If Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS) checked in fewer units than you shipped, you can ask Walmart to investigate. The request can only be opened between day 10 and day 50 after delivery to the fulfillment center, and Walmart doesn’t accept appeals on the result. Here is where to file, what proof Walmart asks for, how a confirmed loss is paid, and a simple routine that keeps every shipment ready for a claim.
WFS inbound investigations at a glance
| Question | Walmart’s rule |
|---|---|
| When can you file? | Between 10 and 50 days from delivery to a Walmart fulfillment center, as confirmed by tracking |
| What has to be true first? | The shipment shows Completed status and has missing received units |
| Where do you file? | Seller Center → Shipping Plans → View plan → Track items → Investigate shipment |
| How long does Walmart take? | Walmart says it investigates within 7 business days |
| How is a confirmed loss valued? | The estimated proceeds of the sale, based on the average sales price |
| When is it paid? | During the next payment cycle |
| Can you appeal? | No. Walmart’s guide says no appeals will be accepted |
Source: Walmart Marketplace Learn, “Troubleshoot WFS receiving issues: open a dispute claim” (updated August 6, 2026) and “Troubleshoot WFS shipments with receiving issues” (updated July 24, 2026), checked October 2026.
When does the window open and close?
The clock starts on the day tracking shows your shipment was delivered to the fulfillment center. It doesn’t start when you create the shipping plan or when the carrier picks up.
- Before day 10: too early. Walmart is still receiving. The option to investigate only appears once receiving is done.
- Day 10 to day 50: the investigation can be opened, as long as the plan shows Completed and units are missing.
- After day 50: the window has closed.
That leaves about 40 days. A seller reported a WFS shipment stuck at 55 of 120 items received for 13 business days, with a case open and no answer. Waiting on a case like that uses up the same 40 days, so put the day 10 and day 50 dates in your calendar the day the shipment is delivered.
How do you file a WFS inbound investigation?
- In Seller Center, open the Shipping Plans page.
- Find the shipment with the shortage and select View plan.
- Open the Track items tab.
- Select Investigate shipment.
- Choose the item to investigate.
- Add the tracking information and upload the documents Walmart asks for.
- Review the request and submit it.
One of Walmart’s two guides says the Investigate shipment button is offered to “select sellers”. If your plan is Completed, units are missing and you don’t see the button, ask Seller Support how to open the investigation, and do it before day 50.
What proof does Walmart ask for?
It depends on how the shipment traveled.
| Carrier | Parcel shipment | LTL or truckload freight |
|---|---|---|
| Walmart Preferred Carrier | No document required | Bill of lading (BOL) with shipper and carrier pickup signatures |
| Your own carrier | Proof of delivery showing the street address | Bill of lading (BOL) with shipper and carrier pickup signatures |
Source: Walmart Marketplace Learn, “Troubleshoot WFS receiving issues: open a dispute claim” (updated August 6, 2026), checked October 2026.
Walmart’s guide also lists what the BOL has to show: the shipment IDs, the destination address, the freight terms, your seller details, the ship date, the carrier name and the case count. Check it before the driver leaves.
How does Walmart value the missing units?
Walmart’s guide says a confirmed loss is reimbursed at the “estimated proceeds of the sale, based on the average sales price”. That is a selling-price basis, not your cost. The credit arrives in the next payment cycle and shows in your Settlement report.
Two limits to know:
- Walmart must find itself responsible. If the investigation doesn’t turn up conclusive evidence that WFS is responsible, nothing is paid.
- Expired inventory isn’t reimbursed. Walmart’s receiving guide says so directly.
Because there’s no appeal, the first request is the only one. Send it complete.
What if WFS rejected the inventory instead?
A shortage and a rejection are different problems. Units can also fail at receiving because of damage, wrong prep or labels, items that aren’t on the shipping plan, wrong item setup, or more units than the plan listed. These show as receiving issues in Seller Center, and Walmart may charge labor to fix them.
When WFS rejects inventory, Walmart Support tries to reach you twice within 4 days. If there’s no reply within 5 days, the inventory is returned to you or disposed of, at your cost. Send Seller Center email to an inbox someone reads every day.
Source: Walmart Marketplace Learn, “Troubleshoot rejected or returned WFS inventory”, checked September 2026.
A document routine for every shipment
Most of the proof is easy to get on shipping day and hard to get five weeks later. For each shipping plan, keep one folder named with the shipping plan ID:
- The day you ship: save the packing list with unit counts per box, the tracking numbers, and photos of the packed boxes. For freight, save the BOL with both pickup signatures.
- The day it’s delivered: save the carrier’s proof of delivery showing the street address. Write down the delivery date, the day 10 date and the day 50 date.
- Day 10: check the plan. If it’s Completed, compare units received with units shipped, item by item.
- If units are missing: file that week. Don’t leave it for the end of the window.
- After the decision: match the credit in your Settlement report to the units you claimed.
Walmart asks for the proof of delivery or BOL. The packing list and photos are your own record of what went into each box.
Common mistakes
- Filing too early. Before day 10, or before the plan is Completed, the option isn’t there.
- Waiting on an open support case. A case about slow receiving doesn’t pause the 50 days.
- Sending a BOL without signatures or a case count. Walmart lists both as required.
- Planning to appeal. Walmart doesn’t accept appeals on these investigations.
- Using Amazon’s dates. Amazon’s inbound window is day 15 to day 60. Walmart’s opens and closes earlier. Both are in our claim windows table.
USA vs Canada
The day 10 to day 50 window is from Walmart’s US guides. Walmart.ca publishes no window for WFS inbound problems. They go through a Seller Support case, so raise a shortage as soon as you see it and keep the same documents. Source: Walmart Marketplace Learn Canada guides, checked September 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I have to report a short WFS shipment?
Between 10 and 50 days from the day tracking shows delivery to the Walmart fulfillment center.
Does Walmart pay my cost or my selling price?
Walmart’s guide says the estimated proceeds of the sale, based on the average sales price. A seller reported being told that Walmart pays 50% of the shipment value. That isn’t in Walmart’s published guide.
Can I appeal if the investigation is denied?
No. Walmart’s guide says no appeals will be accepted on inbound investigations.
Do I need a proof of delivery if I used Walmart Preferred Carrier?
Not for parcel shipments. For LTL or truckload freight you still need the signed BOL.
How RetailerBox helps
Most reimbursement services don’t cover Walmart. Our team handles WFS and seller-fulfilled Walmart claims in the US and Canada. We compare each shipping plan with what WFS received, open the investigation inside the day 10 to day 50 window with the proof Walmart asks for, and check the credit when it’s paid. See our Walmart WFS reimbursement service.
When you sign up with us directly, claims filed before January 1, 2027 are free. After that, the fee is 10% of what Amazon or Walmart actually pays on claims our team files. Nothing recovered, nothing owed, and no setup, platform or minimum fees. Start with a free 6-month reimbursement audit: you add us as a user in Seller Center, never a password, and get a written summary within 48 to 72 hours.