Test Mode and Live Mode

One of the most important things to understand about your Paystack Dashboard is its two modes: Test Mode and Live Mode.

Test mode exists to create a safe sandbox environment where you can use Paystack without using real money . It's a great place to try out new tools and see how customer-facing features look before publicising them. Your Paystack Dashboard exists in Test Mode when your account is created.

Your Paystack Dashboard automatically switches to Live Mode when your compliance documents have been submitted and approved. Live Mode is where everything real happens. An actual transaction has occurred if a payment appears in the Live Mode of the Dashboard.

When your business is in Test Mode, the toggle at the top-right corner of your Dashboard will be greyed out with the word ‘Test’ in red beside it.

When it’s in Live Mode, the toggle will turn green with the word ‘Live’ in green beside it.

You can switch between the two modes anytime by clicking on the toggle, but only once your business has been taken live.

Please note that any changes you make in test mode will not reflect in live mode and vice versa. If you create a Payment Page or Invoice in test mode, they will not be visible in the live mode of the Dashboard and vice versa. However, any Payment Pages, links and integrations will continue to accept funds without any interruption regardless of what state the Dashboard is in.

Important to note

Once your business has been taken live, you can switch between Test Mode and Live Mode on your Paystack Dashboard without worrying about affecting your transactions or other data. Switching between modes only alters the information displayed on the Dashboard, such as the data available in each mode (i.e. the information available in each mode).