Walmart code 13: Substitution Overcharge
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.
A substitute item shipped against the PO — a pack-size change, a successor SKU, or a picking error — and the substitute carried a higher cost than the item Walmart ordered.
Recoverable when the buyer approved the substitution in writing or when the items are cost-identical and the cross-reference is documented. Unapproved substitutions are valid claims.
Evidence that settles a 13 dispute
Most decisive first. A dispute filed without the first item on this list rarely survives review.
- 1 Purchase order (EDI 850) with the item and cost as ordered
- 2 Written buyer approval for the substitution, where one exists
- 3 ASN (EDI 856) and invoice showing the item actually shipped
- 4 Item cross-reference documenting the successor relationship
How to stop code 13 recurring
Substitutions become chargebacks when they are decided at the pick face. Catching the mismatch at order acknowledgment, while there is still time to ask the buyer, keeps it out of the remittance.
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.
- Where to dispute
- 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.
- Dispute 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.
Related Walmart codes
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 every Walmart deduction code .
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