Disputing Your Walmart Deductions on a Schedule

We’ve talked about this before, but disputing Walmart deductions is a pain (and they add up). Some suppliers have hundreds of thousands of dollars in deductions fees withheld from checks.

Having a ton of disputes can be overwhelming, and it’s more than just time management. Here are some thoughts on getting your disputes under control. 

Set a time limit

Walmart allows you to dispute deductions that are less than two years old. Any further back and they will not review the dispute. We suggest you start working on deductions that came in the earliest to make sure you get them done by the deadline to dispute.

However, older deductions may be harder to dispute as you can lose your paper trail. A lot of dispute claims require bills of lading and proofs of delivery, and you’ll have to check with your warehouse and logistics providers (e.g., your 3PLs) on how long they keep this documentation.

In contrast, SupplyPike’s Deductions Navigator software will help you dispute so quickly as to make sure you get your disputes sent before the two-year mark. With our software, you can stay current without worrying about deductions getting old. 

Prioritize the deduction codes you are going to dispute

There are nearly 100 Walmart deductions codes that cover several reasons for not paying an invoice in full. There are a few prevalent deduction codes that you can usually dispute with ease, but some are harder than others. Walmart won’t approve disputes for some codes to make it worth your time (such as code 13). Other codes require only key documentation, such as the purchase order, invoice, and proof of delivery (POD).

Here are some of the most common invalid deduction codes that are usually worth disputing:

1. Code 22: Goods Billed not Shipped
2. Code 24: Carton Shortage/Freight Bill Signed Short
3. Code 25: No Merchandise Received for Invoice

Check out the complete list of Walmart deductions codes for more of these.

With these in mind, you can put other deduction codes aside for when you have more time to research those orders and their issues.

View a summary of your claim codes

SupplyPike helps you crank through easy deductions, such as 22s, 24s, and 25s, so you can spend your valuable time researching the more complex ones and get as much of your money back as possible.

Prioritize the amount of the deduction

Some deductions can be as small as a few cents, while others can reach tens of thousands of dollars. Of course, it is worth it to get the lower deductions as well, as a few cents can add up to big bucks, but getting the more significant amounts out of the way is rewarding. Compare your numbers: Have you lost more money on the little nibbles here and there, or are the big bites more painful? 

If you have, say, 250 deductions you can dispute for $10 apiece, that adds up to $2,500. However, if you have five deductions for $500, that $2,500 can be easier to work through. We suggest that you work the few big ones and then tackle the smaller ones. 

Sort by the amount of the deduction

SupplyPike removes the monetary threshold for disputes. Start with the big ones if you like, but with our software, you will have plenty of time to tackle the smaller disputes.

Look into hiring a dispute manager

We know you’re swamped. You’re inundated with daily reports and invoicing and reconciling accounts, so deductions are the last thing on your mind. You may consider hiring a consultant or temp to help you work through your past deductions until you get them to a manageable level. Some companies have a full-time position for a dispute manager whose sole responsibility is working on deductions. That’s not for everyone, but a little help can go a long way.

Quick viewing with your dashboard

Alternatively, split the disputes up among your team. Have one person work all the code 22s for $10-100, while someone else works the code 24s for $100-500. Have a person in charge of gathering the documentation and another person entering the data. Teamwork makes the dream work!

SupplyPike’s Deductions Navigator does the work for you. No need to split your team’s focus or pay an extra salary on someone you will have to train to manage disputes. We’ll do that for you!

Set a schedule

Finally, create a plan. Many apps remind you of tasks, or you can create an event on your calendar called “Dispute Time.” Set aside an hour or two a day and work through your prioritized deductions. Then, once you’ve gotten a handle on them, you can reduce this time to a few hours a week. Keep it consistent! Let your teammates know that you are working on disputes and saving the company money. 

Analyze your deductions

SupplyPike will help organize your to-do list of disputes and tell you when they will get kicked back so that you can change your “Dispute Time” from hours to minutes. 

To recap…

The old days were rough. Accounting teams used to have to sit down and plan their lives around disputing deductions to get just a little bit back. If you weren’t extremely organized, dedicating hours a week to staying on top of things, and making concessions on which deductions you disputed and which you wrote off, then there was no way to keep up. It looked like this:

1. Desperately try to stay ahead of the two-year deadline to dispute.
2. Only dispute the codes you were familiar with, and write off the “scary” ones.
3. Dispute the significant dollar amounts first, but run out of time to go after the little ones that add up.
4. Spend a fortune hiring specialists to help your accounting team stay above water.
5. Block off hours a day to research and dispute deductions.

SupplyPike has changed all of that. 

Research and dispute in a few clicks

We created a software solution for disputing deductions without having to go through Retail Link and Direct Commerce. We save you valuable time and energy with one-click disputes. Afterward, you can track your dispute on the Deductions tab. Quickly see the status of each dispute and check the details.

The best part? You can try our Deductions Navigator for free! Start your trial today!