Razorpay WooCommerce Test And Live Keys: WordPress Setup Guide

Payment keys are where a lot of WordPress store launches quietly go wrong. The beginner mistake is simple: people paste live credentials into a store they have not tested yet, or they leave test credentials in place after launch. This Razorpay guide walks through the clean path: create the test or sandbox keys first, put them into the WooCommerce payment plugin, run a safe test order, then switch to live credentials only when the checkout flow is confirmed.

Open the official docsPayment tutorial hub

What You Are Setting Up

• Razorpay API credentials are a Key ID and Key Secret.
• Razorpay has separate Test Mode and Live Mode credentials.
• The Key Secret is shown when generated and must be stored securely.
• The WooCommerce plugin uses the Key ID and Key Secret to connect checkout to Razorpay.

Before You Touch Any Keys

• Update WordPress, WooCommerce, and the payment gateway plugin first. Key problems are harder to debug on an outdated plugin.
• Make one low-priced test product, such as a one dollar checkout product, so you can test without disturbing the real catalog.
• Use a staging site or maintenance window if the store already takes orders.
• Keep secret keys in the WordPress admin field or a proper secret manager. Do not paste live secret keys into tickets, chats, screenshots, or public docs.
• Confirm the checkout page, cart page, SSL certificate, permalinks, and transactional emails before going live.

Create Test Or Sandbox Credentials

• Log in to the Razorpay Dashboard.
• Switch the dashboard to Test Mode.
• Open Account & Settings > API Keys.
• Generate the Test Mode Key ID and Key Secret.
• Store the Key Secret securely because only the Key ID remains visible after generation.

Add The Test Keys In WordPress

• In WordPress, open WooCommerce > Settings > Payments.
• Open Razorpay.
• Enable the payment method.
• Paste the Test Mode Key ID and Key Secret into the plugin settings.
• Save changes and verify the Razorpay payment option appears at checkout.

Run A Safe Test Order

• Add the test product to the cart and choose Razorpay at checkout.
• Use one of the Razorpay test cards or test UPI IDs below.
• On the mock payment page, choose Success to test a paid order.
• Run a second test and choose Failure to confirm WooCommerce handles failed payments correctly.
• Confirm the test payment appears in the Razorpay Dashboard while in Test Mode.

Demo Cards And Test Values

Switch To Live Payments

• Complete Razorpay account activation and any required approvals.
• Switch the Razorpay Dashboard to Live Mode.
• Open Account & Settings > API Keys and generate live keys.
• Replace the Test Mode credentials in WooCommerce with the Live Mode Key ID and Key Secret.
• Run a controlled live verification and confirm the payment is captured or authorized according to your payment action setting.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

• Using test keys while the business expects live payments.
• Using live keys while still testing the checkout.
• Not saving the Key Secret when it is generated.
• Leaving manual capture enabled without a process to capture authorized payments.
• Not checking webhook status if orders do not update correctly.

Quick Launch Checklist

• Test checkout succeeds with a demo payment method.
• Test checkout failure shows a useful error and does not create a paid order.
• Order notes show the correct processor transaction ID or sandbox transaction ID.
• Refund or void testing has been checked if the processor supports it from WooCommerce.
• Live credentials are active, test credentials are removed from production, and the store owner can see live transactions in the processor dashboard.

Sources

• Razorpay WooCommerce integration
• Razorpay API keys and sandbox
• Razorpay test cards and UPI IDs