Bar tabs and pre-authorization for Square customers
About bar tabs and pre-authorization
Pre-authorization gives Square sellers the ability to temporarily authorize, or hold, your credit card for a set amount to ensure your credit card is valid and able to pay for your bill when closing out a tab. These holds typically last around 36 hours, but may vary depending on your card network or issuing bank.
Pre-authorization charges
Once your card is pre-authorized, you may see a series of pending transactions until the payment is complete.
If your card is pre-authorized through Square, you may see 1–3 pending transactions depending on how your card network or bank represents authorizations. The first transaction you see will reflect the standard amount set by the Square seller or the value of your order when your tab was started, whichever is greater.
Once your tab is paid and closed out, the line items you see will depend on how your card network or bank represents pending transactions.
You may see either of the following options:
- The initial line item for the hold updated to the final tab amount.
- 1–2 additional line items representing the incremental value of the tab and/or the tab plus tip.
Once the transaction is settled, any holds will consolidate into a single line item. This can take 3–5 business days depending on your card network or issuing bank. If your bank account shows multiple authorizations for more than 5 business days, contact your bank directly for additional assistance.