Dollar General Accounts Payable Procedures for Vendors

In this article, learn about: 

• Dollar General’s payment standards  

• Invoice disputes and inquiries 

• Common invoice suffixes and what they mean 

• Common chargebacks and how to dispute them 

Understanding Dollar General’s accounts payable processes is essential for maintaining a healthy vendor-retailer relationship. From invoicing requirements to dispute inquiries, vendors must follow specific guidelines to avoid compliance issues and payment delays. This guide outlines some of the key procedures, requirements, and common pitfalls that every Dollar General vendor should know—whether submitting an invoice or disputing a charge. 

Payment Standards 

Accurate and timely invoicing is essential to doing business with Dollar General. Vendors are expected to follow Dollar General’s electronic invoicing process unless specifically approved otherwise. Proper invoice submissions reduce the risk of chargebacks, delays, or compliance fees. 

Sending Invoices to Dollar General 

Most of the time, Dollar General requires all invoices to be submitted via EDI. All vendors who receive a purchase order via EDI 850 are expected to transmit their invoice via EDI 810.   

Related Reading: Explaining EDI—EDI 810 Invoice 

Vendors should provide one invoice per shipment, per purchase order. Invoices that combine multiple shipments or purchase orders will be rejected. 

In order for Dollar General to provide payment, there must be a match between the purchase order, the distribution center receipt, and the invoice. Payments also depend on the terms and conditions of the purchase order. Be sure to double-check all documents for accuracy to avoid delays in payment. 

Occasionally, Dollar General allows paper invoices to be submitted. If this happens, it must be approved by Accounts Payable beforehand and include a cover letter that explains the reason an EDI invoice cannot be transmitted.  

Paper invoices must include all of the following information: 

• Vendor name and address 

• Invoice number 

• Invoice date 

• Dollar General Purchase Order Number (PO) 

• Ship to Dollar General Warehouse 

• Terms (PO terms) and due date 

• Cash discount on invoice gross 

• Invoice amount detail 

• DG SKU number  

• Item description 

• Quantity shipped in selling units 

• Cost per selling unit 

• Extension of cost times quantity 

• Total invoice amount 

• Net total with applied discounts and allowances, where applicable 

• Remit-to address 

If a paper invoice is submitted without prior approval or a cover letter, it will be discarded. It’s important to note that paper invoicing is extremely rare, and vendors may be subject to a compliance fee of up to $250 per paper invoice. 

Sending Payments to Dollar General 

In the event a vendor needs to send a payment to Dollar General, all checks must be sent directly to Dollar General’s Accounts Payable department. This policy applies to all check payments made to the order of Dollar General Corporation and must be strictly followed. 

Mailing addresses are as follows:   

Standard Mail: 

Accounts Payable 

Dollar General Corporation 

P.O. Box 1087 

Goodlettsville, TN 37072-1087 

Overnight Mail: 
Accounts Payable 

Dollar General Corporation 

100 Mission Ridge 

Goodlettsville, TN 37072  

No exceptions to this policy are allowed without written approval from the Executive Vice President & CFO or the Vice President & Controller. This requirement applies only to check payments and does not affect the process for submitting invoices or credit authorizations to Dollar General. 

Invoice Disputes/Inquiries 

Even with accurate invoicing, payment discrepancies can still happen. Whether it's a short pay, deduction, or other issue, vendors must follow Dollar General’s dispute/inquiry procedures to ensure timely resolution. 

• Submit within 90 days of the payment date. ​​Disputes submitted after 90 days are considered waived by the vendor. 

• Dollar General aims to respond within 60 days. If there's no response, escalate to the Accounts Payable Manager. 

• Dispute only through the contact listed on the claim notice. Don’t send to multiple contacts—only the assigned contact will respond. 

• Appoint only one main vendor contact for all A/P communications. If a third party or factor manages the vendor’s receivables, they should act as the main contact.  

