What evidence do I need to dispute a shortage chargeback?

Each retailer names the proof of delivery it accepts. Burlington's manual (Domestic Vendor Partnership Manual, May 2026) names a BOL signed or stamped by its receivers.

Do I dispute retailer chargebacks by email or by portal?

It depends on the retailer. For a DMQ shortage deduction, Burlington's Domestic Vendor Partnership Manual (May 2026) states that all shortage disputes should be emailed to Vendor.Relations@Burlington.com within 6 months of check remittance. Dollar General sends each dispute type to its own team by email. For short-paid invoices it prefers email but also takes mail. Bealls' Chargeback Policy says correspondence on an expense offset must start within 6 months of the expense offset check date. Kroger is disputed via its published vendor-compliance contact, and its debit memos are viewed on the Lavante portal; confirm the submission steps with Kroger before filing.

What is a concealed shortage?

A concealed shortage is one found after delivery was accepted, when the receiver's later count comes up short of the paperwork: cartons missing from a pallet, or units missing inside cartons that were counted in full. Definitions differ by source, so check the governing vendor manual. Burlington holds the vendor liable when the cartons found on the pallet are fewer than the BOL carton count. Bealls codes its version as 901 (Concealed Shortage, invoiced greater than received).

What does an ORAD chargeback from Kroger mean?

ORAD stands for Original Requested Day of Arrival: Kroger requires the PO to be gated in at the DC on the exact requested date, not within a window. A vendor-caused late delivery draws the ORAD Compliance Fee of 3% of the invoiced amount, which is negated by a buyer exception email or exempted when the vendor holds a 93% or better On-Time Delivery rate over the current 4-week period.

How does Dollar General penalize compliance misses, and which small discrepancies does it not address?

Dollar General charges flat rates for vendor performance violations, plus rework and re-handling charges where they apply. It does not take up quantity discrepancies under $100.

Deduction Codes

Deduction Code Library

A plain-English reference for retailer deduction and chargeback reason codes: what each code means and why it gets issued.

A retailer deduction (chargeback) reason code is the short code a retailer puts on a remittance to say why it withheld payment. This page is a sourced reference library covering five retailers: Kohl's, Burlington, Bealls, Dollar General, and Kroger. It maps each retailer's published codes and fees to their plain-English meaning and the channel you submit through.

Coverage is deliberately honest about what each retailer actually publishes. Kohl's appears here as a compliance-requirements entry with no disputable-code table: its Routing Guide (2019) points to a Vendor Compliance Schedule of Charges Chart that we do not hold. Burlington, Bealls, and Kroger each publish real chargeback codes or fee schedules, and those are reproduced from the guides below. The Dollar General entry describes its charges and dispute rules in our own words, with no fee amounts.

Chargebacks and deductions are a standing, recurring cost against shipped value, which is why a fast, code-level answer to "what is this" matters to the teams working these every day.

Deduction vs chargeback: the terms are used interchangeably on a remittance. A deduction is the retailer subtracting money from what it owes you; a chargeback is the coded reason it gives for that subtraction. A deduction is disputable only when the facts support the dispute, and each retailer sets its own windows and channels. Roy reviews each deduction and an analyst makes the call.

This library is written for deduction analysts and wholesaler AR/AP teams who have just been hit with a coded deduction and need to resolve it now, without a sales call.

Definitive code list (system of record): the definitive code list for each retailer is that retailer's current published vendor guide. This page mirrors those guides as of the revisions cited in each Source line; when this page and a retailer's latest guide disagree, the retailer's current guide governs. Confirm any code against the latest guide before you file.

Dispute categories

Each retailer groups its charges differently. Roy classifies each charge and an analyst reviews it.

Shortage

Retailer says it received fewer units than billed, up to full non-receipt.

Applies to: Burlington, Bealls, Dollar General.

Concealed shortage

The carton count signed for is correct, but the shipment is short against the documented carton count on the BOL.

Applies to: Burlington (carton count vs BOL carton count), Bealls (code 901).

Compliance

Vendor-guide program violation on how or when goods shipped (routing, ASN, labeling, pallet, late ship, appointment), not on quantity.

Applies to: Kohl's (routing and bill of lading rules), Bealls (2xx transport, 151/351 labeling), Dollar General (flat-rate penalties), Kroger (ORAD / appointment / load-compliance).

