We've all been there. You need test data that looks real — valid credit card formats, proper IBANs, realistic addresses — but using actual customer data in your staging environment is a lawsuit waiting to happen.
GDPR, CCPA, PCI-DSS... the alphabet soup of compliance regulations all say the same thing: don't use production data in testing.
But generating realistic test data from scratch? That's surprisingly annoying. Until you know the right tools.
The Problem With Fake Data
Most random data generators give you garbage. asdfgh123 isn't going to pass your payment form's Luhn check. XX00FAKE0000 won't validate as an IBAN. And if your test data doesn't pass the same validations as real data, you're not actually testing anything.
You need data that's:
- ✅ Structurally valid (passes format checks)
- ✅ Algorithmically correct (checksums, Luhn, etc.)
- ✅ Completely synthetic (no real person attached)
- ✅ Free to generate in bulk
Tool 1: Namso — Test Credit Card Numbers
Namso generates credit card numbers that pass Luhn validation. These aren't real cards — they're algorithmically valid numbers using test BINs that no bank has issued.
Perfect for: Payment gateway integration testing, e-commerce checkout flows, subscription billing edge cases.
Tool 2: Random IBAN — International Bank Account Numbers
Random IBAN generates valid IBANs for 70+ countries. Each number follows the correct country format with valid check digits.
Use cases: SEPA payment testing, international transfer workflows, KYC form validation, multi-currency payment systems.
Tool 3: Base64 Decode — Encoding/Decoding Test Payloads
Base64 Decode is a fast encoder/decoder for Base64 strings. Useful for JWT token inspection, API payload debugging, webhook verification.
TL;DR
| Need | Tool | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Test credit cards | Namso | namso.io |
| Valid IBANs | Random IBAN | randomiban.co |
| Base64 encode/decode | Base64 Decode | base64decode.co |
All free. No signup. No API keys needed.
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