Resources
Deduction and chargeback guides for CPG suppliers
Working references for the people who actually handle the file: code sets, dispute windows, evidence standards and the commercial decisions around them. No gated PDFs, no email wall.
By retailer
Retailer deduction guides
What each programme charges, where it is disputed, how long you have, and what evidence reverses a claim.
Target 9 min
Target vendor deductions: a guide to the deduction codes CPG suppliers actually see
A030 to A176, the TR freight series, the vendor income family, and how a Synergy dispute case actually works.
Kroger 9 min
Kroger MCB deductions explained: how to dispute a merchandising charge back
The code families behind the MCB label, the 180-day window, and why your first submission is your only one.
Walmart 10 min
Walmart OTIF fines: what they cost and how to dispute them
The 3% charge, the prepaid and collect thresholds, and the transport evidence that reverses a fine.
Amazon 10 min
Amazon Vendor Central chargebacks: the categories that cost CPG vendors most
Six categories, 40+ types, fees from 1% to 10% of product cost, and a 30-day clock that punishes monthly review.
Costco 8 min
Costco Vendor Chargebacks: Why They Don’t Work Like Walmart’s
Fewer automated codes, more buyer-driven claims, and a compliance model built around packaging and pallet configuration.
Walmart 9 min
The Walmart APDP Dispute Process, Step by Step
The exact filing steps, the evidence each ship method needs, and what to do after a denial.
Definitions & decisions
Frameworks and definitions
The vocabulary, the pricing models and the build-or-buy question — written for finance, not for procurement.
Definitions 11 min
Deduction vs. chargeback vs. dispute management: a CPG supplier’s glossary
Deduction, chargeback, shortage claim, fine, post-audit — defined, mapped by retailer, and organised into a taxonomy you can report on.
Pricing 10 min
Deduction recovery pricing models: flat fee vs. contingency vs. percentage of recovery
Three models compared on risk, cost and incentive alignment — plus the eight questions to ask any provider.
Framework 10 min
In-house vs. outsourced deduction management: a CFO’s decision framework
Four tests, real salary benchmarks and an eight-question scorecard for the build-or-buy call.
Reference 10 min
A CPG Finance Leader’s Glossary of Retailer Deduction Codes
Codes and categories for Walmart, Target, Kroger, Amazon and Costco, grouped by retailer, with root cause and disputability.
Deduction audit
See what you're owed.
The deduction audit reviews your recent retailer remittance and deduction data, identifies what is recoverable, and shows you the root causes behind the repeat offenders. Recovery work runs on contingency — you get paid first, and our fee comes out of recovered dollars.