Understand how SPS Commerce reviews your POD to determine whether a CVS shortage deduction looks valid or likely invalid.

When you recieve a shortage deduction from CVS, SPS Commerce reviews the Proof of Delivery (POD) attached to that shipment to help you understand your position before you dispute. We check the POD against a set of scenarios, in priority order from top to bottom. The first scenario that matches your POD determines the validity assessment and the default dispute message that populates your case.

Overage, No Shortage Noted
Applies when the stamp is signed showing 0 cases "short" but any amount of "overage."
​Default message: "Based on the provided POD, we see no indications of a shortage and a (x) case overage. Please review receiving records and repay the shortage."

No Shortage on Stamp
Applies when the stamp is signed with 0 cases noted as "short," including cases where the stamp is signed but the shortage field is left blank (null).
​Default message: "Based on the provided POD, the stamp appears to be signed without any indication of a shortage. We believe there may have been receiving errors. Please repay the deduction."

Full Overage Offset of Shortage
Applies when the overage recorded on the stamp fully matches the shortage (for example, 4 cases short and 4 cases overage).
​Default message: "Review the provided POD and repay the shortage based on the matching overage. We believe a receiving error or overage substitution should result in repayment of this deduction."

Partial Shortage Offset by Overage
Applies when the overage recorded on the stamp only partially matches the shortage (for example, 4 cases short and 2 cases overage).
​Default message: "We are seeking partial repayment of this deduction based on the (x) case overage which covers a portion of the x case shortage on the provided POD."

Partial Shortage Noted
Applies when the stamp shows a smaller shortage than the amount CVS deducted (for example, 2 cases marked short on the stamp vs. 4 cases deducted).
​Default message: "Please repay the partial shortage discrepancy based on the provided POD. We see only a (x) case shortage on the file compared to a x case deduction from CVS."

Since only one scenario applies per deduction, SPS Commerce checks them in the order above and stops at the first match — so an overage with no shortage noted (top of the list) always takes priority over a partial shortage match further down, even if both conditions technically appear on the same POD.

If a deduction does not map to one of the above invalid scenarios, the deduction will map to Likely Valid or Validity Unclear. Where a true shortage is found, Likely Valid will be assigned to the deduction. If there is no stamp or inconclusive data, Validity Unclear will be assigned.