Test mode

Enable test mode to experiment with Checkout configurations and payment methods.

Test mode lets you experiment with Fundraise Up's features in a safe environment, separate from live donations. You can practice using the Virtual Terminal, configure campaigns and emails, and verify your integration connections — all without affecting real donor data or transactions. Everything works just like live mode, but purely for testing purposes.

Test mode compared with preview

 
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Test mode and preview serve different purposes within Fundraise Up:

  • Preview: A static view of the settings for a specific campaign, showing how it will look to your supporters. It is non-interactive and used purely for visual checks.
  • Test mode: An interactive environment where you can simulate real actions, such as making test donations, to ensure everything is functioning as expected.

Test mode functionality

 
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Fundraise Up accounts contain two types of data:

  1. Live data: Actual donation and transaction data.
  2. Test data: Simulated data created during test mode.

By default, test data is hidden. To view it:

  1. Click your organization’s name in the top-right corner.
  2. Toggle on Test data to view test transactions.
  3. Toggle it off to return to live data.

When test mode is enabled on a website with the Fundraise Up installation code, a test mode toolbar appears at the bottom of the page. This toolbar includes localization tools to test how elements like the Checkout Modal, Campaign Pages, and other components display in different languages and regions.

Test donations through Dashboard

 
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You can simulate donations in test mode directly from the Dashboard without using your live website. Here’s how:

  1. Ensure your account is connected to Stripe. For live donations, a fully activated Stripe account is required, but test donations only require a test Stripe account.
  2. To set up a test Stripe account (if you don’t already have an activated Stripe account):
    • Go to Settings > Payment methods > Stripe.
    • Click Set up test account.

Next, you can make test donations in the Virtual Terminal or in your campaign.

Test donations in Virtual Terminal

 
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You can make test donations using the Virtual Terminal, a feature built into the Fundraise Up Dashboard that allows you to process donations directly from your account. While the Virtual Terminal is typically used for in-person or phone donations, organizations can use it for any other purpose that suits their needs.

To make test donations in the Virtual Terminal:

  1. Activate the Virtual Terminal. Go to Settings > Virtual Terminal and click Enable Virtual Terminal.
  2. Ensure you have at least one campaign. If you don’t have an existing campaign, follow these steps:
    1. Go to Campaigns.
    2. Click New campaign.
    3. Select New campaign with default settings (this option is selected by default).
    4. Click Create a campaign. You can leave the campaign as-is without customizing it.
  3. Enable test mode. Click your organization’s name in the top-right corner of the Dashboard and toggle on Test data.
  4. Access the Virtual Terminal. Press the T key on your keyboard or go to Donations and click Virtual Terminal.

Once test mode is enabled, you can use the Virtual Terminal to simulate donations. For more details, refer to the Virtual Terminal article.

When you’re finished, don’t forget to disable test mode by toggling off Test data.

In the Virtual Terminal, you can only make test donations using the credit card payment method. The test credit card details will be displayed in the Virtual Terminal.

Test donations in campaigns

 
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You can make test donations in your Campaign using both the Checkout Modal and the Campaign Page.

Steps to make test donations:

  1. Go to Campaigns > [Your campaign] > Settings.
  2. Under Campaign format, ensure the Checkout Modal or Campaign Page (or both) are enabled.
  3. Return to the Overview tab and click Make a test donation under the relevant section.

Test donations on your website

 
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To enable test mode on your website, use one of these methods:

Embedded script

 
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Add this script to your website’s code to activate test mode by default:

1<script>
2window.fundraiseup_livemode = false;
3</script>

This is ideal for pre-production environments such as test sites.

Query string

 
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Add the following query string to your website’s URL to activate test mode temporarily:

?fundraiseupLivemode=no

Example: https://ropsi.org?fundraiseupLivemode=no

To use test mode on your website, you must first add the Fundraise Up installation code to your website’s code.

Sync test donations to connected integrations

 
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Fundraise Up integrations can sync test donations to connected platforms for evaluation purposes. To enable this:

  1. Go to the integration settings for the platform you want to test.
  2. Select Sync test data.

Payment method test credentials

 
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To test payment methods, use Stripe's test credentials. For your convenience, here’s an example:

Brand Visa
Number 4242 4242 4242 4242
CVC Any 3 digits
Expiration Date Any future date

More test credentials are available on Stripe’s testing documentation.

Email notifications in test mode

 
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In test mode, you will receive the same emails as in live mode, with a few exceptions. Fundraise Up will not send the following email notifications for recurring donations made in test mode:

  • Installment receipt
  • Installment failed
  • Recurring failed
  • Plan fulfilled
  • Mastercard reminder
  • ACH verification reminder
  • Expiring card reminder

Found a mistake? Is there a missing topic? Hard to read? Let us know

 

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