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Why is there a pending authorisation shown in my PayPal activity for my Pay in 3 transaction?

When making a purchase with Pay in 3, if you pay with a debit card, we will place a pre-authorisation hold on your chosen payment method for an amount equal to the initial payment or one-third of your total purchase amount. This will show as a pending authorisation in your PayPal account activity and also in the bank account of the card linked to your PayPal account.

Once you complete your purchase with Pay in 3 and the merchant completes your order, the pending authorisation will be removed and the initial payment will be withdrawn from your payment method.

If you do not complete your Pay in 3 transaction, the pending authorisation will be automatically voided by PayPal within 24 hours of the pre-authorisation hold. Although PayPal has released the hold on your funds, this may take up to 5 business days to process through your bank.

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