Pricing

Retailer paid a cost different from the vendor's; a price/cost discrepancy.

Applies to: Burlington (DMC), Bealls (code 903), Dollar General.

Incorrect UPC / vendor accuracy

The UPC on the goods received is missing, differs from the UPC on the vendor's quote sheet, or points to the wrong SKU in the retailer's system.

Applies to: Dollar General.

Packing

Goods not packed, labeled, or ticketed as ordered; carton marking, pre-ticketing, labeling.

Applies to: Bealls (351/151/301), Dollar General (carton-marking penalties).

Concealed shortage is found after delivery was accepted. Definitions differ by source: Burlington defines it at the carton level, as cartons on the pallet falling short of the carton count on the bill of lading; other readings count units missing inside cartons that were counted in full.

Kohl's

Kohl's is a compliance-requirements entry, not a code library. The Kohl's Routing Guide (2019) sets how vendors must route, ship, and document shipments, and names what follows when some of those rules are broken. For a complete list of chargebacks, it points vendors to Kohl's Vendor Compliance Schedule of Charges Chart. We do not hold that chart, so no Kohl's code table appears here. Treat everything below as the shipping program you must meet.

Guide-backed compliance requirements

Kohl's routes shipments through its Transplace TMS. Vendors complete a TMS Vendor Access form, TMS assigns the carrier, and routing is requested against a Monday start-ship window.
Shipments to each Kohl's DC must have a separate VICS (now GS1) bill of lading with a unique vendor-issued BOL number, and Kohl's requires Shipper Load and Count.
For a live-unload delivery, the ASN (856) must be submitted before the carrier calls for an appointment, which will not be set up without a usable ASN.
Live-unload appointments are booked at least 24 hours prior; a missed appointment is rescheduled; freight is not stacked above 84 inches.
The Routing Guide points vendors to Kohl's Vendor Compliance Schedule of Charges Chart for a complete list of chargebacks. It says shipments are subject to chargebacks, including late shipment charges.

Source: Kohl's Routing Guide (2019), pp. 3, 7, 10, 16 to 17.

Burlington

Burlington's vendor manual (May 2026) says all shortage disputes should be emailed to Vendor.Relations@Burlington.com within 6 months of check remittance. The same manual names the only proof of delivery it accepts: a BOL signed or stamped by Burlington receivers.

AP deduction prefixes (guide p.25): DMQ = shortage deduction (the number after DMQ is tied to the invoice number the shortage is taken on); DMC = price difference, discount, substitution; CMQ = reversal of a DMQ (shortage); CMC = reversal of a price difference; R = received short, recall, RTV, or buyer's request.

Burlington's EDI footprint is X12 v4010 and covers documents 810, 824, 850, 856, 860, and 997. The ASN (EDI 856) is required for all orders and must be received no later than 24 hours after carrier pickup.

Prefix / code	Track	What the manual says
`DMQ`	Shortage	Shortage disputes should be emailed to Vendor Relations within 6 months of check remittance; the only acceptable proof of delivery is a BOL signed or stamped by Burlington receivers
`DMC`	Pricing	Price difference, discount, substitution
Concealed carton shortage	Concealed shortage	Fewer cartons on the pallet than the BOL states: the shipper (vendor) is liable

Shortage (DMQ)

Meaning: A DMQ debit means Burlington received fewer units than were invoiced. The number after DMQ is tied to the invoice number the shortage is taken on.
Dispute channel: Shortage disputes should be emailed to Vendor Relations within 6 months of check remittance, with backup documentation and a filled-out Shortage Dispute Form. Burlington researches and responds to shortage disputes within 60 business days.

Source: Burlington Stores, Inc. Domestic Vendor Partnership Manual (May 2026), pp. 13, 25.

Price difference (DMC)

Meaning: A DMC debit is a price difference, discount, or substitution adjustment.

Source: Burlington Stores, Inc. Domestic Vendor Partnership Manual (May 2026), pp. 13, 25.

Concealed shortage (carton count vs BOL)

Meaning: Burlington counts all cartons at the time of receipt in the distribution center. When the total number of cartons on the pallet is less than the BOL number of cartons on the pallet, the manual says the shipper (vendor) is liable.
Dispute channel: Shortage disputes should be emailed to Vendor Relations.

Source: Burlington Stores, Inc. Domestic Vendor Partnership Manual (May 2026), pp. 13, 25.

