A Google Checkout sandbox is an online test environment. You create two sandbox accounts, buyer and merchant, and then make test purchases from your website online store. If these work, you can create a production environment for your online store. Customers with real Google Checkout buyer accounts can make real purchases from your online store through your real Google Checkout merchant account.
Note: For more information, see Getting Started with Google Checkout.
Opening Google Accounts for Checkout – Before you can create Google Checkout sandbox and production environments, you need to open three new Google accounts as follows:
1 – Open a new Google Account (such as Gmail account) through which you plan to set up your Google Checkout buyer sandbox.
2 – Open a new Google Account through which you plan to set up your Google Checkout merchant sandbox.
3 – Open a new Google Account through which you plan to set up your Google Checkout merchant production account.
4 – Close all three new Google accounts and any other open Google accounts, and then close your browser.
Setting Up a Buyer Sandbox – To set up a Google Checkout buyer sandbox, do the following:
1 – Go to https://sandbox.google.com/checkout/, and then sign up using your Google account through which you plan to set up your Google Checkout buyer sandbox.
2 – As shown in the first image above, type card number 4111-1111-1111-1111 (the Visa test number), select an imaginary future Expiration date and type an imaginary three-digit CVC.
3 – Type an imaginary name and address, but type any valid Zip code.
4 – After typing any valid area code, type an imaginary phone number.
5 – Select “My billing address” and then click “Create my account.”
6 – Close your browser. You have finished setting up your buyer sandbox.
Setting Up a Merchant Sandbox – To set up a Google Checkout merchant sandbox, do the following:
1 – Go to https://sandbox.google.com/checkout/sell/, and then sign up using your Google account through which plan you to set up your Google Checkout merchant sandbox.
2 – As shown in the second image above, click “Yes” to answer each of the two Google-account questions, type your password and then click “Sign in and continue.”
3 – As shown in the third image above, type an imaginary name and address, but type any valid Zip code.
4 – After typing any valid area code, type an imaginary phone number.
5 – Type an imaginary business name, use your business website as the Public business website, select any Primary product type, select “Use same address as above” and then type an imaginary Credit card statement name.
6 – As shown in the fourth image above, select any Current sales volume, type an imaginary Federal tax ID (EIN), type an imaginary tax-return name, certify you have provided a valid ID and name, agree to the Terms of Service and then click “Complete signup” to display an image similar to the fifth image above.
7 – Click the “Settings” tab and then deselect (uncheck) “My company will only post digitally signed carts.”
8 – Close your browser. You have finished setting up your merchant sandbox.
Integrating Your Sandbox and Website – After creating your Google Checkout merchant sandbox according to the section above, you can integrate it with your website through any of several methods. For example, to integrate your sandbox and website through the Google Checkout shopping cart, do the following:
1 – Go to https://sandbox.google.com/checkout/sell/, and then sign in using your Google account through which you have set up your Google Checkout merchant sandbox.
Note: Ignore the Orders tab. Do not enter any bank-account information in your merchant sandbox.
2 – Click the “Tools” tab and then select an integration method. For example, you can click “Google Checkout shopping cart,” select (check) “Yes, I have configured my account to accept unsigned shopping carts, and then click “Create button code.”
3 – As prompted, copy the two shopping-cart code segments to your website.
4 – Sign out from your Google Checkout merchant-sandbox account, and then close your browser. You have finished integrating your sandbox and website.
Testing Your Sandbox and Website – After integrating your sandbox and website according to the section above, test your Google Checkout merchant sandbox through your buyer sandbox. To test your Google Checkout merchant sandbox, do the following:
1 – Go to https://sandbox.google.com/checkout/, and then sign in using your Google account through which you have set up your Google Checkout buyer sandbox.
2 – In a separate browser tab, go to your website, and then open the page in which you have added a Google Checkout button. This displays the View-cart tool in the upper-right corner of that page.
3 – Scroll to and then click the “Add to cart” button to place an order, and then click “Google Checkout” to display the details of your order.
4 – Click “Place your order now” to display its confirmation.
5 – Sign out from your Google Checkout buyer-sandbox account, and then close your browser. You have finished testing your sandbox and website.
Setting Up Your Production Environment – After testing your sandbox and website according to the section above, you can set up your Google Checkout production environment. To set up your production environment, do the following:
1 – Go to https://checkout.google.com/sell/, and then sign in using your Google account through which you plan to set up your Google Checkout production merchant account.
2 – As prompted, create your production merchant account by entering actual business information, including real names and numbers.
3 – Modify the HTML code in your website online store:
* – Replace each instance of “sandbox.google.com/checkout/” with “checkout.google.com”.
* – Replace each instance of your sandbox Merchant ID with your production Merchant ID.
* – Replace each instance of your sandbox Merchant Key with your production Merchant Key.
Sources:
* – Google Checkout Merchant Help, “Sandbox Testing”, Google.com
* – Google Checkout XML API Developer’s Guide, “Getting Started with Google Checkout”, Google.com