Connecting to Stripe in Live, Test Or Sandbox Mode

Introduction

The process to connect is similar across modes, but we have noticed some differences when connecting a test account and using the Skip This Form option. This document explains how to connect in each Mode.

You have three Mode options when connecting Gravity Forms to your Stripe account: Live, Test, and Sandbox.

Stripe refers to its testing environments as sandboxes. Every Stripe account includes a default sandbox, which is what you connect to when you set Mode to Test. Stripe accounts can also create additional, separate, named sandboxes for isolated testing; use Mode Sandbox to connect to one of these instead of the default.

Pre-Requisites

See this guide for all the prerequisites.

Connect to a Live Account

If connected to the live Stripe environment, any transactions passed will attempt to generate real charges.

Ensure that two-factor authentication (2FA) is enabled in your Stripe account Settings. For assistance, see this Stripe guide.

  1. Navigate to Forms → Settings → Stripe Settings, and look for the Stripe Account section.
  2. Set the Mode to Live.
  3. Click the “Connect with Stripe” button.
  1. You will be presented with the Stripe sign-in page. Complete the sign-in process.
  2. You should now see a Stripe account selection page (these accounts are created from within your Stripe service dashboard; see this guide). The email address of your Stripe account will be displayed at the top of the page.
  1. Select the account you wish to use to collect live payments and click the “Connect” button.
  2. You may be presented with various Stripe forms requesting additional business information if your account is not fully setup for live payment. Complete any information Stripe requires, and then authorize the account to confirm connection to your Gravity Forms.
  3. You will be returned to the Stripe Settings page. You should see “Connected to Stripe as” with your account name as well as a “Disconnect from Stripe” button.

Connect to a Test Account

Connecting in Test mode connects you to your Stripe account’s default sandbox, letting you test the passing and behavior of submissions between your form and Stripe without generating real transactions.

If you already have a Stripe account, you will connect it in Test Mode. Only use “Skip this Form” if you do not have a Stripe account and want to try the process in a demo/test environment without linking to an account.

Ensure that you have two factor authentication (2FA) enabled in your Stripe account Settings. See this Stripe guide for assistance.

Login to your Stripe account and navigate to your Profile screen (click the icon in the top right corner).

  1. Navigate to your Forms → Settings → Stripe Settings, and look for the Stripe Account section.
  2. Set the Mode to Test.
  3. Click the “Connect with Stripe” button. You will get a “redirecting you to Stripe” screen.
  1. If you logged into Stripe at Step 1, you should now see a Stripe account selection page (these accounts are created from within your Stripe service dashboard, see this guide). If not, you will bet presented with the Stripe login dialog first.
  2. Once logged in, this screen shows the email address of your Stripe account, and the words Test Mode, will be displayed at the top of the page. From the list of Stripe accounts provided, choose the account you wish to connect to for testing.
  3. Click “Connect” to connect your Stripe account in Test Mode.
    If you do not have a Stripe account and are only doing a demo, click “Skip this Form” instead.
    Selection screen at Stripe showing that you are connecting in Test Mode along with selection of account.
  4. You should now be redirected back to your Gravity Forms settings page, and see the the Stripe Account panel now says “Connected to Stripe Account…” and the name of the account you chose in step 7 should be displayed.

Note: If your Settings screen shows “Unnamed account“, this most likely means you did not have 2FA properly set. This is a newly created anonymous account, so you cannot see any test transactions you run. Disconnect this newly created account and follow the instructions above.

Connect to a Sandbox

Sandbox mode lets you connect to one of your Stripe account’s separate, named sandboxes, distinct from the default Test Mode sandbox. Use this if you need an isolated environment for testing, for example, to avoid mixing data with other team members’ tests.

  1. Ensure that you have two-factor authentication (2FA) enabled in your Stripe account Settings. See this Stripe guide for assistance.
  2. Navigate to Forms → Settings → Stripe Settings, and look for the Stripe Account section.
  3. Set the Mode to Sandbox.
  1. Click the “Connect with Stripe” button.
  1. You should now be redirected back to your Gravity Forms settings page, and see the Stripe Account panel showing “Connected to Stripe…” with the sandbox name displayed.

Test Cards

Stripe provides a set of test card numbers you can use to simulate different scenarios in your sandbox. Test cards are only valid in Test Mode or other sandboxes — not in Live mode. Please check Stripe’s official Testing documentation for more details.

Notes

  • Once you have connected your Stripe Add-On to your Stripe account in Test or Sandbox mode, please review the Stripe instructions for testing your integration → Testing.
  • You can find credit card numbers for testing Stripe here.
  • To learn more about Stripe’s sandbox testing environments in general, see Stripe’s Sandboxes documentation.