The PayPal SandBox allows you to create a virtual environment that mimics your storefront and buyers to fully test your PayPal implementation including the integration with software_DNA.

In the PayPal SandBox you will need to also configure the IPN URL to point to the DNA Connector.

You should also create a buyer account to do your testing. From the Home page of your SandBox account, manually create a buyer account, and use the email address swtest. such as

swtest@softworkz.com

Orders from this email address will be recognized as TEST ORDERS by the DNA Server and notification emails will be redirected to the Prod_Contact_Email for the Product ordered.

From the PayPal SandBox account, you can create PayPal BUY buttons, and then use them to buy products using the swtest account.

Consult the PayPal website for more details on how to set-up your SandBox account and use it.

Testing with new DNA Products

The best time to do testing of the connector with PayPal is when the DNA Product is still in TESTING MODE in software_DNA.

If the corresponding software_DNA product is in TESTING MODE, then the PayPal Test Order transactions will be completely processed, license activation codes will be generated/reserved, the license code will be sent to the Buyer and confirmation emails will be sent to you from PayPal and from softWORKZ. Check the emails received to ensure all is working. You can also verify that the license codes have been properly created/updated in the DNA Control Panel.

Note that PayPal will send the Buyer and Vendor notification emails to the SandBox email accounts that can be viewed from the SandBox account, and will not be sent to your regular email address.

Remember that when you end TESTING MODE, all these fictitious codes will be deleted and statistics will be reset for the product.

Testing with Existing ACTIVE DNA Products

If the Product is already in ACTIVE mode in software_DNA, testing of the PayPal connector can also be done.

This is useful if you wish to add the PayPal connector to an ACTIVE Product or because you want to regularly test the PayPal connector to ensure all is in working order.

If the Product is ACTIVE, then your Test Order transactions will be validated but no action will be taken (ex: no license codes will be generated). You will receive emails from PayPal with the Activation Code PAYPAL_TEST_ORDER and an email from softWORKZ confirming the transaction was successfully received and validated, but not processed.

Quick tutorial on the PayPal SandBox

The PayPal Sandbox environment sets up a complete testing environment you can use for all your testing for PayPal, including the end-to-end purchase process and the integration with software_DNA.

Highly recommend to read the PayPal Documentation on the Sandbox here PayPal Sandbox, but below is a short summary of the key steps with regards to testing with software_DNA.

1. Set-up the different SandBox accounts (all fictitious)

   • create a SandBox account from your PayPal Developer account (same login credentials as your PayPal account)
   • create a Test Merchant / Business account - this is where you will set-up your test products, IPN URL's, BUY buttons, etc..

   • create a Test Buyer account - this is the account you will use to BUY products

     This BUYER account name must be "swtest" so that the DNA Connector can recognize the Test Orders - for example:

     swtest@softworkz.com

2. Set-up your Business

   • login into your Sandbox Merchant account at sandbox.paypal.com
   • define different products for testing
   • create BUY buttons and put them somewhere on your web site for testing - these will be linked to your SandBox account instead of your real account

   • configure the IPN URL as shown in PayPal Configuration

3. Set-up the software_DNA Connector to receive Test Orders for Test Products

   • each Test Product you created in PayPal will have it’s own PayPal Product ID
   • you will need to add each of these PayPal Product ID’s to the DNA Connector Configuration as show in software_DNA Configuration

   • Run a Test Order

     • make sure you are still logged-in to your SandBox account on your browser
     • from this same browser, go ahead and use one of the test BUY buttons on your web site

     • when asked to log-in as a Buyer, use the Buyer account and complete the purchase

   • What happens next

     • you will receive a Notification from software_DNA of a Test Order to the Product Contact Email defined for that DNA Product
     • log in to your PayPal Developer account (using your real login credentials) and click on SandBox accounts

     • you can view the notifications sent to your Merchant / Business account and also to the Buyer account (right click on the "more" icon)

       

     • you will also receive the Buyer notification email from software_DNA with the issued License Code to the Product Contact Email address - this will use the format that you configured for the DNA Product in the DNA Control Panel.

       If your DNA Product is in TESTING MODE, then a real License Code is issued

       If your DNA Product is in ACTIVE mode, then no License Code is issued for the Test Order

   • Logging into your Test Buyer account

     • go to sandbox.paypal.com and log into your Buyer account
     • there you can see your recent Test purchases, and also manage the Buyer Subscriptions, i.e. cancel them