Walmart code 24: Carton Shortage / Freight Bill Signed Short
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.
A physical count at the dock came up short against the BOL. Miscounts at receiving, cartons left on the trailer, pallet breakdown errors, and cartons delivered to a second door all produce the same code.
One of the most disputed Walmart codes and one of the most recoverable when the carrier paperwork is clean. The claim turns on whose count is right, so a signed BOL plus carrier weight evidence carries real weight.
Evidence that settles a 24 dispute
Most decisive first. A dispute filed without the first item on this list rarely survives review.
- 1 Signed bill of lading with the carton count as tendered to the carrier
- 2 Proof of delivery, including any driver notation or exception
- 3 Carrier weight and scan records for the load
- 4 ASN (EDI 856) carton manifest with SSCC detail
How to stop code 24 recurring
The dispute is won or lost on documents created before the truck leaves. A carton manifest tied to scanned SSCC labels, with the BOL generated from the same record, makes the shipped count provable instead of asserted.
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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