Bealls

Bealls uses numeric reason codes: 9xx codes are accounts-payable claims (shortage, non-receipt, cost, freight), 2xx codes plus 602 are transportation, and 151/351/301 are carton-marking, ASN, and UCC-128 labeling. Correspondence on an expense offset must start within 6 months of the expense offset check date. Bealls requires vendors to route all distribution center shipments through its Control Tower application.

Code	Meaning
901	Concealed Shortage (invoiced greater than received)
902	Merchandise not received
903	Cost difference on invoice vs PO
904	Carrier / Freight Claim, shorted cartons or SLC
201-219, 602	Transportation (routing, facility, pickup, shipping window)
351, 151, 301	Carton marking, ASN, UCC-128 labeling

Shortage and non-receipt (codes 902, 904)

Meaning: Code 902 means merchandise was not received; code 904 is a carrier or freight claim for shorted cartons or SLC (Shipper-Load-Count).
Retailer(s): Bealls, Inc. and its Subsidiaries or Affiliates, per the Chargeback Policy.
Retailer rule: Bealls' Routing Guide (p.6, req. 8b) states that the driver does not count cartons.

Source: Bealls Inc. Chargeback Policy (domestic expense-offset key), pp. 1-2; Bealls Inc. Domestic Routing Guide (last updated June 9, 2026), pp. 3, 5, 7; Bealls Import Vendor Chargeback Violation Key (Last Updated September 1, 2018), pp. 1-6.

Concealed shortage (code 901)

Meaning: Code 901 is Bealls' Concealed Shortage code: the amount invoiced is greater than the amount received.

Pricing / cost difference (code 903)

Meaning: Code 903 is a cost difference between the invoice and the PO.

Transportation (codes 201-219, 602)

Meaning: Codes 201 to 219, including 209A and 209B, and 602 are transportation violations. Examples: 201 unassigned carrier, 206 wrong facility, 214 unassigned PO or incorrect routing, 217 failure to schedule and confirm pickup within one business day, and 602 merchandise shipped in violation of the PO shipping window or against a cancelled PO.

Carton marking, ASN, and labeling (codes 351, 151, 301)

Meaning: Code 351 is wrong carton marking, code 151 is a missing, late, or unusable ASN, and code 301 is a missing or incorrect UCC-128 label.

Import chargebacks (US$250 admin fee)

Meaning: Unless a code states otherwise, a US$250 admin fee is added to each import chargeback. The import violation set uses its own key: the C-1, FL*, OG-1, AS-*, POE*, CM-1, PV-1, CR-1, PL-1, OB-1, IS-1, D-1 through D-18, CT-*, TR-1, and FT-* codes.
Retailer(s): Bealls (import program).

Dollar General

Dollar General charges flat rates for vendor performance violations and sends each dispute type to its own team. Its required EDI set is the 850, 810, and 997 for DC orders (810 and 997 for direct store delivery), and EFT payments are remitted on the 820. For a prepaid shortage, the deciding proof is the received count on the DC stamp, not the bill of lading given when a trailer is dropped; a collect shortage needs the bill of lading signed by Dollar General's carrier. This entry describes its charges in our own words and lists no fee amounts.

Code / category	Meaning	Channel
Shortage / non-receipt	Fewer cases received than billed	Email (preferred) or mail
Incorrect UPC	Received UPC does not match the quote-sheet / system UPC	Email
Compliance (labeling / pallet / appointment)	Flat-rate program violation	Email
Pricing (cost difference)	Invoiced cost differs from the negotiated PO cost	Email

Shortage / non-receipt

Meaning: A Dollar General shortage means the DC received fewer cases than were billed, up to full non-receipt.
Dispute channel: Email (preferred) or mail. Short-paid-invoice and shortage disputes go to the retailer's accounts-payable mailbox, split A-through-J and K-through-Z by vendor name (use the current published address for your vendor letter range). The subject line carries the vendor number, invoice number, PO number, and amount; one issue per email.

Source: Dollar General Domestic Vendor Guide (April 2026).

