---

@suzpoodles wrote:

It’s all very well and good for replies to keep saying they’re “pre-authorisation” charges, but the question still remains WHY?  Why, when these are old cards and nothing has changed.  And also bear in mind that PayPal, so far, also doesn’t have any answers when challenged.

---

Surely you do now understand the pre-authorisation holds are being made by PayPal? Here is a similar Reddit post from a US PayPal customer having the same issue (albeit the amounts are $1 not £1). Like the other poster several replies mention three amounts being pre-authorised in this manner per transaction; there is also no mention of eBay involvement in that thread. Something that may or may not be relevant is the thread mentions Discover cards; these are issued in the US by Capital One since Capital One's acquisition of Discover in 2024. Are you by any chance using a Capital One card to fund your PayPal purchases? 

PayPal used to have their own community boards where this question would have been better posted but it appears they have been quietly closed down. In any case the only party that can give you a definite answer is PayPal as they're the ones who are doing it.