Checklist template

Trade spend and promotional proof-of-performance audit

A ready-to-use checklist with 115 items in 6 sections, covering Agreement terms, Evidence, Dates, Pricing, Deductions, Disputes. Use it as-is in Bindy, or adapt it to your own standards in minutes.

  • 6 Sections
  • 115 Items
  • 80 Yes / No checks
  • 6 Scored ratings
  • 110 Points

Use this template How audits work

1. Agreement terms 19 items

  1. Type of promotion audited Choice
    • Temporary price reduction
    • Display or endcap
    • Ad or flyer feature
    • Scan-down or scan-back
    • Digital or loyalty offer
  2. Promotion or deal number audited Short text
  3. The auditor has the signed promotion agreement or deal sheet for this event at hand Yes / No 1 pt
  4. The agreement lists the items covered by item number or UPC Yes / No 1 pt
  5. The agreement names the banners or the stores that must perform Yes / No 1 pt
  6. The agreement states the promoted retail price or the highest price the shopper may be charged Yes / No 1 pt
  7. The agreement states the type of display and the number of displays required per store Yes / No 1 pt
  8. The agreement states the ad placement paid for (front page, inside block or line listing) Yes / No 1 pt
  9. The agreement states what proof the retailer must supply before funding is paid Yes / No 1 pt
  10. The agreement states how the funding is paid: off invoice, bill-back, scan-based or lump sum Yes / No 1 pt
  11. The agreement is signed by the retailer's buyer or category manager Yes / No 1 pt
  12. The agreement was approved inside the company at the level its amount requires Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Both signatures on the agreement are dated before the first day of the event Yes / No 1 pt
  14. This store is on the list of stores required to perform Yes / No 1 pt
  15. The store received the event from its head office in the ad plan, the display plan or the price file Yes / No 1 pt
  16. The department manager could name the promoted items without being shown the agreement Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Stores required to perform under the agreement Number
  18. Funding committed to the event (dollars) Number
  19. Clarity of the performance requirements in the agreement Rating
    • Items, dates, price and proof are all stated 5 pts
    • One requirement is left open 3 pts
    • Requirements are vague or verbal only 1 pt

2. Evidence 20 items

  1. The retailer's proof for this event (tear sheet, display photos or scan report) was obtained before the visit Yes / No 1 pt
  2. The display required by the agreement is built in this store Yes / No 1 pt
  3. The display stands in the type of location paid for (endcap, lobby, front of aisle or checkout) Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Display photos supplied by the retailer show this store's fixtures and layout, not another store of the banner Yes / No 1 pt
  5. The display holds at least the opening quantity named in the agreement Yes / No 1 pt
  6. The tear sheet supplied by the retailer is from the ad zone this store belongs to Yes / No 1 pt
  7. The feature appears in the retailer's printed or digital flyer for the week audited Yes / No 1 pt
  8. A third-party or retailer compliance report, where the agreement names one as proof, covers this store Yes / No 1 pt
  9. The size and position of the ad match what was paid for Yes / No 1 pt
  10. The store's display schedule or the department manager confirms the display for each week already claimed Yes / No 1 pt
  11. The auditor's photo shows the display, its price sign and a store landmark in the same frame Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Audit photos were taken in the company's app, which stamps the time and the location on each one Yes / No 1 pt
  13. The digital coupon or loyalty offer paid for is live in the retailer's app on the day of the audit Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Evidence collected today was filed under the promotion number in the trade promotion system the same day Yes / No 1 pt
  15. The store received the promotional stock ordered for the event, per the receiving record or the department manager Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Photos or tear sheets the retailer supplied for earlier weeks of the event show this banner and this event, not an older one Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Displays required in this store by the agreement Number
  18. Displays found in this store Number
  19. Cases of promoted product on the display Number
  20. Performance found in this store Rating
    • Everything paid for is in place 5 pts
    • In place, with shortfalls in quantity, location or signage 3 pts
    • Paid for and not performed 1 pt

