Cost structure / standard tiers
Retailers usually apply routing-guide penalties by shipment, PO, carton, or delivery event.
| Error Type | Typical Chargeback Range | Operational Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Wrong carrier or service level | $150-$500/shipment | Vendor books outside assigned routing |
| Late or missing ASN | $50-$250/PO | EDI 856 not received before arrival |
| Incorrect carton label | $5-$25/carton | Unscannable or wrong UCC-128/SSCC label |
| Appointment or delivery window miss | $100-$500/event | Delivery arrives outside approved window |
Chargeback structures vary by retailer, but repeated failures can also restrict vendor scorecards and future routing flexibility.
Risk mitigation / operational guidance
Treat the routing guide as a controlled document, not a generic receiving note. Store the current version by retailer and update it whenever routing instructions, label format, or ship-window rules change. Before shipping to a new retailer DC, run a preflight check covering PO number, ship window, carrier assignment, ASN timing, carton labels, pallet height, and appointment reference. Track chargebacks by root cause rather than invoice total so recurring rule failures can be fixed before the next replenishment cycle.