# Supplier return records retention timeline | SourceX

Canonical: https://refer.sourcex.si/guides/preserve-supplier-return-authorization-records
Last updated: 2026-10-18

Before a supplier renegotiation, inventory supplier return history by when each record could disappear, not by how much of it there is. Inspection notes and rejection reasons on the supplier's portal usually go first, because a new contract can change the portal, the account or the access terms. Appeal emails go next, when buyers change roles. ERP return orders, credit memos, write-offs and AP matches tend to last longest, under the company's own retention schedule. For each, record the owner, the years covered, the real access date and who must approve keeping it.

This retention timeline is part of the [supplier return authorization guide](/guides/workflow-supplier-return-authorization). It helps a retail finance advisor see which parts of a return history are about to fade, and who has the authority to act before they do.

## Why a renegotiation is an access event

A supplier renegotiation looks like a commercial event. For return records it is also an access event. A new agreement can bring:

- **A new supplier portal or account**, so past RMAs and inspection reports are no longer visible to the buyer.
- **New return terms**, such as a return allowance replacing unit-by-unit inspections, so the old type of record stops being created.
- **New contacts on both sides**, so the people who argued past appeals and remember the context move on.
- **A changed credit format**, so old and new credit memos no longer line up.

Each change can strand old records without anyone choosing to discard them. Real urgency here is a documented date: the contract end, the portal cutover or a departing category manager's last day.

## The retention timeline

Read the table top to bottom as "first to fade" to "last to fade". Retention periods vary by company; ask the owner for the actual rule rather than assuming one.

| Order | Record | Usually held in | What ends it | How long it tends to last | Who approves keeping context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inspection notes and rejection reasons | Supplier portal or supplier email | Portal change or account closure at renegotiation | Until the supplier's portal access ends, which the company does not control | Legal or procurement lead, under the portal terms |
| 2 | RMA as issued by the supplier | Supplier portal | Same as above | Same as above, unless mirrored in the ERP | Legal or procurement lead |
| 3 | Appeal correspondence | Buyer and category manager mailboxes | Role changes and mailbox retention rules | As long as the mailbox policy allows | IT and the merchandise operations director |
| 4 | Return order and shipment | ERP, warehouse system | Company retention schedule, ERP migration | Typically years, per the company schedule | Finance controller |
| 5 | Credit memos | Supplier side, then ERP | Company retention schedule | Often tied to tax and audit periods | Finance controller |
| 6 | Write-off approvals and AP match | ERP or finance workflow | Company retention schedule | Often tied to tax and audit periods | Finance controller |

Tax rules give a floor for some of these records, not all. The IRS generally suggests keeping tax records for three years, seven years where a bad debt deduction is claimed, and notes that records may need to be kept longer for other purposes such as insurers or creditors. Credit memos and write-offs often support tax figures; inspection notes usually do not, so they follow other rules.

## An Illustrative timeline for one supplier

A fictional 450-person outdoor equipment retailer renegotiates with its largest tent supplier. All dates are invented.

| Month | Event | Effect on return records |
|---|---|---|
| Month 0 | New agreement signed; return allowance replaces unit inspections from month 6 | No new inspection reports after month 6 |
| Month 3 | Category manager who handled appeals moves to another division | Appeal threads stay in a mailbox nobody reads |
| Month 6 | Supplier moves the retailer to a new portal account | Pre-month-6 RMAs and inspection notes no longer visible to buyers |
| Month 9 | Retailer's mailbox policy deletes inactive mailboxes after a set period | Appeal threads at risk unless kept under policy |
| Later years | Company retention schedule reaches its end for older credits and write-offs | ERP records deleted on schedule, as the policy requires |

The point of the inventory is the gap between month 0 and month 6. That is when the people with authority can decide, within the company's policies and the supplier's terms, whether any context should be kept. A partner's job is to make sure they know the date, not to make the decision.

## Four questions per record

For every row in the timeline, ask the same four metadata questions and write the answers in one line.

1. **What record classes exist?** For example, "RMAs, inspection reports, two credit memos per split return".
2. **How many years do they cover?** Note any break, such as a previous ERP.
3. **Who owns the system?** The company, the supplier, or both.
4. **What is the actual date access could change?** A contract end, a portal cutover or a policy deletion, taken from a document rather than a plan.

ERP records are the easiest to describe because their structure is documented. In NetSuite with Advanced Shipping, a vendor return authorization moves from Pending Approval to Pending Return to Pending Credit, so status history alone shows how far each return got. On SAP Business Network, a supplier creates the credit memo and can reduce the price for damaged items, which is why the supplier-side memo and the ERP copy should both be noted. The [metadata-only NetSuite inventory template](/resources/a-metadata-only-netsuite-inventory-template-for-company-introductions) gives a format for the ERP lines, and the [system map](/guides/supplier-return-authorization-records-across-systems) shows how the RMA number links them.

## Limits the partner must respect

Do not suggest that the company copy supplier-portal content it has no right to keep, or retain anything its own retention schedule says to delete. Record the limit and move on. Never take exports, screenshots or portal logins. If a regulatory or contract change could affect what can be licensed later, [change-in-law clauses in AI data licenses](/questions/ai-data-license-change-in-law) explain how agreements handle it, and a broader operational handover is covered in the [customer support transition plan](/guides/outsourcing-customer-support-transition-plan).

The introduced company needs 50+ full-time employees at peak (contractors excluded), documented operating history, rights to license and an authorized contact. Companies in the U.S., Canada and the EU qualify, as do companies in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, India, Singapore, South Africa, Latin America, the UAE and Saudi Arabia when at least 90% of the data is in English. Unknown until SourceX reviews it: whether supplier-held records can be included, which years a buyer would want and any offer. The [licensing authority tree](/questions/who-can-license-supplier-return-authorization-records) names who should receive the introduction; [supplier expediting](/data-types/supplier-expediting-process) and the [industries hub](/industries) cover related records.

## Next step

> **Refer a company. Earn up to $100,000.** Default reward: 25% of Actual Supplier Payout, capped at $100,000 cumulatively per referred company. Eligibility and payment conditions apply, and a signed Schedule A or addendum can differ. A lead, meeting or signature alone does not trigger payment.

If a retailer has a dated supplier renegotiation ahead and years of split-return history it controls, [register as a partner](/register), check the company against [who qualifies](/who-qualifies) and read the [program terms](/terms) before the access date passes.

## Sources

- https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/how-long-should-i-keep-records
- https://docs.oracle.com/en/cloud/saas/netsuite/ns-online-help/section_N2387708.html
- https://help.sap.com/docs/business-network-for-trading-partners/creating-and-managing-invoices-credit-memos-and-debit-memos/93c8bb94b2eb4317ba270bb6a12d0919.html
- https://refer.sourcex.si/terms