How to dispute Walmart deduction code 24 (Carton shortage).
A step-by-step guide for CPG operators: what triggers Walmart code 24, the exact evidence required, the filing window in APDP (Accounts Payable Disputes Portal), the typical success rate, and the SOP fix that prevents repeats.
- Walmart code 24 (Carton shortage) — DC scanned fewer cartons than the ASN/invoice declared. Most common on mixed pallets and floor-loaded trailers.
- File in APDP (Accounts Payable Disputes Portal) within 30 days from deduction post date in apdp.
- Required evidence: Packing list, BOL, weighed shipment record, and trailer seal log. Photos of palletized load before sealing help if available.
- Typical success rate when evidence is complete: 60–75% when shipment was palletized and weighed at origin.
- Prevent repeats by: Move from floor-load to palletized; weigh and photograph every outbound trailer; reconcile ASN against packing list before transmission.
What Walmart code 24 actually means
DC scanned fewer cartons than the ASN/invoice declared. Most common on mixed pallets and floor-loaded trailers. On the remittance it appears as code 24 — Carton shortage. Disputes are filed in APDP (Accounts Payable Disputes Portal), and the filing window is 30 days from deduction post date in apdp.
Source: Walmart Supplier Performance Standards; APDP reason-code dictionary. Last reviewed: 2026-04-17.
Step-by-step: how to dispute Walmart code 24
- 1
Confirm the deduction is in scope
Locate the deduction on your Walmart remittance and confirm the reason matches code 24 (Carton shortage). Note the deduction post date — your filing window starts there.
- 2
Pull the evidence packet
Gather: Packing list, BOL, weighed shipment record, and trailer seal log. Photos of palletized load before sealing help if available.
- 3
File the dispute in APDP (Accounts Payable Disputes Portal)
Open APDP (Accounts Payable Disputes Portal), locate the deduction, and attach your evidence packet. Filing window: 30 days from deduction post date in APDP. Late filings are auto-denied — file as soon as the packet is complete.
- 4
Track the response
Most Walmart dispute responses land in 30–60 days. Approved disputes are credited on the next remittance cycle. Denied disputes can be re-filed once with additional evidence; track the re-file deadline.
- 5
Fix the root cause
Move from floor-load to palletized; weigh and photograph every outbound trailer; reconcile ASN against packing list before transmission.
Required evidence
Packing list, BOL, weighed shipment record, and trailer seal log. Photos of palletized load before sealing help if available.
Build the packet once — most Walmart disputes lose because the evidence arrives incomplete, not because the underlying dispute is weak.
Timeline & deadlines
- Filing window
- 30 days from deduction post date in APDP
- Response window
- Most Walmart responses land in 30–60 days from filing.
- Typical success rate
- 60–75% when shipment was palletized and weighed at origin
Why Walmart code 24 deductions happen
DC scanned fewer cartons than the ASN/invoice declared. Most common on mixed pallets and floor-loaded trailers. In practice, this is rarely a single root cause. Walmart's receiving and audit systems flag carton shortage the moment a discrepancy hits the threshold — so even a clean shipment can take a deduction if the paperwork or the EDI handshake doesn't reconcile cleanly on the retailer's side. That's why almost every code 24 packet hinges on documentation timing, not on whether the shipment was actually correct.
How to prevent Walmart code 24 going forward
Move from floor-load to palletized; weigh and photograph every outbound trailer; reconcile ASN against packing list before transmission.
Filing wins back the dollars; the SOP fix is what stops you from filing the same dispute again next quarter.
Want this filed for you?
ClearChain runs Walmart dispute filing end-to-end. Flat $5,000/month, no percentage of recoveries. If we don't recover at least 3x your fee, you get your money back.
Flat $5,000/month, month-to-month. If we don't recover at least 3x your fee, you get your money back.
Typical response: same business day.