Incorrect UPC / vendor accuracy

Meaning: A Dollar General incorrect-UPC charge means the UPC on the goods received did not match the UPC on the vendor quote sheet or in Dollar General's system. Dollar General's charge schedule lists a flat charge when there is no UPC or a UPC other than the quote-sheet UPC, and a separate one when the UPC is valid but for the wrong SKU.
Dispute channel: Email to Dollar General's VNC Disputes team, one chargeback per email unless several share a PO, with the chargeback number in the subject and all backup attached. Send original emails, not PDF copies.

Source: Dollar General Domestic Vendor Guide (April 2026).

Compliance (labeling, pallet quality, appointments)

Meaning: Dollar General charges flat rates for vendor performance violations, such as incorrect carton information, poor quality pallets, slip sheets, load shifting, and missed or late appointments.
Dispute channel: Email to Dollar General's VNC Disputes team, one chargeback per email unless several share a PO, with the chargeback number in the subject and all backup attached. Send original emails, not PDF copies.

Source: Dollar General Domestic Vendor Guide (April 2026).

Pricing / cost difference

Meaning: A Dollar General pricing charge means the invoiced cost differs from the negotiated PO cost. Vendors must invoice at the PO's negotiated cost, and it is up to them to spot cost disputes.
Dispute channel: Email to Dollar General's Accounts Payable team (one mailbox for vendor names A to J, another for K to Z). Post audit deductions go to its Post Audit team.
Windows: Short-paid-invoice disputes are waived after 90 days from payment; vendor-performance deductions are not repaid once older than 6 months; claims against Dollar General are filed within 9 months of shipment; and quantity discrepancies under $100 are not addressed by Dollar General.

Source: Dollar General Domestic Vendor Guide (April 2026).

Kroger

Kroger chargebacks, covering Fred Meyer, Ralphs, and Smith's, are keyed to ORAD, the Original Requested Day of Arrival, meaning delivery must be gated in at the DC on the exact requested date, not within a window. Debit memos begin with DMQ (quantity or cost) or DMC followed by the vendor's original invoice number and are viewed on the Lavante portal; compliance questions and disputes route to the retailer's published compliance contact. Confirm the submission method with Kroger before filing. Kroger policy is updated yearly via the VNC Program Updates PDF, and the full policy lives on Supplier Hub.

Note on the legal agreement: the Standard Vendor Agreement's "Dispute" clauses (Dispute Notice, mediation, binding arbitration, Ohio law) are contract dispute resolution, not a chargeback-dispute workflow, and must not be cited as the dispute channel.

Fee / trigger	Meaning	Penalty (guide)	Channel
ORAD Compliance Fee (late delivery)	PO late because of vendor-caused issues, not gated in on the exact ORAD	3% of the invoiced amount (per PO)	the retailer's published compliance contact; submission workflow [unverified: confirm against the current vendor guide]
Case Fill Rate ('In Full'), under 95%	PO filled at less than 95%	3% of the value of the missing items (per PO)	the retailer's published compliance contact; submission [unverified: confirm against the current vendor guide]
Late to scheduled appointment (over 30 min gate-in)	Gated in more than 30 minutes after the scheduled appointment	$200 per shipment	[unverified: confirm against the current vendor guide]
No scheduled appointment	No delivery appointment scheduled	$200 per shipment	[unverified: confirm against the current vendor guide]
Documentation fee	No Packing List, No BOL, no POs on BOL, or Packing List and BOL errors	$200 per shipment	[unverified: confirm against the current vendor guide]
Load / labeling / pack compliance list	Case labeling, case pack, UPC, hazmat, short-dated / mixed dates, overage / wrong product, freight shifted / overhang	$500 per PO (pest / odor / spill: $500 per Load)	[unverified: confirm against the current vendor guide]
Fred Meyer GM $500 (Clackamas OR / Chehalis WA GM only)	Four date triggers: shipped before ship window, shipped after cancel date, received early, received late	$500 per shipment (plus extra inbound / outbound transport)	Phone-appt DCs (Chehalis +1 (360) 740-6638)

ORAD Compliance Fee (late delivery)

Meaning: ORAD (Original Requested Day of Arrival) means delivery must be on the exact date, not a window: On-Time Delivery is a PO gated in at the applicable Kroger DC on the ORAD. Loads after midnight of the ORAD but within DC receiving hours still count on-time. When a PO is late because of vendor-caused issues, the ORAD Compliance Fee is 3% of the invoiced amount (per PO), not a flat $500.
Retailer(s): Kroger / Fred Meyer / Ralphs / Smith's.
Dispute channel: Compliance contact the retailer's published compliance contact; the step-by-step submission method is [unverified: confirm against the current vendor guide] (the guide names no dedicated dispute portal). Debit memos (DMQ / DMC plus the original invoice number) are viewed on the Lavante portal. Confirm before filing.

