• System error turns gift card into imaginary fortune
• Woman enjoys being “richest in the world” on paper only

What started as a simple order for a matcha latte at a British café turned into a comedic surprise for 29-year-old Sophie Downing, after her receipt showed an eye-popping balance of over £63 quadrillion (around $78 quadrillion) — a result of an administrative glitch in the café’s gift card system.

Downing had used a £10 gift card (about $12.50) to pay for her drink, only to be shocked by the enormous “remaining balance” printed on the receipt.

A café spokesperson explained that the error occurred because the gift card number — rather than its actual value — was mistakenly entered into the system, generating a receipt with a fictitious balance.

Downing said seeing the 17-digit number — more than 2,000 times the size of the United States’ GDP — was “hilarious,” and recalled the staff’s expressions of surprise and confusion as they handed her the receipt.

“I’ve never seen anything like it before. I sent it to my partner, and he found it funny too. I’m just enjoying being the richest woman in the world on paper while it lasts,” she said.

Despite the astronomical figure, Downing, a business owner, emphasized she had no intention of exploiting the error and simply treated herself to another drink using the remaining £10 balance.

The café spokesperson added that Downing was charged the correct amount, the actual gift card balance remained unchanged, and the first receipt was given to her as a souvenir. She was later provided with a corrected receipt showing the card’s true value.