The snafu, caused by a programming error at Visa Debit processing services earlier this week, meant around 13,000 transactions were charged at $23,148,855,308,184,500.

Josh Muszynski, from Manchester, New Hampshire, was one customer to get a shock when he checked his statement online, discovering he'd been charged the incredible sum for a packet of cigarettes purchased a few hours earlier at a petrol station.

"It was very concerning - it was a lot of money in the negative," Muszynski told the local WMUR-TV station.

After two hours on the phone to Bank of America the error was corrected and his $15 overdraft fee was also waived.

In a statement, Visa says: "A temporary programming error at Visa Debit Processing Services, caused some transactions to be inaccurately posted to a small number of Visa prepaid accounts. The technical glitch, which impacted fewer than 13,000 Visa prepaid transactions, has been corrected and erroneous postings have been removed. Importantly, this incident had no financial impact on Visa prepaid cardholders."