Source: Kroger VNC Program Updates 2025 (Non-Compliance Fee Schedule, pp. 4-7); Kroger Vendor Routing Instructions (Appointment Scheduling, p. 10); Kroger Standard Vendor Agreement (Shipping / ship-cancel window, p. 13).

Late-to-appointment / no-appointment ($200/shipment)

Meaning: A Kroger appointment fee means the load was gated in more than 30 minutes late to a scheduled appointment, or there was no scheduled delivery appointment at all; each is $200 per shipment. A related $200-per-shipment documentation fee applies to "No Packing List, No BOL, no POs on BOL, or Packing List and BOL errors."
Retailer(s): Kroger / Fred Meyer.
Dispute channel: [unverified: confirm against the current vendor guide]; phone-appointment DCs use Chehalis +1 (360) 740-6638 for scheduling (not necessarily disputes). Compliance questions route to the retailer's published compliance contact.

Fred Meyer GM $500 flat fee (Clackamas / Chehalis GM only)

Meaning: The Fred Meyer GM $500 fee is a per-shipment fee at the Fred Meyer General Merchandise DCs (Clackamas OR, Chehalis WA), firing on four distinct date triggers: shipped before the ship window, shipped after the cancel date, received early, or received late, plus all extra inbound and outbound transportation costs. It is distinct from Kroger's enterprise-wide $500-per-PO load, labeling, pack, UPC, and hazmat list, which is a separate fee schedule that is not Fred-Meyer-only.
Retailer(s): Kroger / Fred Meyer (GM only, those two DCs).
Dispute channel: [unverified: confirm against the current vendor guide]; GM DCs are phone-appointment (Chehalis +1 (360) 740-6638). Compliance questions route to the retailer's published compliance contact.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know which deductions I can dispute?: A deduction is disputable only when the facts support the dispute, and each retailer sets its own windows and channels. Roy reviews each deduction and an analyst makes the call.
What evidence do I need to dispute a shortage chargeback?: Each retailer names the proof of delivery it accepts. Burlington's manual (Domestic Vendor Partnership Manual, May 2026) names a BOL signed or stamped by its receivers.
Do I dispute retailer chargebacks by email or by portal?: It depends on the retailer. For a DMQ shortage deduction, Burlington's Domestic Vendor Partnership Manual (May 2026) states that all shortage disputes should be emailed to Vendor.Relations@Burlington.com within 6 months of check remittance. Dollar General sends each dispute type to its own team by email. For short-paid invoices it prefers email but also takes mail. Bealls' Chargeback Policy says correspondence on an expense offset must start within 6 months of the expense offset check date. Kroger is disputed via its published vendor-compliance contact, and its debit memos are viewed on the Lavante portal; confirm the submission steps with Kroger before filing.
What is a concealed shortage?: A concealed shortage is one found after delivery was accepted, when the receiver's later count comes up short of the paperwork: cartons missing from a pallet, or units missing inside cartons that were counted in full. Definitions differ by source, so check the governing vendor manual. Burlington holds the vendor liable when the cartons found on the pallet are fewer than the BOL carton count. Bealls codes its version as 901 (Concealed Shortage, invoiced greater than received).
What does an ORAD chargeback from Kroger mean?: ORAD stands for Original Requested Day of Arrival: Kroger requires the PO to be gated in at the DC on the exact requested date, not within a window. A vendor-caused late delivery draws the ORAD Compliance Fee of 3% of the invoiced amount, which is negated by a buyer exception email or exempted when the vendor holds a 93% or better On-Time Delivery rate over the current 4-week period.
How does Dollar General penalize compliance misses, and which small discrepancies does it not address?: Dollar General charges flat rates for vendor performance violations, plus rework and re-handling charges where they apply. It does not take up quantity discrepancies under $100.
Where is the authoritative list of these codes?: The definitive code list for each retailer is that retailer's current published vendor guide. This page mirrors those guides as of the revisions cited in each Source line; when this page and a retailer's latest guide disagree, the retailer's current guide governs. Confirm any code against the latest guide before you file.