At a glance
This card tracks the share of seller-fulfilled orders dispatched after their estimated ship date over the selected period. Walmart penalises late dispatches with bid-visibility cuts above its lower penalty threshold and account-suspension risk when the rate stays high. Sellers watch it because the on-time dispatch SLA is the account-health KPI most easily broken by everyday warehouse hiccups.
| What it counts | The percentage of seller-fulfilled Walmart orders dispatched after their estimated ship date in the selected period. |
| Sample type | Backend API data from Walmart Marketplace, refreshed on the standard data refresh. |
| Why it matters | Late dispatches breach Walmart’s on-time SLA, triggering bid-visibility cuts and, if sustained, suspension risk and loss of Pro Seller status. |
| Reading the value | Lower is better; a reading above the alert threshold means dispatches are slipping into Walmart’s penalty zone. |
| Currency | percent |
| Time window | 30D vsP |
| Alert trigger | >1% (Walmart penalty threshold) |
| Sentiment key | wal_late_dispatch_rate |
| Roles | owner, operations |
Calculation
Vortex IQ divides orders dispatched after their estimated ship date by total seller-fulfilled orders over the selected window and compares against the prior period for direction. The figure is shown as a gauge against Walmart’s published penalty threshold. As the At a glance summary notes, the lower penalty line drives visibility cuts while sustained high rates risk suspension; the worked example below shows how a short operational disruption can move the rate.Worked example
A representative reading of Late Dispatch Rate for a typical merchant on Walmart Marketplace. Over the 30 days to 12 Mar 26 a seller sees Late Dispatch Rate climb from a representative 0.6% to 1.4%, above Walmart’s penalty threshold and up versus the prior period. The spike traces back to a two-day carrier pickup gap mid-month. The reading means the on-time SLA is now in the penalty zone and search visibility is at risk, so the action is to clear the backlog, add a backup carrier for peak days, and watch the rolling rate fall back under the threshold. For deeper investigation, use Vortex Mind to trace upstream causes; for natural-language exploration, ask Ask Viq.Sibling cards merchants should reference together
| Card | Why merchants reach for it |
|---|---|
wal_sla_compliance | The positive mirror of this rate; shows on-time SLA headroom. |
wal_alert_dispatch_sla_miss | Lists the specific open orders about to push this rate higher. |
wal_pending_dispatch | The dispatch queue that determines whether the rate will rise. |
wal_cancellation_rate | The sibling account-health KPI often affected by the same disruptions. |
wal_alert_account_health_drop | The composite tripwire that fires when this rate breaches. |
Reconciling against Walmart Seller Center
Where to look in Walmart Seller Center: Verify against the Performance or Scorecard area, where Walmart reports on-time dispatch and the penalty threshold currently applied, and the Order Management area for the underlying late orders. The scorecard shows how the rate maps to your account-health standing. Why the Vortex IQ value may legitimately differ:| Reason | Direction | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Period boundary. Vortex IQ uses 30D vsP rolling by default; Seller Center may use calendar periods. | Variable | Match the period range. |
| Time zone. Seller Center uses the account time zone; Vortex IQ aligns to the merchant reporting time zone. | Marginal | Confirm time zone match. |
| Filter scope. Profile-level filters (fulfilment type, test orders) may narrow the Vortex IQ view. | Variable | Match filter settings. |