Configuring Authorize.NET

Testing Setup

Authorize.NET has two very different settings with regards to testing,

Test Mode using Live Credentials

This mode is where you use your actual credentials on the live Authorize.NET server. It is activated by passing a special flag.

No actual transactions will be created by Authorize.NET in this mode. That means it is unsuitable for testing authorizations, captures, refunds and voids. It should be treated only as a way to ensure that a connection with the live server is established.

Test Mode using Test Account

This mode is where you use a separate Authorize.NET testing account on a special test Authorize.NET server.

Unlike the previous mode, this one creates test transactions that can be authorized, captured, voided and refunded. This mode should be used for development purposes and for trial runs of the production system. It can be used only with a separate testing account distinct from the one used for production. A testing account can be obtained from the following URL,

http://developer.authorize.net/testaccount/

To properly configure this mode, you need to log into your Authorize.NET test account with the login name and password provided by Authorize.NET and turn test mode off.

It might seem odd that the test server has a test mode. That is because the only difference between the live and test servers is that the test server does not send information to financial institutions. Thus when the test server has test mode activated, it does not generate transaction IDs just like the live account. When we turn this test mode off, it begins to generate transaction IDs which we can use to test refunds and voids.

Finally, you will need to change the gateway URL in payment.properties to the following,

payment.authorizedotnet.url=https://test.authorize.net/gateway/transact.dll

Note that the value of payment.authorizedotnet.test does not matter in this mode. Set it to TRUE so you can see the information sent and received to Authorize.NET.