I’m a developer or agency. How can I set up WooPayments for my client?

If you are a developer or agency setting up a site for a client, and the client plans on using WooPayments, you can test WooPayments out to ensure that everything works as expected before handing over the final project.

If you are wanting to test WooPayments on a site while it is being built or developed, we strongly recommend using the available testing methods and allowing the client to sign up for their own live account.

This guide provides some information about the best practices for creating a test account and why the client/merchant should create a live account.

Use sandbox mode

↑ Back to top

To test how WooPayments functions with your client’s theme and other plugins, we recommend using sandbox mode to create a test account for a few reasons:

• Sandbox mode allows you to set up a WooPayments test account that does not require entering any personal information for you or your client.
• Sandbox mode can be easily enabled on a staging site, and a live account can be created when migrating the site to production.
• If you are testing WooPayments on a production site, disabling sandbox mode will quickly allow the end-user (e.g., a client) to onboard WooPayments with a live account.

Have the client sign up

↑ Back to top

If you’re setting up WooPayments for someone else (e.g., a client), it’s best to have them complete the account creation process on the live site themselves for several reasons:

1. Successfully creating the account requires access to the client’s personal identification information (PII) that can be sensitive in nature, such as a social security number (SSN).
2. A phone number is required to pass a SMS 2FA validation; this phone number should be the client’s so that they can access their Stripe Express account later.
3. Signing up for WooPayments ties that payments account to a WordPress.com account and a Stripe Express account; signing up on behalf of someone else might use your accounts for this.
   • If this happens, you can request the WooPayments account be deleted or you can transfer the account to the client.
4. It’s not always possible to change all the account information once the account has been created.
5. Creating an account on behalf of a client can be a barrier for the client to receive timely support.

Requesting support

↑ Back to top

Our support policies prevent us from discussing specific details of a WooPayments account unless we are contacted directly from one of the following emails:

• The email address on the connected WordPress.com account.
• The account email on the Stripe Express account.

Ideally, both of these email addresses would still be the client’s, even if the site was developed by a third party. Thus, as the builder or agency, it’s unlikely that you will be able to submit support requests on behalf of your client.

If you do need to submit a support request on behalf of your client, please provide us with one of the two email addresses listed above. That way, we can first verify with the client that we are permitted to discuss their account with you.