Is it normal for startups to ask interns to test live payment flows using personal money?
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I’m currently working with an early-stage startup in an unpaid role. Recently, HR and the CTO mentioned that they may convert the role into a paid position depending on my performance and long-term availability.
Today, I was asked to test their live Razorpay payment flow end-to-end using real transactions for workshop/program registrations. The amount would total around ₹3600 from my personal account, and I was told it would be reimbursed on Monday. I was also asked to keep the transaction IDs for accounting purposes.
I understand that real payment testing can sometimes be necessary in production environments, especially in startups. I mainly wanted to understand how common this is in the industry and how others would approach it.
Some questions I had:
- Is this considered normal practice in startups?
- Would you personally be comfortable doing this as an unpaid contributor/intern?
- Is this generally seen as trust/responsibility being given, or something to be cautious about?
- What precautions would you recommend before proceeding?
Looking for perspectives from people who’ve worked in startups or handled payment integrations before.