Tesco fixes technical error which led to shoppers being double-charged

MoneySavingExpert revealed on Tuesday (16 February) that the problem, which was first spotted by customers as far back as 6 February, may have resulted in 1,000s of card payments made at Tesco stores being taken twice. Since we reported the story it's received widespread media coverage, and we've received scores of emails from Tesco customers who've been overcharged.

But on Thursday afternoon (18 February) Tesco told us the problem had been fixed. It's apologised for any inconvenience caused. 

Tesco says it's reversed transactions – but refunds may not be instant

Here are the key need-to-knows:

• Tesco says it's automatically reversed the duplicate transactions, but it may take longer for the money to appear in your account. While Tesco says it's now refunded all duplicate transactions, banks and card providers can take time to clear funds, so the cash may not return to your account straightaway. Many shoppers have reported having to wait a number of days. Tesco says if you have an issue with the time taken to process the refund, contact your bank – though it's unclear if it'll be able to do anything to speed things up.

  If you've been double-charged and the money's not been refunded in about a week, check with your bank – if it can't confirm it's in the process of refunding you, contact Tesco and ask it to investigate. 

• If you were charged bank fees as a result of the error, ask Tesco for a refund. These could have been incurred if the double payment pushed you into your overdraft or above your agreed overdraft or credit card limit, for example. If this happened, contact Tesco's customer services team on 0800 505 555. Tesco says it'll deal with requests for refunds of these charges on a case-by-case basis. Make sure you provide evidence of the charge, such as a letter from your bank or a bank statement.

• If you were charged bank fees, your credit file may also have been hit – but you can correct it. You can view your credit file for free via the free MSE Credit Club. Marks can take two to eight weeks to appear though, so you may need to keep checking over the coming weeks. If you do end up with a mark, you may be able to get it removed – see our Boost Your Credit Score guide for full help.

• The problem shouldn't reoccur - but keep an eye on your account just in case. Tesco says the issue has now been resolved so it shouldn't happen again. If you do think you've been double-charged since 19 February, let us know at news@moneysavingexpert.com.

  We have seen a handful of complaints about double-charging since Tesco said the problem was fixed. When we put this to the supermarket it told us (on 23 February) there are rare occasions where individual tills temporarily go offline and customers make several attempts to pay. It says these instances are not linked to the widespread issue outlined above but it will still reverse any duplicate transactions.