What does the activation test check before a contract goes live?
The test runs against the staged configuration and returns an execution summary with the provider result. For a network tokenization contract, the available scenarios include a token request, a token status check, a lifecycle event and a cryptogram request, depending on provider support. The test validates the configuration itself, and it creates a payment transaction only when the provider test flow requires one.
In detail
The activation test checks that a contract's configuration works with the provider before the contract carries live traffic. It runs against the staged configuration and returns an execution summary with the provider result.
What it validates
- That the credentials are accepted by the provider.
- That the mapping and provider-specific identifiers are correct.
- That the flows the contract type supports respond as expected.
The scenarios depend on the contract type and on what the provider supports. For a network tokenization contract, for example, the available scenarios include a token request, a token status check, a lifecycle event and a cryptogram request.
What it does not do
The test validates the configuration itself. It creates a payment transaction only when the provider's own test flow requires one, so running it does not generate unnecessary activity on the account.
Why it matters
Most go-live problems with a new provider come from configuration: a wrong identifier, a missing certificate or credentials copied from the wrong environment. Catching them before activation means your merchants do not discover them through declined payments.
The result stays visible in the contract, which gives your team and your merchants a clear record that each provider was validated before it went live.