Walmart Labeling Guidelines Explained

TL;DR: Walmart enforces labeling compliance through the SQEP program. Missing or incorrect barcodes, pallet labels, or case markings generate defect charges. Barcodes must appear on at least two sides of every case. Labels must match your item file data exactly. Get it wrong consistently, and Walmart will offset the cost of rework directly against your payments.

You confirmed the PO, the product is ready, and the truck is scheduled. Then a chargeback lands for a labeling defect you did not know existed. It happens constantly, and most of the time it's preventable.

Walmart's labeling requirements are detailed, updated twice a year, and enforced through an automated compliance program. This guide breaks down exactly what you need on every case, every pallet, and every bill of lading before anything leaves your dock.

For the complete and most current standards, the full Secondary Packaging Supply Chain Standards document is available at corporate.walmart.com. For labeling questions, email logpkg@wal-mart.com.

Note: This is a general overview. Always consult Walmart's official Secondary Packaging Supply Chain Standards and your Retail Link resources for the most current requirements.

How Does Walmart Enforce Labeling Requirements?

Walmart tracks labeling compliance through the Supplier Quality Excellence Program, known as SQEP. The program evaluates inbound quality across three phases, and labeling sits squarely in Phase 2.

Phase 2 focuses on three defect types:

• Barcode compliance: wrong format, incorrect quantity of barcodes, incorrect barcode, or missing barcode entirely

• Label compliance: incorrect quantity, missing or incorrect item description, item number, or supplier stock number

• Hazmat compliance: hazmat label missing or covered

When Walmart's receiving team identifies a defect, it is logged against your supplier account. Suppliers may be required to offset the cost of any additional handling, rework, or sorting of their defects caused at the DC. The program is designed to drive what Walmart calls a zero-based mindset on inbound quality.

What Are the Barcode Requirements for Every Case?

Every case shipped to a Walmart DC must carry barcodes in an approved format, and those barcodes must appear on at least two sides of the case. This is one of the most commonly flagged defects in SQEP.

The three approved barcode formats at Walmart are:

14-digit Orderable GTIN (ITF-14): This is the primary case barcode for general merchandise. It encodes the item's 14-digit Global Trade Item Number and must match the item setup in Walmart's Online Item File or Item 360 exactly. If your VNPK GTIN does not match the item setup, it is flagged as an incorrect barcode defect.

GS1-128: This barcode carries additional data elements, including lot numbers, expiration dates, and serial shipping container codes. It is required for specific product types and for ASN shipping labels.

ITF-14: Required for orderable GTINs on cases shipping into standard distribution centers.

SQEP defect triggers for barcodes:

• Barcodes not present on at least two sides of the case

• No barcode found on the case at all. The wrong barcode format was used

• Barcode does not match the item setup in the system

The barcode guidance was updated in August 2025 to add specific requirements for food and beverage items, and shallow cases now have their own barcode placement guidance. Check the current version of the Secondary Packaging Supply Chain Standards before assuming your previous setup still qualifies.

What Must Appear on General Case Markings?

Beyond the barcode, Walmart requires specific text markings on every case. These markings must appear so receiving teams can identify and process the product accurately without needing to scan or open the case.

Required general case markings include:

• Item description printed on the case

• Required product date or sell-by date, where applicable

• Item number and supplier stock number for applicable product types

For mixed merchandise cases, a STOP label is required. The STOP label must include the verbiage "Mixed Merchandise | Receive as Breakpack." If the label is missing or does not include the correct verbiage, it is flagged as a label compliance defect. For master pack cases, the STOP label must list the Walmart item number.

What Are the Case Shipping Label Requirements?

The case shipping label is a separate requirement from the case markings. It is the machine-readable label applied to the outside of the case that feeds Walmart's receiving and inventory systems.

Walmart uses a domestic case shipping label format that includes:

• Ship-to DC number and address

• Supplier information

• Purchase order number

• Item GTIN

• Quantity

• SSCC number where required

For DSDC shipments specifically, each case must carry an ASN label containing the SSCC barcode. A missing SSCC label on a DSDC case is a Phase 1 SQEP defect classified as No ASN Label.

For questions specifically about carton labels, bills of lading, and UPC numbers, Walmart directs suppliers to email logpkg@wal-mart.com.

What Are the Pallet Label Requirements?

Pallet labels are a Phase 3 SQEP compliance item. A missing shipping label on a pallet is logged as a pallet labeling defect and counted against your SQEP score.

