Testing your Zest Concierge setup before processing real customer orders ensures that order data flows correctly to your fulfillment system, gift messages format properly, tax calculations are accurate, and your team understands the workflow. Concierge offers a significant testing advantage: orders can be created and pushed to Shopify without requiring payment processing, making them ideal for validating integrations without incurring costs or managing refunds.
Test orders in Concierge allow you to verify the complete workflow — from recipient upload through order creation to fulfillment — without affecting real customers or creating confusion in your warehouse. This article covers the complete testing process, including how to create test projects, verify data reaches your systems correctly, and prevent test orders from shipping.
Why Test Orders Matter in Concierge
Heads up! Involving your fulfillment, finance, and customer service teams in test order review helps catch issues before processing real customer orders.
Test orders help you validate:
Order data flow: Gift messages, shipping methods, tax amounts, and order tags flow correctly to Shopify and downstream systems (ShipStation, QuickBooks, NetSuite, SAP, etc.).
CSV upload process: Recipient data uploads correctly and maps to the proper fields.
Bulk order creation: Multiple recipient orders are created accurately from a single project.
Fulfillment integration: Your warehouse or 3PL receives orders with correctly formatted data.
Email notifications: Customers receive project updates and gift recipients receive notification emails.
Collaborator roles: Add more than one point-of-contact to help complete your orders.
Tax calculations: Sales tax calculates correctly for recipients in states where your brand collects tax.
Team workflow: Your customer service or sales team understands how to create and manage Concierge projects.
Prerequisites for Your First Test Order
Before placing your first test order, verify you have completed the following setup steps:
Shopify connected to Zest: Ensure your developer app is installed and connected to your Zest instance.
Shopify order configured: Check that the Shopify order format, e.g., gift message, scheduled date, tags, etc., has been reviewed and entered.
At least one product imported: Import products from Shopify to your Zest catalog. Test with physical products (not digital items or subscriptions).
Shipping profile configured: Set up at least one shipping method. The exact value (including capitalization) must match what your fulfillment system expects.
Tax nexus states configured: To verify tax calculations, make sure to configure your tax nexus states in Shopify.
A previous Concierge order: Mimic an order you’ve recently placed with your new Zest workflow.
How to Create a Test Order in Concierge
Step 1: Navigate to Concierge
Log in to your Zest Partners portal.
Click on the Concierge tab in the main navigation.
Click Create New Project or + New Project.
Step 2: Set up the test project
Project name: Enter a clear name like "Test for Zest" so team members know this is a test project.
It is recommended that you devise a naming convention with your team for Concierge Project titles
Customer: Add yourself as the customer (the person placing the order):
Enter your name.
Enter your company email address and add +customer, so [email protected].
Add all customer fields.
Project settings: Configure any project-level settings, like add a collaborator.
Step 3: Create and configure Parent Order
Select Order type: Ship to multiple recipients.
Add Products.
Select a Shipping Profile.
Set tax to be collected by recipient address.
This is a preselected setting and should only be changed if the customer is associated with a 501(c)(3).
Step 4: Add recipient information
You have three options for adding recipients:
Option A: Add recipients and gift message manually
Click Add Recipient or + Add.
Enter recipient details:
Full name.
Shipping address (use real addresses to test tax calculations).
Recipient phone number if required.
Add a gift message if configured:
From: Customer or senders name(s)
Message: Test message using your maximum character count.
Click Save or Add Recipient.
Repeat for additional recipients (test with 2-3 recipients).
Option B: Upload recipients via CSV
Click Upload CSV.
Download the CSV template provided by Zest.
Fill in the template with test recipient data:
First and Last Name
Address
If you’d like to test out how taxes and shipping are applied, use locations with different rates.
Gift Message
Child order-level gift message (optional): You can enter in a different gift message for each recipient in the spreadsheet.
Scheduled Date
Upload the completed CSV file.
Review the imported recipients for accuracy.
Option C: Import recipients with products
Note: You do not need to manually create the Parent order in the steps below.
