What retailer guides publish on carton marking, labels and ticketing, and how to check a charge.
Packing and labeling chargebacks come from each retailer's published carton marking, label and ticketing rules, which differ by retailer and edition. Read the guide that applies, match labels to your ASN, and check each charge against your own records first.
What counts as a packing or labeling chargeback?
A packing or labeling chargeback is a deduction for goods not packed, labeled or ticketed as the retailer's guide requires. The Packing category covers carton marking, pre-ticketing and labeling.
It's separate from quantity claims, covered in our post on shortage disputes. And it's a retailer deduction, not a card transaction: see retailer vs credit card chargebacks.
What do retailers require on shipping cartons?
Each retailer sets its own carton marking rules, and its guide names the charge. Five published documents show how they differ.
| Retailer document | What it asks for or names |
|---|---|
| Bealls Chargeback Policy | 351: wrong carton marking, or the outside of the carton not marked as the PO type requires. 301: missing or incorrect UCC-128 label. 502: multiple purchase orders or stores shipped in one carton. 503: no packing list detail to style, color and size. 506: merchandise not separated and packed as the PO type requires. |
| Macy's Vendor Standards 2023, Appendix H | A missing or unusable GS1 128 label is an expense offset. The appendix example is $8.50 per carton. Not to be assumed for Macy's Backstage. |
| Family Dollar Vendor Guide, Part 4 (the file reviewed is dated 2022; confirm the edition in force) | Shipping and shippable inner cartons carry the markings the part lists. Liquids and fragile goods are marked as it specifies. Seasonal items carry a 4 by 6 inch seasonal label on two adjacent sides. A bar code on the corrugate must not mimic Family Dollar's scan code. Family Dollar applies its own carton labels using Interleaved 2 of 5. Deviations need buyer approval. Non-compliance may bring refusal, return or fines. |
| Dollar General Domestic Vendor Guide (April 2026) | Flat-rate charges for vendor performance violations, including incorrect carton information. |
| Burlington Domestic Vendor Partnership Manual (May 2026) | The carton identifiers in the ASN must match the ones on the shipping labels. |
The same carton can pass one retailer's guide and fail another's, so check each account's guide on its own.
Does the GS1-128 label have to match the ASN?
A GS1-128 label carries the carton's identifier as a barcode, and retailers that require one also check it against the ASN.
GS1 US says the barcode was previously called UCC-128 and can carry the SSCC, which identifies a logistic unit such as a case or pallet (GS1 US).
Retailers still use both names. Bealls writes UCC-128 (code 301) and Macy's writes GS1 128.
Burlington requires ASN carton identifiers to match the shipping labels. Bealls has code 151 for a no, late or unusable advance ship notice and code 802 for invalid 856 data.
A label and an ASN built from different data can mismatch. See the ASN definition and the EDI compliance guide.
What do ticketing and pack-configuration chargebacks cover?
Ticketing and pack-configuration charges cover what's on the goods as well as the carton. Bealls lists these codes:
| Code | What it covers |
|---|---|
| 605 | No tickets, tickets applied incorrectly, or tickets that do not scan |
| 606 | No or wrong retail on tickets, where required |
| 607 | No or unacceptable hangers |
| 608 | No country-of-origin label, or missing care labels |
| 611 | No hang tag on merchandise |
The Family Dollar Part 4 file reviewed (dated 2022) adds that inner packs carry their own labels, and that hanging apparel in garment bags does not need inner labels.
Can you dispute a labeling or packing charge?
A labeling or packing charge can be disputable when your records show the labels and ASN conformed. Check before accepting it.
- A usable ASN 856 sent on time answers a 151.
- Compliant carton labels answer a 351 or 301.
- For Dollar General, labeling, pallet or appointment records show whether the charged event occurred.
- The pack or ticketing configuration is the evidence for a packing charge.
Keep photos of the packed carton and label, the label data, the ASN 856 with its transmit record, and the packing list. Confirm the retailer's window and the code's wording before filing.
For more depth, see the Bealls codes, the Dollar General codes, the proof checklist and the dispute guide. If a 3PL packed the order, see relaying charges to carriers and 3PLs.
How do you prevent packing and labeling chargebacks?
Prevention starts with the current edition of each retailer's guide and a check at the packing station.
- Pull the current guide for each account and note its edition date:
- Bealls routing guide, updated June 9, 2026.
- Macy's Vendor Standards, 2023.
- Ross routing guide, September 2024, which says to confirm you have the current edition.
- Keep one label template per retailer.
- Print the ASN and the labels from the same record.
- Photograph each packed carton and label before release.
- Keep the packing list with the PO.
Confirm the edition in force. The Family Dollar Part 4 file we reviewed is dated 2022, and the guide's chargeback appendix has a 2025 revision.
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