Dick’s Sporting Goods Vendor Requirements & Onboarding Checklist

Clinton Rhodes

By Clinton Rhodes, Product Manager

Last Updated May 12, 2025

5 min read

In this article, learn about: 

  • How to submit a product at Dick’s 

  • Finding a buyer 

  • How to get started as a Dick’s supplier 

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 Getting into Dick’s Sporting Goods is different from other major retailers. Its unique focus requires careful research before making a pitch. Dick’s recommends the following before proposal: 

  • Market Research 

  • Copyrighting 

  • Product Testing 

  • Pitch Refinement 

  • Partnership and Marketing  

Knowing if your item has the capacity to scale for your customer’s demands is important. But also, knowing your customer’s customers (the retailer’s customers) is key for critical expansion into more specialized retailers.  

Product Submission Form at Dick’s 

Prospective suppliers should submit their items for Dick’s approval. The Product Submission Form at Dick’s is run by a third-party distributor called Mr. Checkout. The form has three main steps: 

1. Basic Item Information 

  • Product Name 
  • Company Name 
  • Brief Product Description
  • Suggested Retail Price (SRP) 
The first page of a product submission form, requesting basic information such as the product name, company name, a brief description, and the suggested retail price.

2. Seller Information

  • First and Last Name
  • Email
  • Website
Step two of a product submission process, requesting contact information including the submitter's name, email address for important communication, and optional website.

3. Advanced Company Information

  • Phone Number
  • Company Address
  • Interest in PO Financing
The last step of a product submission process, requesting contact phone number, full address details, financing interest, and a CAPTCHA verification before submission.

Finding a Buyer at Dick’s 

Although the product submission is essential, it is also important to reach out to Dick’s buyers as well. Dick’s does not have an official channel for contacting buyers, but they can be found on LinkedIn and RangeMe.  

Prospective Dick’s vendors can also try calling Dick’s corporate for buyer information in the categories they think their product would sell in. If a product submission doesn’t have traction, it can be most helpful to reach out to a buyer directly.  

Getting Started in eSettlements 

Once your items have been accepted for sale in Dick’s, suppliers are highly encouraged to set up an eSettlements account. ESettlements is the vendor portal for Dick’s suppliers, and it is used for: 

  • Managing Invoices 

  • Reviewing Payments 

  • Supplier Performance Data 

  • Supplier Change Requests 

  • Self Service Invoicing 

  • Dick’s Announcements 

  • And more 

The main page of the eSettlements supplier portal, providing access to manage invoices, review payments, view the supplier dashboard, submit change requests, create self-service invoices, and view important announcements and resources.

The eSettlements Supplier Dashboard 

This dashboard is helpful for receiving backup information for: 

  • Scheduled invoice pay dates 

  • Short Pay (Shortages) details 

  • Return to Vendor (RTV) Debit Memo details 

  • Payment details 

  • Defective Allowance/Business Development Fund (BDF) Invoices 

  • New Store Discount backups 

  • Defective Allowance PO backup details 

  • Business Development Funds PO backup details 

The Review Payments Tab 

This tab is helpful for viewing all payment and remittance details. Payments can be filtered by date range and payment reference number. In this app, suppliers can also export remittance details to .xlsx.  

The Manage Invoices Tab 

This app is helpful for viewing submitted invoices and following up on their status. Suppliers can search by individual invoice, find backup for credit deductions, opt in to receive short pay (shortages) letters by email, and find payment remittance numbers for invoices.  

Note: only processed invoices appear in the manage invoices tab. If invoices that suppliers believe have been processed are not visible in the app, it may be good to reach out to the Expense Payables or AP Analysts.  

The Supplier Change Request Tab 

Using this tab, suppliers can manage their business information: supplier name, address, and contact information.  

Related Reading: Understanding Dick’s Sporting Goods Deduction Codes 

Dick’s Sporting Goods Contacts and Resources 

When becoming a Dick’s vendor, it’s important to be as prepared as possible for anything. This involves staying ahead of potential bumps in the road and being aware of the resources available to you.  

Keep these contacts from the Merchandise Welcome Packet on-hand: 

Suppliers should also be aware of the Dick’s Sporting Goods Routing Guide on dsgfreight.com. This guide is broken down into 21 sections. Some of the most relevant sections are: 

  • SECTION 4: Product Data and Attributes 

  • SECTION 6: General Packing Guidelines 

  • SECTION 7: Purchase Orders 

  • SECTION 9: EDI 

  • SECTIONS 10-12: Carton and Label Requirements 

  • SECTION 19: Damage/Defective RTV Program 

  • SECTION 21: eCommerce 

  • SECTION 22: Chargeback Research and Disputes 

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