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All API requests made with test mode keys (sk_test_...) operate in a sandboxed environment. No real payments are processed, and test data is completely isolated from live data.

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Test payment methods

Use these payment method IDs in test mode to simulate different outcomes:
Payment MethodBehavior
pm_card_visaSimulates a successful Visa payment
pm_card_declinedSimulates a card decline (generic_decline)
For tokenization flows, use the test card number 4242 4242 4242 4242 with any future expiration date and any 3-digit CVC.

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Simulating a successful payment

# Create a PaymentIntent with a test payment method
curl -X POST https://api.leanrails.com/v1/payment_intents \
  -u "$API_KEY:" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Idempotency-Key: $(uuidgen)" \
  -d '{
    "amount": 2000,
    "currency": "usd",
    "payment_method": "pm_card_visa"
  }'

# Confirm the payment
curl -X POST https://api.leanrails.com/v1/payment_intents/pi_xxx/confirm \
  -u "$API_KEY:" \
  -H "Idempotency-Key: $(uuidgen)"

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Simulating a declined payment

curl -X POST https://api.leanrails.com/v1/payment_intents \
  -u "$API_KEY:" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Idempotency-Key: $(uuidgen)" \
  -d '{
    "amount": 2000,
    "currency": "usd",
    "payment_method": "pm_card_declined"
  }'

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Testing webhooks

Webhook events in test mode are delivered to your configured endpoints with livemode: false in the payload. You can verify your webhook handler processes test events correctly without affecting live data. 
{
  "id": "evt_test_abc123",
  "object": "event",
  "type": "payment_intent.succeeded",
  "livemode": false,
  "data": {
    "object": {
      "id": "pi_test_xyz",
      "object": "payment_intent",
      "amount": 2000,
      "currency": "usd",
      "status": "succeeded",
      "livemode": false
    }
  }
}

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Go-live checklist

1

Verify error handling

Test with pm_card_declined and confirm your integration handles decline codes gracefully.
2

Test the full payment flow

Create, confirm, and refund a PaymentIntent using pm_card_visa in test mode.
3

Configure live webhooks

Set up webhook endpoints for your production URL and subscribe to the events you need.
4

Switch to live keys

Replace sk_test_... with your sk_live_... key and start processing real payments.