Receiving Guidelines

Updated June 04, 2026 20:57

This article covers LVK's receiving guidelines, best practices, and key policies for shipping inventory to our warehouses.

Receiving Charges

Charged an unloading fee + palletization fee (labor & materials included) + a carton fee for any individual cartons remaining after palletization.

Single SKU pallet: Charged per pallet.
Single SKU, mixed lot pallet: Charge based on carton quantity per SKU/lot — either the end count of built-out pallets after breakdown, or the carton count if less than a full pallet's worth of the same SKU/lot.
Mixed SKU pallet: Charge based on carton quantity per SKU — either the end count of built-out pallets after breakdown, or the carton count if less than a full pallet's worth of the same SKU.

All Shipping Plans (SPs) are spot-checked for accuracy.
LVK checks at least one carton per SKU. If accurate, the remaining cartons are assumed correct and received in full per the SP at no charge. LVK is not liable for underage/overage within 1.5% on SPs that pass the spot check.
If a carton count is inaccurate, LVK will count the entire SP. The merchant is responsible for labor costs: $45/hr (US) or $63/hr (CA), with a 15-minute minimum.
If a merchant's SPs or vendors consistently fail spot checks, a full count will always be required and charged accordingly.

Received inventory is placed into a pickable bin location for order fulfillment, with overflow going into overstock pallet locations.

Standard sizes:

Bin: 18" x 12" x 12" (1.5 cu ft)
Pallet (by warehouse):
- ABE: 40" x 48" x 63" (70 cu ft)
- DFW: 40" x 48" x 57" (63 cu ft)
- JAX: 40" x 48" x 48" (53 cu ft)
- LAS: 40" x 48" x 60" (67 cu ft)
- SLC: 40" x 48" x 52" (58 cu ft)
- YYZ: 40" x 48" x 60" (67 cu ft)
- YVR: 40" x 48" x 57" (63 cu ft)

LVK cannot guarantee how many units will fit in a bin or pallet. The warehouse allocates inventory at its discretion.

Each product must have a unique SKU created on your sales channel. Products arriving without SKUs incur a relabeling fee of $0.25 USD / $0.34 CAD per unit.
All products or case products must have clear, scannable barcodes.

Before sending Hazmat products, provide LVK with the MSDS file so we can apply the correct label and carrier mapping.

Visible lot numbers and/or expiration dates must be included so LVK can track the product.
Lot & Expiration tracking is $500 USD / $719 CAD per month.

LVK only stores and packs fragile items that arrive pre-packed in a sealed, barcoded protective box.

Items arriving loose or unsealed will be returned to the manufacturer or merchant at the merchant's expense.
SKUs requiring bubble wrap or similar protection: $0.50 (US) / $0.67 CAD per unit per order.
Geami paper: $1.85 per order. More info.

LVK does not assume liability for fragile items damaged during receiving, storing, processing, or shipping.

Shipping Plans may be subject to automatic fees if any of the following apply:

No receiving appointment scheduled.
No Shipping Plan created.
Delivery is missing clear pallet or carton tags.
Cases and/or units are missing scannable barcodes. More about master case barcodes.
Incomplete packing slip or unit count.
SKUs have incorrect or missing barcodes.
Mixed SKUs in one box without a clear label and physical separation (dividers or poly). Applies to all boxes, including those on pallets.
Mixed SKUs or lots on pallets without identification on the carton or pallet label.
Fewer than 25 units per SKU on the shipping plan with a Rock Returns integration.
Pallets exceed inbound height restriction: max 63" tall; no double-stacked skids.

LVK reserves the right to reject inventory that does not follow our receiving guidelines.

Non-compliant Shipping Plans are subject to the following automatic fees:

1st Offense: $35 fine per non-compliant SP, plus any labor and supply costs to bring the delivery into compliance.
2nd Offense: $75 fine per non-compliant SP, plus any labor and supply costs.
3rd Offense: $125 fine per non-compliant SP, plus any labor and supply costs.
Continued offenses: $125 per SP.
With a Rock Returns integration, non-compliant SPs are charged $1 per unit to receive.

When creating your Shipping Plan, a pop-up will alert you about potential fees.

Q: What if I want LVK to count my SP in full every time instead of a spot check?

A: Full counts are available at $45/hr (US) or $63 CAD/hr (CA), with a 15-minute minimum. Submit a ticket to set this up.

Q: Why is LVK implementing this policy?

A: To maintain accurate inventory across our warehouses, we charge merchants who send inaccurate inventory.