North American food distributer UNFI recently launched a new online platform for suppliers of natural products to manage deduction disputes. Aptly named the Dispute Center, the portal lets natural suppliers review deductions and submit and track disputes in one place.
UNFI suppliers are organized into two groups: natural and conventional. Natural suppliers serve wellness-focused retailers like Whole Foods and Sprouts Farmers Market, while conventional suppliers work with more mainstream grocery stores like Shoppers and Cub. Formerly, all deduction disputes by both natural and conventional UNFI suppliers were submitted via email. Thus, this is new territory in need of an introduction and a how-to guide.
This article will cover:
UNFI Dispute Center basics, including how to access it and what it is and isn’t for.
How to submit and appeal a dispute in the Dispute Center, according to the UNFI Dispute Center Supplier Training Manual (Version 1.2).
How SPS Revenue Recovery simplifies the dispute process while protecting your margins.
Related Reading: How To Become a Supplier for UNFI
What is the UNFI Dispute Center?
The UNFI Dispute Center gives natural suppliers a place to:
Access remittance details.
Prepare, submit, and track deduction disputes.
Use search tools to find and export invoice, adjustment, payment, and dispute details.
Appeal disputes that have been denied or partially approved.
Which Deduction Types Can Be Disputed in the UNFI Dispute Center?
UNFI refers to the Dispute Center as the “central hub” for natural disputes, but there are limitations to its scope.
- The Dispute Center is for natural suppliers only.
- Adjustments older than 12 months will be denied.
- While the Dispute Center can handle most natural deduction disputes, it can’t process all of them.
According to UNFI, the following dispute types cannot be processed through the Dispute Center and must be handled via email:
AP Cash Terms: Contact unfinaturalresearch@unfi.com
East and West Short Payments
East and West Prepaid Payments (these invoices end in “PP”)
East and West Cash Terms/Payment Discounts
East and West Unpaid Invoices
Detention Fees
Other miscellaneous fees, such as redelivery
SAS: Contact unficorr@sasrecovery.com
SASIF: Contact unfifrt@sasrecovery.com
PRGX: Contact unfiaudit@prgx.com
How Can I Access the UNFI Dispute Center?
You must have an active myUNFI portal account with an up-to-date profile to be able to access the Dispute Center. Once you’re logged into your myUNFI account, you should see a blue button on the left side of the screen that says GO TO DISPUTE CENTER. Simply select the button to access the portal.
Note: If you still need to complete your myUNFI enrollment or need help with your account, you can reach out to myunfisupplier@unfi.com.
Related Reading: UNFI Supplier Compliance Guide: How to Avoid Chargebacks and Improve Supplier Performance
How Do I Submit Natural Deduction Disputes in the UNFI Dispute Center?
All natural deduction disputes start with either a payment or an adjustment within the portal. Learning how the two different numbers are formatted in the UNFI Dispute Center is the first step to submitting a dispute.
1. Learn How To Read Adjustment and Payment Numbers
Adjustment numbers have three different sections that communicate distinct attributes.
Example: 9876543–111–EAST
The first section is the adjustment number that is unique to that specific adjustment.
The middle section details the deduction type:
0 = deduction
111 = invoice chargeback (Note: Chargebacks can be triggered by shortages, misshipments, and damages that occur at receipt, as well as by pricing discrepancies.)
- The third section provides the region: east or west.
Payment numbers have only two sections.
Example: EAST–9876543
The first section provides the region: east or west.
The second section is the payment number that is unique to that specific payment.
2. Locate the Adjustment or Payment Number in the Dispute Center
You have a few options for locating a payment or adjustment within the UNFI Dispute Center:
Quick Search
If you know your payment or adjustment number, you can go to the search bar at the top right of the home screen and select whether it’s a payment or an adjustment under Quick Search and then enter the full number (e.g., 9876543–111–EAST, EAST–9876543) before selecting the Go button.
Advanced Search
If you don’t know your payment or adjustment number, you can go to the search bar and select whether it’s a payment or an adjustment under Advanced Search. This will open a search window that allows you to search according to multiple criteria, including date ranges, amounts, document types, and status.
View Payments
Under the Activity Center heading on the home screen, selecting View Payments will allow you to see all payments from the last 30 days. You can then locate and select the payment associated with the dispute you want to submit.
My Docs
On the home screen, the My Docs column has sections for adjustments and payments organized by the last 30, 60, and 90 days.
3. Submit Your Natural Deduction Dispute(s)
You have multiple options to choose from when submitting a dispute. You can submit one dispute at a time from either a payment or an adjustment number, or you can dispute in bulk.
How To Submit a Natural Deduction Dispute From a Payment Number
Once you locate the payment number you want to dispute, select it to open the payment screen. The payment screen contains all information related to that payment, including payment details, deductions, related documents, and history.
In the Deductions section, select the adjustment number you want to dispute and then select the blue Create Dispute button.
This will open the Edit Dispute screen. Fill out the necessary details, including the disputed amount (the amount you want to dispute) and a description of why you want to submit a dispute.
