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Retailer guide

How to Dispute a Chargeback with Kroger

The main dispute lever is timing against ORAD, the Original Requested Day of Arrival.

At a glance

ORAD is the exact date the PO must gate in at the DC.

The ORAD late-delivery fee is 3% of the invoiced amount. A buyer exception email approving an alternate date overturns it. An on-time rate of at least 93% for the 4-week period exempts the vendor from ORAD fees.

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Kroger and Fred Meyer.
Portals
Oracle A/P for invoices. Lavante for billing inquiries and debit memos. Supplier Hub for the Kroger Policies document.
Dispute window
180 days from issuance for advice messages on check stubs (legacy path). Lavante billing inquiries must be resolved within 180 days of the original invoice date.
Documents
Buyer exception email, appointment confirmation, proof of delivery, PO, bill of lading, and on-time rate.
Submission channel
We hold no sourced submission channel for Kroger, so we do not state one. We publish a specific only when it is sourced, never a guessed value.

Reason-code taxonomy at a glance

The Kroger fees you can dispute turn on timing.

Timing-driven compliance fees

See the Deduction Code Library for each fee's detail.

FeeWhen Kroger charges itWhat to check
ORAD late-delivery feeThe PO did not gate in at the DC on ORAD.A buyer exception email, or the vendor's on-time rate for the 4-week period.
Late-to-appointment / no-appointmentThe load gates in more than 30 minutes late. Or no appointment was scheduled.Whether the PO was on or off One Network. The Chehalis, WA and Clackamas, OR Fred Meyer GM DCs take appointments by phone only.
Fred Meyer general-merchandise timing feeShipped before the ship window or after the cancel date. Or received early or late.A buyer exception email, the key evidence for ship-window violations.

How Kroger Invoicing and Payment Work

Vendors send one invoice through Oracle A/P for each Kroger purchase order they ship. Questions must name both the Kroger PO number and the vendor's invoice number.

Kroger's 2025 vendor program terms reserve Kroger's right to deduct, set off, or withhold payments Kroger determines are due and owing by the vendor. For the general process, see how to dispute a retailer deduction.

INVOICE TO PAYMENT, FOUR STEPS1Invoice via Oracle A/P2Payment terms start3Payment initiated onthe due date4Deductions or set-offagainst the payment
Kroger initiates payment on the due date.

Kroger's Allowance and Reclamation Deductions

AllowanceHow it is appliedWhat to check
CPU diesel fuel allowanceThe vendor provides it on each Kroger purchase order invoice.Whether it already appears on the invoice.
Reclamation / salvage allowanceFred Meyer is entitled to claim the variance by an AR invoice or deduction. This applies to non-food products when the allowance collected falls short of product processed.Whether a SWELL or FMI-GMA agreement is on file. Without one, Kroger defaults the vendor to a billable reclaim agreement.
Fred Meyer New Store AllowanceA deduction on net new stores only.Whether the store is truly net new, not a remodel or replacement.

Kroger's Returns and RTV

Returned products ship FOB Kroger's designated location, freight collect.

Once Kroger invoices the vendor, the vendor must issue a return authorization. Kroger must get it within 21 days of first contact. After 21 days, Kroger decides what to do with the product.

What evidence you need

  • ORAD fee: buyer exception email, appointment confirmation, proof of delivery, and on-time rate for the 4-week period.
  • Appointment fees: the appointment confirmation and the carrier's gate-in time.
  • Fred Meyer GM fee: buyer exception email, PO, bill of lading, and proof of delivery.
  • ORAD fee
    • buyer exception email
    • appointment confirmation
    • proof of delivery
    • on-time rate for the 4-week period
  • Appointment fees
    • the appointment confirmation
    • the carrier's gate-in time
  • Fred Meyer GM fee
    • buyer exception email
    • PO
    • bill of lading
    • proof of delivery
The evidence list above, by deduction type.

How a Kroger dispute is prepared

Each Kroger deduction is matched to the documents that answer it. The dispute is then prepared for review.

Source: Kroger VNC Program Updates and Appendix A, 2 December 2024.

  1. deduction
  2. the documents that answer it
  3. prepared for review

Related retailers & next steps

Dollar General also charges flat rates for missed, late, and unscheduled carrier appointments.

Dollar General
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