Chargebacks aren’t “just the cost of doing business.” They’re margin leaks with nametags. And the tags—those deduction codes—tell you exactly how to shut the leak if you know how to read them.

Tariffs don’t just raise your landed cost—they ripple through price files, POs, and freight plans. That’s where deductions sneak in.

Open Call is buzzing—a two-day sprint (Oct. 7–8) with nearly 600 entrepreneurs, ~750 pitch meetings, and a lot of hopeful “golden ticket” selfies around Walmart’s new home office campus in Bentonville. It’s a serious platform to reach Walmart, Sam’s Club, and Walmart.com.

For many mid-market suppliers, shortages make up 40–70% of deduction volume. The fastest wins don’t come from analyzing everything—they come from triaging the few lanes, DCs, and SKUs that drive most of the pain.

Returns aren’t just refunds—they’re fees. When return ratios cross certain guardrails, many retailers assess handling, freight, and processing add-ons. That “18% surprise” doesn’t show up in your promo plan, but it absolutely hits your P&L.

December closes clean. February lands a six-figure claim. It’s not just you. Many retailers run their deepest promo and freight...

Retailers operate on week-based fiscal calendars that don’t always match your month-end close.

Black Friday is supposed to be a sales rocket. For many suppliers, it’s also a deductions magnet. Why? Because promotions multiply risk....

The big idea: if you want fewer retail deductions, faster closes, and calmer audits, you don’t start with deductions—you start by building an audit-ready finance team.

When it comes to deductions, mid-sized CPG suppliers face a unique disadvantage. They’re large enough to be attractive targets for...

Retail chargebacks are like speaking a foreign language—only no one bothered to give you the dictionary.

You closed the books. The year looked solid. Everyone celebrated hitting margin goals. Then six months later, a notice lands on your...

Every supplier is looking for ways to manage deductions faster and more efficiently. Enter retail deduction software. These tools promise automation, visibility, and streamlined workflows. And they do deliver value—up to a point.

Here’s why deductions never really go away—and why having a proactive recovery strategy matters.

At first glance, that structure makes sense. After all, every retailer plays by different rules. But here’s the problem: those silos create blind spots at the top. And in the world of retail deduction recovery, blind spots get expensive.

On paper, deduction recovery software looks like a quick fix. Plug it in, and watch it chase claims automatically. But here’s the catch: cheap tools can actually cost you more in the long run.

Imagine this: the Supreme Court rules that billions of dollars in tariffs must be returned to U.S. businesses. Sounds like a windfall,...

Let’s be real: peak season is chaos. Trucks run late, warehouses overflow, and every second counts. That’s exactly when shortage deductions—claims that your shipment didn’t arrive in full—start stacking up.

Imagine this: a shopper buys a blender, uses it twice, then decides it doesn’t match their kitchen aesthetic. Back it goes. But instead of chalking it up as a return, the retailer marks it as “defective.”

Imagine this: You’re a supplier of countertop kitchen appliances sold in Walmart stores nationwide. One of your hottest items—a digital air fryer with dual cooking zones—has been a top performer in the housewares aisle. Reviews are solid. Sell-through is strong. And then... a deduction notice hits your inbox—excessive defectives.