UNFI · Dispute Center
How to dispute UNFI deductions
UNFI disputes run through the Dispute Center in the supplier portal. Here's how to submit one that gets a tracking number and a real review.
Check which deductions are worth disputing first: upload a remittance or Dispute Center export to the UNFI Natural (Dispute Center) analyzer, or a deduction document from ePASS to the UNFI Conventional (ePASS) analyzer.
Step 1 — Find the payment or adjustment
Every natural-deduction dispute starts from a payment or an adjustment in the portal. Locate the item by its payment or adjustment number using the UNFI Dispute Center search bar.
Step 2 — Gather your backup
Match the evidence to the deduction type. For a shortage, a signed BOL or proof of delivery is decisive. For a pricing dispute, it's the PO and deal sheet. For an MCB, request the backup by emailing [email protected] — UNFI sends supporting detail on a weekly cadence.
Step 3 — Submit in the Dispute Center
Open a dispute against the payment or adjustment, attach your documentation, and state why the deduction is invalid and what you're owed. UNFI responds with a tracking number within about two business days.
Step 4 — Track, respond, and appeal
Dispute statuses update weekly, usually by email. Most disputes resolve within 30–45 days. If a valid dispute is denied, use the appeal path in the Dispute Center — a denial isn't always the end, but the window still applies.
The UNFI dispute form was replaced by the Dispute Center
UNFI Natural disputes used to go in on an emailed Excel dispute form. They now go through the Dispute Center on myUNFI (the Go To Dispute Center button on the dashboard), where each one gets a tracking number. A few kinds still go by email, per UNFI's Dispute Center Training Manual:
- Cash terms and early-pay discounts, short payments, prepayments and unpaid invoices: email [email protected].
- Third-party audit claims: the audit firm (SAS Recovery or PRGX).
- Missing backup: the Dispute Center holds none; UNFI emails it with your check remittance. Request what's missing from [email protected], subject BACKUP REQUEST.
UNFI Natural allows 12 months from the date a deduction is taken; after that it's final. UNFI recommends filing within 60 days. On UNFI Conventional (SV Harbor), disputes aren't filed here at all: you open a pass in ePASS. Not sure which side you're on? See UNFI Conventional vs Natural.
What makes disputes fail
- No proof of delivery on a shortage.
- Filing after the window has closed.
- Disputing valid, authorized MCBs or contractual Fair Share allowances.
- Not requesting MCB backup, so the claim can't be reconciled.
Recover what's yours
Not sure which UNFI deductions are worth disputing?
Upload your remittance — we'll categorize every line, flag the disputable ones, and estimate what's recoverable before you open a single dispute.