Click Import Recipients.
Download the CSV template provided by Zest.
Fill in the template with test recipient data:
First and Last Name
Address
If you’d like to test out how taxes and shipping are applied, use locations with different rates.
Gift Message
Child order-level gift message (optional): You can enter in a different gift message for each recipient in the spreadsheet.
Scheduled Date
SKUs or product names and quantity for each recipient
Upload the completed CSV file.
Review the orders generated and imported recipients for accuracy.
Important: If you enter an order-level gift message after uploading individual per-recipient messages via CSV, the order-level message will override all individual messages. The system follows a "last touch wins" rule. Always add order-level messages before uploading individual messages, or leave the order-level field blank.
Step 5: Submit for processing
Review all order details for accuracy.
Do not create an invoice for this order.
Click Submit for Processing.
The Parent order will be created in Zest and individual Child orders will be pushed to Shopify (one per recipient)
Step 6: Verify the orders in Shopify
Go to Orders in your Shopify admin.
Find the Child orders created by Zest (you should see one order per recipient).
Verify the following information appears correctly in each order:
Gift message fields (To, From, Message) format correctly.
Shipping method matches your configured value.
Tax amounts are accurate for each recipient's address.
Order tags include "zest-gift" and "zest-order-number."
Any custom metafields your ERP requires are present.
How to Verify Order Flow to Your Fulfillment System
To ensure orders flow correctly to your downstream systems, let the test orders flow through your complete fulfillment pipeline:
Step 1: Let the orders flow through all stages
Don't cancel the test orders immediately. Let them flow through your complete fulfillment pipeline so you can verify:
The orders reach your fulfillment system (ShipStation, 3PL warehouse, etc.).
Gift message fields format correctly for warehouse printing.
Shipping methods are recognized by your downstream tools.
Tax amounts calculate correctly for each recipient address.
Order tags and metafields populate as expected.
Your ERP system (QuickBooks, SAP, NetSuite) receives accurate data.
Bulk orders with multiple recipients create separate, properly formatted orders.
Step 2: Coordinate with your fulfillment team
Before creating test orders:
Notify your warehouse or 3PL that test orders are coming.
Provide specific Shopify order numbers after creating test orders.
Ask them to hold or cancel test orders before shipping.
For brands with automated fulfillment (shipping within 1 hour), create test orders during business hours when someone can intercept them.
Step 3: Review the complete data flow
After the orders flow through your systems:
Check Shopify for accurate order data across all recipient orders.
Check your fulfillment system for proper order receipt and formatting.
Check your ERP or accounting system for financial accuracy (orders should NOT show as revenue if not marked as paid).
Verify gift message formatting matches your warehouse printing requirements.
Confirm shipping methods are properly recognized and won't cause fulfillment errors.
Review the Child order tracking information for the order has populated in the Zest dashboard.
Only cancel the test orders after completing this full review.
How to Cancel a Child order
You must cancel a Child order in your Shopify dashboard.
The status of canceled does not pass between Zest and Shopify.You will need to cancel orders within Shopify and Zest.
If payment is collected for the order via Zest, you must refund an order in your Zest orders dashboard.
How to Test Tax Calculations with Concierge
Concierge offers a powerful advantage for tax testing: you can upload a CSV with addresses across multiple states, creating a single project that generates test orders in each tax jurisdiction. If you have a previous or current Concierge order to place, you can use that in your testing.
Step 1: Create a multi-state recipient list
Use an LLM like Claude or similar tools to generate real addresses in each state where you collect sales tax.
Create a CSV file with recipients in different tax jurisdictions (for example, California, New York, Texas, Florida).
Include at least one recipient in each state where you need to verify tax calculations.
Step 2: Create a Concierge test project
Create a new Concierge project named "Tax Testing".
Upload your multi-state recipient CSV.
Select products and shipping settings.
Submit for processing.
Step 3: Verify tax amounts in Shopify
Review each resulting Shopify order (one per recipient).
