Stripe test card numbers are publicly documented, non-real card values that trigger specific responses from the Stripe API while your account is in test mode. The number most developers start with is 4242 4242 4242 4242 (Visa), which produces a successful charge when paired with any future expiry date and any three-digit CVC.

These values exist so you can build, demo, and check a payment flow without touching real card data. They carry no value outside Stripe's test environment, they are not attached to any account, and they cannot be used to purchase anything.

How Stripe test card numbers work

Stripe separates your account into test mode and live mode. Test card numbers only work when you send them with a test API key. If you send one with a live key, the request is rejected.

• Use any expiry date in the future.
• Use any three-digit CVC, except for American Express, which uses four digits.
• Use any billing postal code unless you are specifically testing address verification.
• Charges in test mode never move money and never appear on a real statement.

Core Stripe test card numbers by brand

Each of the following cards returns a successful charge.

• 4242 4242 4242 4242 (Visa)
• 4000 0566 5566 5556 (Visa debit, US)
• 5555 5555 5555 4444 (Mastercard)
• 2223 0031 2200 3222 (Mastercard)
• 5200 8282 8282 8210 (Mastercard debit, US)
• 3782 822463 10005 (American Express)
• 3714 496353 98431 (American Express)
• 6011 1111 1111 1117 (Discover)
• 3056 9300 0902 0004 (Diners Club)
• 6200 0000 0000 0005 (UnionPay)

Decline and error test cards

Error handling is where test cards earn their place. Stripe publishes numbers that force a specific decline code so you can confirm your interface shows the right message.

• 4000 0000 0000 0002: generic card decline
• 4000 0000 0000 9995: insufficient funds
• 4000 0000 0000 0069: expired card
• 4000 0000 0000 0127: incorrect CVC
• 4000 0000 0000 0119: processing error
• 4000 0000 0000 0101: CVC check fails

3D Secure test cards

Authentication flows need their own values. 4000 0000 0000 3220 forces a 3D Secure 2 authentication step, and 4000 0000 0000 3063 requires 3D Secure authentication. Use them to walk through the challenge screen, the success path, and the customer abandoning authentication.

Test tokens instead of raw numbers

When you test server-side code with the Tokens or PaymentMethods API, Stripe provides tokens that skip the number entirely. Common examples include tok_visa, tok_mastercard, pm_card_visa, and failure variants such as pm_card_visa_chargeDeclined and pm_card_visa_chargeDeclinedInsufficientFunds. These are useful in automated test suites because no card formatting is involved.

Common mistakes

• Sending a test card number with a live API key, which returns an error.
• Expecting a test charge to appear in a payout or bank statement.
• Assuming these numbers work in another processor's sandbox. They are tied to Stripe's test environment.
• Hardcoding an expiry date that later falls into the past.
• Forgetting that Amex needs a four-digit CVC.

Where to confirm the current list

Stripe updates its testing documentation as new card brands and decline scenarios appear, so check the official testing page before you copy numbers into a project. Treat the list above as a working set, not a frozen standard. For production work, real cardholder data falls under PCI DSS rules, and test environments should never store it.