Short answer – it’s our processors form of pre-authorization. It will all even out to the total of your visit.
If your card is preauthorized 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.
For more details on why you are seeing more than one pending charge on your card take a look at this article from Square: https://squareup.com/help/us/en/article/8298-bar-tabs-pre-authorization-customer-experience