Verify the actual tax dollar amount charged—not just the percentage shown—against what your tax engine (for example, Avalara or TaxJar) expects.
Check that tax is only applied in states where you have tax nexus.
Confirm tax rates are accurate for each specific address.
If tax amounts are incorrect, check:
Your tax nexus states are configured correctly in Zest.
Product tax codes are assigned correctly in Shopify.
Recipient addresses are properly formatted.
Preventing Test Orders from Actually Shipping
You must cancel a Child order in your Shopify dashboard.
The status of canceled does not pass between Zest and Shopify.You will need to cancel orders within Shopify, Zest, and your fulfillment software.
If payment is collected for the order via Zest, you must refund an order in your Zest orders dashboard.
To prevent test orders from being shipped to recipients:
Communicate test order numbers to your fulfillment team immediately after creating the Concierge project. Provide the specific Shopify order numbers (not just the Zest project number) so they can identify each recipient order.
Ask them to hold or cancel those specific orders before processing.
Create test orders during business hours when your ops team can intercept them (critical for brands with fast automated fulfillment).
Cancel in both Shopify and your 3PL/fulfillment system after reviewing order data.
Use warehouse-level holds if your fulfillment system supports flagging specific order numbers.
For brands with extremely fast fulfillment (under 1 hour from order to ship), timing is critical—coordinate closely with your operations team and consider creating test orders after hours or on weekends when fulfillment is paused.
Common Testing Issues and Troubleshooting
Orders not appearing in Shopify
Cause: There may be a delay in order sync, or the project submission may have encountered an error.
Solution:
Contact [email protected] if orders don't appear after 90 minutes and provide the Concierge Project and Order number
Gift message formatting looks incorrect in Shopify
Cause: The gift message format may not match your fulfillment system's expected layout.
Solution:
Review how gift messages are concatenated in Shopify order attributes or notes.
Work with your team to adjust the format in your Integrations Settings.
Test with your maximum character count to ensure nothing is truncated.
Verify line breaks and special characters are handled correctly.
Shipping method not recognized by fulfillment system
Cause: The shipping method value in Zest doesn't exactly match what your fulfillment system expects (including capitalization and spacing).
Solution:
Verify the exact shipping method value your fulfillment system requires.
Check that capitalization, spacing, and special characters match exactly.
Update your Zest shipping profile settings to use the correct format.
Work with both your Zest team and fulfillment provider to align on exact values.
Tax calculations are incorrect
Cause: Tax nexus states may not be configured correctly, or product tax codes may be missing.
Solution:
Verify tax nexus states are configured in Shopify.
Check that your tax engine (Avalara, TaxJar) integration is active.
Confirm product tax codes are assigned correctly.
Test with real addresses to ensure geolocation is accurate.
Review tax exemption settings if applicable.
What to Test Before Going Live
Before launching Concierge for real customer orders, validate:
Order creation and data flow
CSV upload process works smoothly with your typical data format.
Orders flow correctly from Zest to Shopify to fulfillment and ERP systems.
Gift message fields format correctly for warehouse printing.
Shipping methods are recognized by downstream tools and match exact values (including capitalization).
Tax calculates correctly for recipients in states where you collect.
Order tags ("zest-gift" and "zest-order-number") populate correctly.
Custom metafields your ERP requires are present and accurate.
Bulk order scenarios
Multiple recipients in a single project create separate orders correctly.
Per-recipient gift messages populate correctly from CSV uploads.
Order-level messages apply to all recipients when intended.
Mixed shipping methods within one project work as expected (if applicable).
Team workflow and training
Your customer service or sales team understands the Concierge workflow.
Team members can successfully upload CSV files and troubleshoot formatting errors.
Project assignment and customer management work as expected.
Your team knows how to handle cancellations and modifications.
Email and notifications
Transactional emails are sent to the customer record by Zest with your branding.
Recipients are not sent order notification emails.
Invoices are not sent to the customer record after creation, you will need to manually share the invoice or turn on collaborators for them.
Overdue invoice reminders are sent based on the due date provided in the invoice.