Amazon Web Services glitch sends customers trillion-dollar bills
5 reported
A global glitch at Amazon Web Services caused customers to receive inflated monthly bills, with some invoices reaching as high as $1.5 trillion. The error, which began at 3.38am UK time on Friday, displayed incorrect charges on the AWS billing and cost management console. Affected users included a UK charity, a student in Delhi, and a historian in Derbyshire, whose usual bills ranged from less than a pound to around $15 per month. AWS apologized for the confusion and identified the issue as a problem with unit pricing within the estimated billing computation subsystem. The company shut down the bill estimation system and said full resolution would take multiple hours. Amazon has been approached for comment.
What’s reported
AWS customers received bills as high as $1.5 trillion due to a global glitch.
The error appeared on the AWS billing and cost management console at 3.38am UK time on Friday.
AWS found “an issue with unit pricing within the estimated billing computation subsystem” and shut off the bill estimation system.
The company said full resolution would take multiple hours.
Amazon has been approached for comment.
Key figures
Dan Harvey, head of marketing at Learning Through Landscapes (Hampshire-based charity)
Bharath, X user who posted a screenshot of a $1.5 trillion bill
Sachin, a student in Delhi
Andrea Zuvich, historian and operator of The Seventeenth Century Lady website
Gerred, X user in Maine
Sources: The Guardian
