CVS deduction codes — triggers, evidence, windows.

What triggers it

DC received fewer units than the ASN/invoice declared.

Evidence to dispute

Packing list, BOL, weighed shipment record, and ASN payload.

Filing window

60 days from deduction date in Supplier Net

Typical success rate

60–75% when shipment was palletized and weighed

Root-cause fix

Weigh every outbound trailer; reconcile packing-list to ASN.

Source: CVS Vendor Compliance Manual — Receiving

What triggers it

EDI 856 ASN missing, late, or malformed; or content did not match receipt.

Evidence to dispute

ASN transmission timestamp, trailer arrival timestamp, and ASN payload.

Filing window

30 days from deduction date

Typical success rate

55–70% when ASN was sent before trailer arrival

Root-cause fix

Trigger ASN at trailer-seal; monitor EDI provider for failures daily.

Source: CVS EDI & ASN Standards

What triggers it

Trailer arrived outside the booked dock appointment.

Evidence to dispute

Appointment confirmation, carrier GPS/ELD, DC arrival timestamp.

Filing window

30 days from deduction date

Typical success rate

45–60% — DC-acknowledged exceptions win

Root-cause fix

Book appointments earlier in window; audit lanes generating most fines.

Source: CVS Vendor Compliance — Delivery Standards

What triggers it

Inventory adjustment based on system-of-record discrepancy between supplier shipments and CVS on-hand inventory. Most opaque CVS deduction category.

Evidence to dispute

12 months of shipment history to the affected DC, RIM detail report from Supplier Net, and any product return records.

Filing window

90 days from RIM adjustment date

Typical success rate

35–55% — RIM is the hardest CVS category to win

Root-cause fix

Reconcile shipped vs received quarterly by DC; flag RIM adjustments above threshold for immediate dispute.

Source: CVS Retail Inventory Management process

What triggers it

Invoice price did not match PO or signed cost agreement; or promo allowance was not honored.

Evidence to dispute

Original PO, signed cost agreement or promo authorization, matching invoice.

Filing window

60 days from deduction date

Typical success rate

75–90% when documentation is complete

Root-cause fix

Single source of truth for CVS cost; reconcile weekly.

Source: CVS Vendor Pricing process

What triggers it

Third-party audit firm flagged duplicate payment, missed allowance, or pricing error from prior periods.

Evidence to dispute

Original PO, original invoice, original remittance, bank reconciliation.

Filing window

Typically 90 days to respond

Typical success rate

50–70%

Root-cause fix

Maintain post-audit response file by year; check original remittance before paying.

Source: CVS Post-Audit process; common third-party audit firms