> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.agentcard.sh/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Test Cards

> Why a card can be marked TEST, and how to get live cards

Personal accounts are **always live**. Every card you create is real: it draws on your cash balance when used, within your plan's limits. There is no test mode to switch on or off on your account.

A TEST card comes from a connection that isn't fully live. In practice that means an **organization's sandbox integration**: a company you connected to (via their app or platform) that is still running on sandbox credentials, typically while they build their integration. (A stale connection whose app was deleted also falls back to TEST cards; reconnecting fixes that.) Cards created either way are clearly flagged:

|                | Test card              | Live card                  |
| -------------- | ---------------------- | -------------------------- |
| Number         | Starts `4242…`         | Real card number           |
| Charges        | Never charged for real | Draws on your cash balance |
| Real merchants | Not usable             | Usable                     |
| Monthly quota  | Doesn't count          | Counts toward your plan    |

## If you expected a live card and got a TEST one

1. **Connected through a company's app or platform?** Their integration is running in sandbox. Ask that company to move you to their production integration, or connect your agent directly to your own account instead.
2. **Old or broken connection?** A connection whose app was deleted falls back to TEST cards. Remove the connection and connect your agent again to get a fresh live one.
3. **On a live connection**, real cards need two one-time steps: identity verification (your agent walks you through it, or `create_card` returns a verification link) and money in your balance (`add_funds`, Apple Pay or Google Pay).

See the [Quickstart](/personal/quickstart) for the full flow from signup to first live card.