# gateway.merchant_account.test_only

> For the complete machine-readable documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://apidocs.chargebee.com/llms.txt).


**gateway**

Your payment gateway account is in test mode and cannot process live transactions. This happens when a production transaction is attempted through a test account, the account activation is incomplete, or the gateway has enforced test-only restrictions. Contact your payment gateway support if the issue persists.

## Recommended Customer Message

An issue with the merchant's bank account is blocking this transaction. Try again later, or contact the merchant for more information.

## Root Cause[](#root-cause)

-   **Account in test mode:** Your connected payment gateway account is set to test mode and cannot process live transactions.
-   **Live transaction on test account:** A production transaction was initiated using a test-only merchant account.
-   **Incomplete account activation:** The payment gateway account setup is not fully completed to support live payments.
-   **Gateway restrictions:** The payment gateway has enforced restrictions preventing live transactions through test accounts.

## Troubleshooting and Solutions[](#troubleshooting-and-solutions)

-   Verify that the payment gateway account is fully activated and capable of processing live transactions.
-   Switch to a production-ready merchant account before attempting live transactions.
-   Contact the payment gateway support team if the payment gateway account should be live but remains restricted.
-   Clearly separate test and production environments to avoid transaction processing errors.
-   Retry the transaction only after confirming that the merchant account is properly configured for live operations.