Walmart’s Accounts Payable Disputes Portal (APDP)

Walmart's Accounts Payable Disputes Portal (APDP)

Learn More:

• The Accounts Payable Disputes Portal (APDP)

• The Transition from DCI to APDP

• Deductions You Can Dispute in APDP

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On September 27, 2021, Walmart launched the Accounts Payable Disputes Portal (APDP) app in Retail Link to replace Direct Commerce, Inc. (DCI). The intention behind this change is to provide more direct communication between dispute analysts and suppliers.

Only Good For Resale (GFR) suppliers with Retail Link accounts have access to this portal. Suppliers that support Goods Not For Resale (GNFR) will not have access to APDP.

Walmart rolled out APDP in waves according to suppliers' company names. Once suppliers got access to the app, they were no longer allowed to use DCI to submit new disputes.

What is Different About APDP?

With APDP, Walmart has brought disputing "in-house" rather than outsourcing the development of their dispute portal to Direct Commerce. APDP is an app in Retail Link, accessed with a user's normal Retail Link credentials.

At a high level, the idea is the same as the old Direct Commerce portal. APDP is a portal where suppliers submit disputes for accounts payable deductions. However, there are some key differences in the way Walmart processed disputes with DCI:

• Disputes are now tied directly to claims and invoice records in Retail Link.

• Users now submit disputes at the claim line level, not the overall deduction level.

• Walmart will approve or deny disputes per claim line.

What Deductions Can I Dispute in the APDP App?

The types of deductions that suppliers can dispute in the new portal are specifically accounts payable deductions. These claims include shortage deductions, such as codes 22, 24, and 25. Allowance deductions are also AP deductions, such as those in the 50s range, 150, and 151.

Deductions that come as an invoice to the supplier are accounts receivable deductions (such as Code 99: OTIF). Suppliers must go through their previous dispute process with these claims (i.e., documentation to their merchant team or going through High Radius).

However, some invoice deductions, such as tax corrections, cash discounts, and other remittance deductions that are not visible as claims, are disputable in the new portal. Suppliers may search these by the invoice number rather than the claim number.

Additionally, Post Payment Audit (PPA) deductions are not disputable in the APDP, and Remittance Advice deductions are not found in the accounts payable portal (APIS). 

Related Reading: The Difference Between AP and AR Deductions

July 2023 Update

As of July 2023, Walmart asked suppliers to stop submitting disputes for a few notable deduction codes under certain circumstances. 

Returns Deductions can still technically be disputed in APDP if the PO does not flow through a returns center, but these are unlikely to have any claim lines to dispute. Some of these codes could be returns that go through a returns center that are no longer disputable: 

• Code 44: Freight on Returned Merchandise/Returned Goods

• Code 62: Labor and Handling Packaging/Repackaging

• Code 92: Mdse. Return (Overstock/Recall)

• Code 93: Mdse. Return (Damaged Merchandise)

• Code 94: Goods Returned/Defective Merchandise 

• Code 95 Mdse. Return (Wrong Item)

• Code 97 Returned Goods (Handling Charge)

• Code 120: WMTD Claims (MDSSE Return - Walmart Discretion Program)

Some Allowance Deductions

• Code 58: DSDC Allowance (Other Allowances DA, EB, SD)

• Code 69: Grocery Billback Allowance

The official announcement in Retail Link said that returns deductions "are no longer visible to dispute" in APDP. However, as mentioned above, some suppliers will still see them there if the returns charge does not go through a returns center. Instead of disputing in-app, suppliers were advised to consult the Returns Charges and Disputes FAQs Page for more specific information on how to dispute them now.

Code 58 (DSDC/ASN Allowances) deductions should be disputed through the Supply Chain Management team or the EBS Contact Center. 

Code 69 (Grocery Billback Allowances) deductions should be disputed through High Radius. 

Supporting Documentation for these disputes depends on the method of shipment:

• Prepaid: provide a copy of the facility freight stamp indicating Walmart signed for the merchandise. 

• Prepaid Dropped Trailer: provide the dropped trailer stamp showing the Walmart warehouse received the trailer. A carrier-signed BOL is required with a list of the PO numbers corresponding case quantities for each PO number. 

• Collect: provide a carrier-signed BOL that also lists the PO numbers corresponding case quantities for each PO number. It must also include the trailer seal number if you ship full truck loads. The seal is not required if you are shipping LTL.

• Small Parcel Shipments: Please provide POD for all invoiced cases. For a valid POD, you must provide individual signature pages. They must include the street delivery address, the PO number, and the signature of the person receiving the shipment.

Complete List of Codes Disputable in the APDP App

Here is a complete list of the codes that Walmart has stated are disputable in the APDP app. Please note that some AP deductions not listed are disputable in the portal, but Walmart has not specified whether it will review these or not.

• Code 10: Price Difference as Documented (Allowance Difference)

• Code 11: Pricing Overcharge (Price Difference between PO and Invoice)

• Code 13: Substitution Overcharge

• Code 21: Concealed Shortages

• Code 22: Goods Billed not Shipped

• Code 24: Carton Shortage/Freight Bill Signed Short

• Code 25: No Merchandise Received for Invoice

• Code 28: Carton Damaged/Freight Bill Signed Damaged

• Code 87: Other

• Code 91: MDSE Destroyed, Damaged, Defective

• Code 150: Softgoods Defective Allowance

• Code 151: Purchase Rebate Allowance

Here is a complete list of all Walmart deductions codes, as well as an ebook that can be downloaded for reference.

How to Get to the Accounts Payable Disputes Portal

To find the Accounts Payable Disputes Portal (APDP), authorized users can follow these steps:

1. Open a browser window using Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.

2. Clear the cache, cookies, and internet history to ensure the latest version of Retail Link will be viewable.

3. Log into Retail Link.

4. Click on "Apps" at the top and click on "APDP." Alternatively, look up "APDP" in the search bar at the top.

5. The portal will open in a new tab.

To save this app to "Favorites," go to "Apps" at the top of the screen, find "APDP" in the apps list, and click the star next to the name.

Related Reading: How to Dispute a Deduction in the APDP App

In Sum

Walmart's decision to change its deduction disputes process brings it in-house into Retail Link and replaces Direct Commerce. Keeping the whole AP claim process in Retail Link should reduce the number of portals and apps suppliers must use.

However, suppliers should note that dispute resolution may not increase in speed, as Genpact is still in charge of reviewing disputes, and their process has stayed the same. Additionally, the number of codes suppliers may dispute in the APDP app is reduced, no longer including some Returns and Allowance deductions. 

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