63 Quadrillion Gift Card error makes Nottingham woman the 'richest' on paper
A Nottingham business owner was handed a receipt showing a 63 quadrillion gift card balance after buying a matcha latte, briefly making her the "richest woman in the world" on paper. The shop says an administrative error put the gift card number in the wrong part of the till; the customer was charged only the normal amount.
Matcha latte and a bewildering receipt at 200 Degrees
Sophie Downing, a 29-year-old who runs the Secret Sugar Club hair removal service, used what she thought was a £10 gift card to buy a matcha latte at her local 200 Degrees in Nottingham. When staff handed over a receipt, it showed a remaining balance of more than £63 quadrillion, and one barista told her, "I've never seen that before. " Downing said the till operator looked confused, and she sent a photo of the receipt to her partner because she found it "hilarious. "
63 Quadrillion Gift Card appears on receipt
Shop staff initially gave Downing a receipt that suggested a much larger balance than the card actually held. A spokesperson for 200 Degrees said the gift card number — rather than the gift card value — had been entered in the wrong part of the till, creating the false balance on the receipt. The spokesperson said Downing was charged exactly what she should have been, the card retained the correct value after purchase, and staff later issued a correct receipt while the earlier one was kept as a souvenir by the barista.
Sophie Downing’s reaction and what she did next
Downing said she was "just enjoying being the richest woman in the world on paper while it lasts, " and that she treated herself to one more drink with the card. She also said she would prefer a real £63 quadrillion gift card to spend at the supermarket. After using the card twice and seeing the huge number remain on receipts, she said she would not take advantage and has vowed not to use the glitch again. Downing added, "Maybe they have scanned the wrong thing. It looks as though they have scanned the barcode which has turned into the balance. " She also said she could "clear everything off the shelf but I don't want to take the mick. "
How big is £63 quadrillion in context
The apparent balance prompted wide-eyed comparisons: one round of coverage noted that Elon Musk’s wealth was listed at $843. 4 billion (£624b) and described the gift card figure as more than 100, 000 times greater. The same comparison said the figure would be 22, 500 times the UK economy at around £2. 8 trillion, 2, 700 times the United States GDP of $31 trillion (£23 trillion), and more than 670 times the total world economy. That piece also contrasted the sum with the reported value of the asteroid Psyche, which was cited as about £8, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000.
Staff handling, receipts and the chain’s explanation
The shop’s account of events said the incorrect receipt was generated by a technical administrative error and that the customer received a corrected receipt showing the true gift card value. Another piece of coverage said the coffee shop had not acknowledged the mistake; the two accounts differ on whether the chain had commented publicly, but the shop’s spokesperson described the cause as the mis-entry of the gift card number into the till.
Downing’s experience tied the moment to familiar retail limits: the card can only be spent on items such as coffee and croissants, so the astronomical printed balance could not be cashed out for a car or a house.
Next steps are unclear in the provided context: the story gives no confirmed update on further action by the customer or the shop beyond the corrected receipt and the shop’s explanation of an administrative error.