If you have supporting documents, scroll down to the Attachment Documents section. You can upload multiple supporting documents with the following formats: PDF, TIFF, JPEG, XLSX, and CSV. The maximum file size is 20MB per file. (Note: Attachments aren’t required to dispute.)
Once you fill in all required fields, select the blue Submit button. If any required fields are missing, you will see an error message explaining what needs your attention. If the submission is successful, you will be redirected to the home screen. (Note: If you aren’t ready to submit your dispute, you have other options. If you select the Save button, you can immediately see what you have so far by then selecting View, or you can return to your dispute draft later by going to My Docs on the home screen and selecting Drafts under the Disputes heading. You also have the option to select the Delete button to cancel your dispute.)
You can double-check that your submission has gone through by going to the home screen, navigating to the My Docs column, and selecting Submitted under the Disputes heading. You will also receive a Dispute Center Inbox notification, as well as an email notification. As your dispute moves through the resolution workflow, UNFI will send dispute status updates to your inbox.
UNFI will automatically generate a record of every action taken, from submission to resolution, for every dispute in a section called History.
Dispute Status | Explanation |
Draft | Dispute has been started but not submitted; can still be edited or deleted. |
Submitted | Dispute has been submitted. |
Research In Progress | Dispute is under investigation. |
Pending Approval | Dispute is pending approval. |
Approved | Dispute was accepted and resolved. |
Denied | Deduction was found to be valid, so there will be no repayment; supplier may submit an appeal if more evidence is available. |
Appealed | Dispute that was either denied or approved with partial repayment has been appealed with additional documentation and/or information. |
How To Submit a Natural Deduction Dispute From an Adjustment Number
Once you locate the payment number you want to dispute, select it to open the adjustment details.
In the Summary Charges/Allowances section, select the radio button that corresponds with the charge you want to dispute.
Select the blue Create Dispute button to start a dispute.
Follow steps 3–6 from the section above.
How To Submit Multiple Natural Deduction Disputes (Bulk Submissions)
If you want to submit more than one dispute at a time, you can fill out a standardized CSV template with dispute details and then upload it through the Dispute Center.
Go to the home screen and select Upload Bulk Dispute File in the Activity Center section.
Once you see the Upload Bulk Dispute File screen, select the blue Download Template button. This will open the CSV file.
Enter valid values for columns A–F. You can only enter one dispute per row, and you cannot change the name of any of the columns. See the table below for what you can expect.
Once you fill out columns A–F for each deduction you want to dispute, save the file in the CSV format. It’s the only format the system accepts.
Select the Choose File button to find your completed CSV file.
Select the Upload button to submit your CSV file.
The Dispute Center will then validate the file and create a deduction dispute for each completed row. Once the upload is complete, the new disputes will show up in the Submitted section under the Disputes heading in My Docs.
Column | Column Name | Directions | Tips |
A | ADJUSTMENT_NUMBER | Enter the adjustment number of the adjustment you want to dispute. | The number must follow one of these formats:
[adjustment number]-0-East [adjustment number]-0-West [adjustment number]-111-East [adjustment number]-111-West
Example: 1234567-0-East |
B | ACCESS_ID | Enter your account’s access ID. | You can find your access ID at the top of an invoice number, payment number, or adjustment number screen. |
C | REMIT_TO_ID | Enter your account’s remit to ID. | You can find your remit to ID at the top of an invoice number, payment number, or adjustment number screen. |
D | ADJUSTMENT_REASON_CODE | Enter the adjustment’s system reason code. | You can find the adjustment reason code by looking at the adjustment number. If the number has “111” in the middle section, the adjustment reason code will also be “111”. If the number has “0” in the middle section, the adjustment reason code will be “deduction.” |
E | DISPUTED_AMOUNT | Enter the dollar amount you are disputing. | Do not include a dollar sign or any commas. |
F | DISPUTE_DESCRIPTION | Explain why you are disputing the deduction. | Your explanation must be encapsulated by double quotes and has a 250-character maximum. |
How Do I Appeal a Dispute in the UNFI Dispute Center?
Most UNFI deduction disputes are resolved within 35–45 days. If the results of your deduction dispute don’t turn out the way you hoped (e.g., it’s denied or only partially repaid), you might have a second chance. However, you need to be aware of the following criteria:
You can only appeal a dispute one time.
You can only submit an appeal if you have new information or additional supporting documents to provide.
If you’re appealing a dispute that has been approved for partial repay, you can only appeal the remaining unpaid amount (up to the adjustment total).
How To Submit a Dispute Appeal
From the home screen, navigate to the Disputes section under My Docs. If you want to appeal a dispute that was denied, select Denied. If you want to appeal a dispute that was partially repaid, select Approved.
Select the dispute number you want to appeal to view its details.
From the dispute screen, select the blue Appeal button.
Fill out all required information, including the appeal amount (dollar amount you want to appeal), message (explanation of why a dispute decision should be revisited), and attachments (optional field for uploading new or missing supporting documentation).
Once the information is complete, select the Submit button. The status of the dispute will change to “Appealed,” and you can access it by selecting Appealed under the Disputes section under My Docs.
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