How To Make A Payment Gateway-How to Test Indian Gaming Gateways in Sandbox Mode

How to Test Indian Gaming Gateways in Sandbox Mode

Testing Indian gaming payment gateways in sandbox mode is crucial to ensure smooth transactions, security, and compliance before going live. Below is a step-by-step guide:


1. Choose the Right Payment Gateway

Popular Indian gaming payment gateways with sandbox environments include:

  • Razorpay
  • PayU
  • Cashfree Payments
  • Paytm Payment Gateway
  • CCAvenue (Infibeam Avenues)

Ensure the gateway supports recurring payments (for subscriptions) and complies with RBI regulations.


2. Set Up a Sandbox Account

  1. Visit the payment gateway鈥檚 developer/sandbox page.

  2. Register for a sandbox/test merchant account.

  3. Obtain test API keys (key_id, key_secret).


3. Integrate the Sandbox API

Use test credentials instead of live ones:

// Example for Razorpay
const razorpay = new Razorpay({
key_id: 'sandbox_test_key',
key_secret: 'sandbox_test_secret'
});

Most gateways provide SDKs for easy integration.


4. Test Different Transaction Scenarios

Simulate common gaming-related payments:

鉁?Successful Transactions

  • Use test card numbers (e.g., 4111 1111 1111 1111 for Visa success).
  • UPI sandbox IDs (e.g., success@upi).

鉂?Failed Transactions

5. Test Failed Transactions & Error Handling

To ensure your gaming platform handles errors gracefully, simulate failed transactions using sandbox test credentials:

Common Failure Scenarios to Test:

  • Insufficient Balance: Use test cards like 4111 1111 1111 1112 (Razorpay) or gateway-specific failure codes.
  • Expired Card: Try 5104 0100 0000 0008 (PayU鈥檚 test card for expired cards).
  • Bank Decline: Some gateways provide dummy UPI IDs like failure@upi.
  • Invalid OTP/UPI PIN: Enter wrong values in the sandbox payment flow.

Check if your system:
鉁?Displays a user-friendly error message (e.g., "Payment failed due to insufficient funds").
鉁?Logs transaction failures for debugging.


6. Test Recurring Payments (Subscriptions)

If your gaming platform offers subscriptions, test:

  • Auto-debit success/failure using mock mandates (emandate in Razorpay/NBFC sandbox modes).
  • Retry logic after a payment fails (e.g., PayU鈥檚 subscription retry API).

7. Verify Webhooks & Callbacks

Sandboxes allow you to mock webhook events like:
鉁?Successful payment (payment.captured)
鉂?Refund processed (refund.created)
馃攧 Subscription charged (subscription.renewed)

How to Test?

  1. Configure your local/dev server URL in the gateway dashboard (e.g., Razorpay鈥檚 Webhook Simulator).
  2. Trigger fake events and check if your backend processes them correctly.

8 Compliance Checks for Indian Gaming Payments

Since gaming involves real-money transactions, verify:
馃敼 Is the gateway supporting daily/monthly RBI limits? (Test with high-value txn attempts)
馃敼 Does it handle RNG certification requirements? (For skill-based games)
馃敼 Are there restrictions on certain banks/UPI apps? (Try ICICI/HDFC blocks in PayU sandbox)


9 Switch to Live Mode Gradually

After thorough testing:
1.) Enable "live" mode but restrict transactions to a small user group first (canary testing).
2.) Monitor logs closely for discrepancies between sandbox vs live behavior.


馃殌 Pro Tip: Most gateways offer a dedicated gaming API鈥攃heck docs for features like instant settlements or low-cost UPI routing!