All I have to do is set up a test user manuelly and set the payment to free to check to see if my site is working correctly.
Firstly you want to test your payment system in creating the user. You can do this 2 ways. Either actually pay to join your own site. All it will cost you is the fees your payment system provider substracts per transaction, or if using Paypal get a sandbox account and test via this. You can also set up a user by setting price to "free" , joining then resetting price to its normal level. Keep the test user to check the various day to day user functions and email delivery over the life of your site.
Warning!: Don't use your credit card to sign up on your site. This could be considered an illegal cash advance and could result in your merchant account being canceled. Ask a friend to sign up, and just refund them, or give em the $ back. With paypal, set up a sandbox account, or create a 2nd account with a bank payment. David