What is Payment Gateway Testing?
Payment Gateway testing is testing of a payment gateway, the system used to approve credit card payment for online purchases. Payment gateways safeguard the credit card details by encrypting sensitive information like credit card numbers and account holder details. This information is passed safely between the customer and the merchant and vice versa.
Modern payment gateways also securely approve payments via debit cards, electronic bank transfers, cash cards, reward points and other methods.
Types of Payment Gateway System
There are various types of payment gateways, and knowing which one you need to support your eCommerce is vital to your scalability, profitability and success.
- Hosted Payment Gateway:
A hosted payment gateway system directs customer away from your eCommerce site to gateway link during the payment process. Once the payment is done, it returns the customer back to your site. A hosted payment gateway means that you don’t need a merchant id. PayPal, Noche, and WorldPay are examples of hosted gateways. - Shared Payment Gateway:
Using a shared payment gateway, your customer is directed to the payment page and stays on your site during the payment process. Once the payment detail is filled, the payment process proceeds without the visitor leaving the site. This mode is easy and preferable to a hosted gateway.
Testing Types for Payment Domains
Testing for Payment Gateway should include
Integration: Test integration with your credit card service.
Security: A deep security pass test is required.
Functional Testing: Testing the base functionality of the payment gateway to verify whether the application behaves in the same way for different orders, such as calculation, tax additions, delivery charges and others.
Performance: Identify various performance metrics, such as the highest possible number of users coming through the gateway at the same time.
How to test Payment Gateway: Complete Checklist
Before you begin testing
- Collect proper test data for the dummy credit card number
- Collect payment gateway information
- Collect payment gateway document with error codes
- Understand the session and parameters passed through the
- application and payment gateway
- Understand and test the amount related information passed through query string or variable or session
- Along with payment gateway language check the language of the application under the various settings like currency format, subscriber data collected
Example Test Cases for Payment Gateway Testing
Following are important Test Scenarios/Cases to check Payment Gateway
| 1 | During the payment process try to change the payment gateway language |
| 2 | After successful payment, test all the necessary components, whether it is retrieved or not |
| 3 | Check what happens if payment gateway stops responding during the payment |
| 4 | During the payment process check what happens if the session ends |
| 5 | During the payment process check what happens in the backend |
| 6 | Check what happens if payment process fails |
| 7 | Check the Database entries; whether they store credit card details or not |
| 8 | During the payment process check error pages and security pages |
| 9 | Check settings of pop-up blocker, and see what happens if a pop-up blocker is on or off |
| 10 | Between payment gateway and application check buffer pages |
| 11 | Check on successful payment, a success code is sent to the application and a confirmation page is shown to the user |
| 12 | Verify whether the transaction processes immediately or if the processing is handled by your bank |
| 13 | After a successful transaction, check if the payment gateway returns to your application |
| 14 | Check all format and messages when a successful payment is processed |
| 15 | Goods should not be shipped without an authorization receipt from the payment gateway |
| 16 | Inform the payment type owner of any transaction processed. Encrypt the content of the message |
| 17 | Check the amount format is using the correct currency |
| 18 | Check if each of the payment options is selectable |
| 19 | Check if each listed payment option opens the respective payment option according to specification |
| 20 | Verify whether the payment gateway defaults to the desired debit/credit card option |
| 21 | Verify the default option for debit card shows card selection drop-down menu |
Things to consider before Buying a Gateway Package
- Learn about its compatibility
- If shopping gateway package is due, ask the payment gateway provider for a list of supported applications
- The gateway must offer Address Verification System Protection
- Find out the types of transactions protections offered
- Check what types of debit or credit cards are accepted by your chosen payment gateway
- Check the transaction fees levied by the payment gateway
- Check whether the gateways collect the payment right on the form or directly to another page to complete the purchase
