I need to have available while participating in payments testing?
Generally, we advise you to have a separate budget that is available for testing. Funds can be transferred to linked accounts for Testing purposes.
In some cases, we will know in advance how much money it’s necessary to have available. We’ll communicate this to you accordingly before going into testing.
Keep in mind, some Test Runs will be using the production application and the payout will be determined in the Run acceptance. In such cases, select purchases of the lowest possible price while participating in the Run. Keeping the payments low will benefit the Client, Testlio, and you the Tester. Maximizing your purchasing power while staying within the Client’s budget benefits everyone.
We also have a whole webinar dedicated to Payments Testing, which you can watch and listen on Testlio Youtube channel.
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