Testing verification integrations safely with mock mode
You should never test an identity integration against real data or your live balance. Mock mode gives you deterministic responses for free.
What mock mode does
With mock mode on, the API returns realistic, well-formed responses without calling any upstream source and without charging your balance. Every code path (success, not found, validation error, rate limit) can be triggered on demand.
Build your test matrix against it
Write tests for the matched case, the name-mismatch case, the inactive-record case, and the upstream-error case. Mock mode lets all four run in CI on every commit, so a refactor that breaks your mismatch handling fails the build, not production.
Flip to live deliberately
Keep mock mode as a single config flag, off in production only. A staging environment on mock mode with production-shaped data is the safest place to rehearse a launch.