When you first begin using your PayPal Payflow account, it is in either Test or Live mode, depending on what you specified during registration, or how your account was set up for you.
When you log on to PayPal Manager, you will be notified which mode your account is in.
Test means that all transaction information is sent to test servers at PayPal. No money trades hands in test transactions. Once you complete your testing, you can Activate your account by clicking on the Activate Your Account button on the Home page to transact actual currency. Active accounts perform Live transactions.
Live means that all transactions that you submit are sent to the financial institutions for processing and that real money is transferred.
Even though your account is active, you still have the option to troubleshoot problems by submitting test transactions—just specify a test transaction and use test credit card account number.
Because your Payflow account will now have a history of both Test and Live transactions, PayPal Manager allows you to specify which type of transaction to view or perform. For active accounts, the Transaction Mode field appears on task pages to enable you to specify either Test or Live transactions.
Refer to Getting Started with PayPal Manager, available on the Documentation page.