Walmartdeduction codes, decoded
Walmart deductions arrive as a two- or three-digit code on a remittance with almost no explanation attached. The code tells you which system generated the claim, and that determines both where you dispute it and what evidence will settle it. Accounts payable claims and OTIF compliance fines travel different paths and carry different deadlines.
Stop chargebacks before they happen
Most AP deductions surface and are disputed in the Accounts Payable Disputes Portal (APDP) inside Retail Link. OTIF fines are accounts receivable deductions and follow a separate path with a shorter window.
Reported windows vary by claim type: roughly 12 months from the invoice date for shortage deductions and up to two years for general invoice disputes, against a reported window closer to 30 days from invoicing for OTIF. Confirm the current deadline in APDP before you plan a recovery batch.
Every code, and what settles it
- Mass dispute creation is reported to be available for codes 13, 21, 22, 24, 25, 28, 30, and 87 — the codes Walmart itself expects suppliers to challenge in volume.
- Walmart publishes over 100 deduction reasons. The dozen below cover the claims most suppliers see and most often recover.
- A deduction code describes what Walmart’s system concluded, not what happened on your dock. The two agree less often than the deduction volume suggests.
No code matches. Try the number on the remittance, or a word from the reason.
Walmart code 21 is a concealed shortage: units reported missing after the shipment was received and signed for in full, usually found when a store or club opens cartons that a distribution center had already accepted.
Walmart code 22 is a goods-billed-not-shipped deduction: the invoice quantity is higher than the quantity Walmart records as received, so Walmart pays only for what its system says arrived.
Walmart code 24 is a carton shortage: the receiving facility signed the freight bill short, recording fewer cartons than the bill of lading listed, and deducted the difference.
Walmart code 25 means Walmart has no receipt at all against the invoice and has deducted the full invoice amount rather than a shortage on part of it.
Walmart code 28 is a damage deduction: merchandise was recorded as damaged when the freight bill was signed at the receiving facility.
Walmart code 10 is an allowance difference: Walmart applied a documented allowance the invoice did not reflect and deducted the gap.
Walmart code 11 is a pricing overcharge: the unit cost on the invoice is higher than the cost on Walmart’s purchase order, and Walmart paid at PO cost.
Walmart code 13 is a substitution overcharge: a different item was shipped than the one ordered, and Walmart deducted the difference between the two costs.
Walmart code 30 is a duplicate billing deduction: Walmart identified two invoices it considered the same charge and deducted one of them.
Walmart code 94 is a returns deduction: Walmart returned merchandise it recorded as defective or unsaleable and deducted the value from payment.
Walmart code 59 is a defective merchandise allowance: a negotiated percentage Walmart deducts to cover defective returns instead of shipping the product back.
Walmart code 99 is an OTIF fine: a compliance charge for cases that missed Walmart’s on-time or in-full thresholds, reported at 3% of the cost of the non-compliant merchandise.
How Endless cuts Walmart deductions
Endless keeps the purchase order, the pack, the ASN, the bill of lading, and the invoice on one record, so the documents that settle a Walmart deduction are already connected when the claim posts. EndlessEDI builds carton-level 856s against scanned SSCC labels and validates the shipment before it goes out, which is what moves the number down: brands on Endless report a 90% drop in retailer EDI chargebacks.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I dispute a Walmart deduction?
Most accounts payable deductions are disputed in the Accounts Payable Disputes Portal (APDP) inside Retail Link, with proof documentation attached to the claim. OTIF fines are accounts receivable deductions and follow a separate path with a shorter reported window.
How long do I have to dispute a Walmart deduction?
Reported windows vary by claim type: roughly 12 months from the invoice date for shortage deductions and up to two years for general invoice disputes, against a window reported closer to 30 days from invoicing for OTIF. Confirm the current deadline in APDP, because the portal stops accepting a dispute once the window closes.
Which Walmart deduction codes can be disputed in bulk?
Mass dispute creation is reported to be available for codes 13, 21, 22, 24, 25, 28, 30, and 87. That set is a useful signal in itself — these are the codes Walmart expects suppliers to challenge in volume.
What evidence wins a Walmart shortage dispute?
A carton-level ASN tied to scanned SSCC labels, a signed bill of lading showing the count as tendered, and a proof of delivery without an exception noted. Shortage claims turn on whose count is correct, so documents created before the truck left carry the most weight.
Can Walmart deductions be prevented rather than recovered?
Most of them, yes. Shortage, substitution, and pricing codes come from the invoice, the ASN, and the purchase order disagreeing with each other. When all three are generated from one order record instead of rekeyed between systems, the mismatch the deduction depends on never happens.
Deduction programs and dispute windows change and vary by vendor agreement. Figures marked “reported” come from third-party supplier resources, not a retailer’s published fee schedule — confirm against your current routing guide and supplier agreement before you file. See the full retail chargeback code index.
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