An auction hold, also known as a pre-authorization, is a temporary hold placed on your payment card when you place a bid in an off-stream auction on Drip. This hold reserves a small amount of funds—typically $10—to ensure that your payment method is valid and capable of completing the transaction if you win the auction.

This process is standard practice for secure transactions, particularly in auctions, where bids involve real-time financial commitments. The pre-authorization hold does not represent a charge or withdrawal from your account; instead, it reserves the funds for a short period until the auction concludes.