Walmart requires pallet shipping labels on pallets going to destination DCs. There are separate label formats for different shipment types:

For Grocery Consolidation Center shipments, the standard rule is one PO per pallet. Product will not be down-stacked at the GCC. It remains intact as it moves through the crossdock, which means your pallet build and labeling must be correct before the load departs.

What Are the BOL Requirements?

The bill of lading is one of the most referenced documents in Walmart's payment and compliance process. Walmart's preferred format is the VICS Standard Bill of Lading. A blank version is available through a web search for VICS Bill of Lading.

Required information on every BOL:

• Ship from and ship to address (the ship-to name format must include the 4-digit destination ID)

• 8-digit Walmart load number from Routing Status

• Bill of lading number if different from the load ID

• Carrier information, including SCAC code, pro number, trailer number, and seal number

• Freight charge term must be marked Collect for collect shipments

• Purchase order number

• Number of cases per PO

• Weight per PO

• PO type and department number

• Whether the product is unitized on pallets or slip sheets

• Must Arrive By Date (the MABD is the expected DC delivery date)

• Destination number from Routing Status

• Shipper's signature confirming BOL accuracy

• Trailer loaded and freight counted, marked "By Shipper."

A critical detail: if a BOL is not marked Collect on a collect shipment, the supplier becomes responsible for the freight payment terms. This is an avoidable error that costs suppliers money they should not be losing.

For LTL shipments, multiple POs shipping the same day to the same DC must be listed on the same BOL. The BOL must include the load's actual total weight and cube.

For consolidation (CP) loads, Walmart requires both a master BOL for the total tender and individual BOLs for each final destination. Drivers must only sign the master BOL. The individual BOLs go into an envelope labeled with the consolidation facility's ID from Routing Status.

What Are the ASN Label Requirements?

The Advance Ship Notice label, which carries the SSCC barcode, is mandatory for shipments into DSDC and pharmacy distribution centers. The SSCC is the Serial Shipping Container Code and acts as the unique identifier for each case in Walmart's receiving system.

SQEP tracks three ASN-related defects:

1. No ASN received: The ASN was not sent by the supplier before the PO arrived at the DC

2. ASN error: The ASN data failed Walmart's business validations

3. Late ASN: The ASN was sent after the PO arrived at the receiving DC

For DSDC shipments specifically, if the ASN label is missing from a case, that is a Phase 1 defect called No ASN Label. If the ASN failed to download, that is a separate defect called ASN Not Downloaded.

The best practice from Walmart's own guidance is to send the ASN when the truck leaves your dock, not when it arrives at the DC.

What Happens When Labels Do Not Match Your Item File?

This is where most labeling problems start. If your barcode does not match what is in Walmart's Online Item File or Item 360, it does not matter whether the label itself is correct. The system will flag it as an incorrect barcode defect.

Your item file setup in Walmart's systems controls how every downstream process handles your product. If the VNPK GTIN on your case label does not match the item setup, Walmart's DC cannot automatically receive the product. That creates manual handling, which Walmart charges back to the supplier.

Before you ship:

1. Confirm your GTIN is registered correctly in Walmart's item file

2. Verify the barcode format matches the approved format for your product type

3. Check that the barcode appears on at least two sides of every case

4. Confirm your ASN data matches the physical shipment before the truck leaves

If you have item file compliance issues, the contact for WERCS support is wmuscoitem@walmart.com.

What Are the Labeling Requirements for Specialty Product Types?

Walmart has separate, more detailed labeling requirements for several product categories. Each has its own standards document within the Secondary Packaging Supply Chain Standards.

For hazmat specifically, a covered or missing hazmat label is a Phase 2 SQEP defect. Given the regulatory requirements around hazmat transport, this is one area where defects can escalate beyond a standard chargeback.

Stop Letting Labeling Errors Drain Your SQEP Score

A labeling defect on a single shipment costs you a chargeback. Repeated labeling defects cost you your SQEP standing, and a poor SQEP score affects how Walmart views your account overall.

The suppliers who stay clean on labeling compliance are the ones who treat each shipment as an audit. They check barcodes against item file data, confirm label placement on two sides, verify pallet labels are correct before loading, and send ASNs before the truck leaves the dock.

That level of consistency is hard to maintain manually at volume. iNymbus helps Walmart suppliers automate the detection, documentation, and dispute process for SQEP chargebacks and labeling deductions, so your team spends time fixing the root cause instead of chasing individual claims.

Ready to get ahead of Walmart chargebacks? Schedule a free demo with the iNymbus team today.