Common Invoice Suffixes 

At times, Dollar General suppliers may see suffixes added to their invoices, indicating an issue or adjustment to the invoice. The following list is common suffixes a supplier may see on an invoice: 

Shortages 

Shortage inquiries must be submitted promptly and will be reviewed in the order received, whether that is by email or mail. Email is preferred, but vendors are limited to five emails per day, with one issue per email. The subject line should include: Vendor # / Invoice # / PO # / Dispute Amount. The body of the email should include brief information on the dispute and only include two attachments: the invoice and a stamped Bill of Lading (BOL).  

• For Prepaid Shipments, the BOL must include the DC stamp and case counts. A BOL from the time of trailer drop-off is not acceptable, as it does not confirm the number of cases received. 

• For Collect Shipments, the BOL must be signed by the DG carrier. 

Dollar General will only address quantity disputes over $100. If a vendor experiences frequent or low-value discrepancies, they should contact the Accounts Payable Manager to identify and resolve the root cause. 

Price Discrepancies 

Vendors are responsible for ensuring that invoices match the negotiated cost listed on the purchase order (PO). If a pricing error is discovered, it must be corrected before the product ships. Discrepancies between the PO and invoice that are not resolved in advance become the vendor's responsibility. For Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) suppliers, cost-related reports are distributed monthly to help monitor and address pricing discrepancies. 

Post Audits 

Dollar General has both an Internal and External Post Audit Department that conducts post audits to ensure vendors have followed agreed-upon policies and procedures. Post audit deductions will appear as 19DGI0xxx or 18DGP0xxx. Dollar General states these claims “are not designed to generate income, but to offset additional expenses incurred.” Post audit claims may be issued up to 24 months—or more—after the original transaction date, so it's important for vendors to retain accurate records.  

Timeframe for Post Audits 

Dollar General's Internal Post Audit Department typically reviews current fiscal year transactions within approximately 6 to 12 months of their original date. The External Post Audit Department focuses on transactions from prior fiscal years.  

However, post audit claims can be issued up to 24 months—or even later—after the original transaction. While claims are often deducted without prior approval, vendors may receive notification as a courtesy. Any claims over $100,000 will be submitted to the vendor for review before deduction. Vendors are encouraged to maintain detailed records for at least two years to support efficient resolution of any disputes. 

Scope of Post Audits 

Post audits cover a broad range of vendor activities to ensure compliance with Dollar General’s established policies and procedures. These audits do not pertain to current-year trade funds but are focused on verifying past transactions. Both Internal and External Audit Departments will include clear, concise documentation to substantiate each claim.  

How to Dispute a Post Audit Dedication 

Vendors may dispute a claim by emailing postaudit@dollargeneral.com with a single charge back reference per email, along with all supporting documentation. The email subject line should include the Dollar General charge back number. Disputes must be submitted within 24 months of the deduction date to be considered.  

Dollar General Charge Backs 

Dollar General provides a detailed schedule of charge backs outlining the flat-rate fees and examples of common violations. While the charge backs listed below cover the most common vendor compliance issues, they are not exhaustive.  

Depending on the specific circumstances of a violation, additional or alternative charges may be applied. These can include—but are not limited to—rework fees, re-handling charges, and deductions for the cost of goods when applicable. Please note that Dollar General enforces a minimum vendor performance deduction of $25 for all violations. 

Transportation Violations  

Charge Back Disputes 

To dispute a vendor performance chargeback (starting with A, CF, CP, D, M, Q, or U), follow these steps: 

• Email VNC Disputes 

• Include only one chargeback per email, unless multiple relate to the same PO. 

• Attach supporting documentation, including original emails (no PDFs or TIFs). 

• Include the charge back number in the subject line. 

Timeline: 

• Disputes are reviewed in order received, with a typical response time of 60 days. 

• If Dollar General requests more info, respond within 3 business days to stay in the review queue. 

• Disputes for deductions older than 6 months will not be reviewed. 

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