3. Dates 17 items

  1. First day of the performance period in the agreement Date
  2. Last day of the performance period in the agreement Date
  3. Date the promotion started in this store, from the tag print date or the store's price-change report Date
  4. The store's price-change report shows the promoted price starting on or before the first day of the period Yes / No 1 pt
  5. The display was built by the first day of the period, per the store's display schedule or the department manager Yes / No 1 pt
  6. The display has stayed up, or is scheduled to stay up, for the number of weeks paid for Yes / No 1 pt
  7. The ad week printed on the tear sheet falls inside the performance period Yes / No 1 pt
  8. The retailer's display photos or scan report are dated inside the performance period Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Where the store performed on fewer days than were paid for, the missing days were recorded for the claim review Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Purchases at the deal cost were made only inside the buying window of the agreement Yes / No 1 pt
  11. The quantity bought at the deal cost is in line with the promoted sales, with no forward buy beyond the weeks the agreement allows Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Scan data submitted for payment covers only the days of the performance period Yes / No 1 pt
  13. No other funded event on the same items overlaps this period, unless the agreement says so Yes / No 1 pt
  14. A change of dates asked for by the retailer was confirmed in writing before the event Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Days in the performance period Number
  16. Days of the period on which this store performed Number
  17. Timing of the store's performance Rating
    • Performed for the full period 5 pts
    • Started late or ended early by a few days 3 pts
    • Missed half of the period or more 1 pt

4. Pricing 18 items

  1. Promoted price in the agreement (dollars) Number
  2. Price on the shelf tag of the item checked (dollars) Number
  3. Price charged at the register for the item checked (dollars) Number
  4. Regular shelf price before the event, from the store's price history (dollars) Number
  5. Promoted items scanned at the register during the audit Number
  6. Promoted items that rang above the agreed price Number
  7. The price on the shelf tag is at or below the promoted price in the agreement Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Every flavor and size covered by the agreement rings at the promoted price Yes / No 1 pt
  9. The discount per unit given to the shopper is at least the funding per unit paid by the company, where the agreement requires full pass-through Yes / No 1 pt
  10. The store's price history shows the promoted price on every day of the period, with no return to the regular price in between Yes / No 1 pt
  11. For scan-down funding, the register price dropped by at least the scan-down amount per unit Yes / No 1 pt
  12. The same units were not also funded by a second deal or a manufacturer coupon, unless the agreement allows stacking Yes / No 1 pt
  13. The register receipt of the auditor's test purchase was kept as proof of the price charged Yes / No 1 pt
  14. The discount to the shopper is at least the depth the agreement requires Yes / No 1 pt
  15. The regular price was not raised in the 4 weeks before the event Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Each overcharge found was recorded by item, with the difference per unit, for the claim review Yes / No 1 pt
  17. After a wrong price was found, the store corrected it in the price file before the auditor left Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Price accuracy on the promoted items Rating
    • Every item rang at the agreed price 5 pts
    • One item wrong, corrected during the visit 3 pts
    • The promoted price was not given to shoppers 1 pt

5. Deductions 21 items

  1. How the retailer claimed the funding Choice
    • Deduction from an invoice payment
    • Bill-back invoice
    • Off-invoice allowance
    • Scan data claim
    • Not claimed yet
  2. Each deduction or claim for this event quotes the promotion or deal number Yes / No 1 pt
  3. The proof required by the agreement is attached to the claim (ad tear sheet, scan report or display photos) Yes / No 1 pt
  4. The rate per unit or per case on the claim matches the agreement Yes / No 1 pt
  5. The amount claimed equals the rate multiplied by the units on the claim Yes / No 1 pt
  6. For scan-based funding, the units claimed are units sold at the register, not units shipped to the store Yes / No 1 pt
  7. The units claimed for this store agree with the store's item movement report for the period Yes / No 1 pt
  8. The claim covers only items listed in the agreement Yes / No 1 pt
  9. The claim covers only stores required to perform Yes / No 1 pt
  10. The event was claimed once: no deduction and bill-back for the same performance Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Cases that already received an off-invoice allowance were not claimed again by bill-back Yes / No 1 pt
  12. The claim was made inside the claim window of the agreement Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Total claims to date are within the funding committed to the event Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Handling fees or penalties that are not in the agreement were left out of the claim Yes / No 1 pt
  15. The deduction was matched to the promotion in the trade promotion system before it was cleared Yes / No 1 pt
  16. The person who cleared the deduction is not the sales representative who sold the promotion Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Amount claimed for the event to date (dollars) Number
  18. Amount supported by the evidence reviewed (dollars) Number
  19. Units claimed for this store Number
  20. Units sold in this store during the period, from the store's movement report Number
  21. Support for the amount claimed Rating
    • Fully supported by the agreement and the proof 5 pts
    • Partly supported 3 pts
    • Unsupported or claimed twice 1 pt

6. Disputes 20 items

  1. Non-performance found during this audit was shown to the store manager or the department manager Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Non-performance was reported to the account manager within one business day Yes / No 1 pt
  3. A dispute was opened for each unsupported amount inside the dispute window of the retailer Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Each dispute file holds the agreement, the audit photos and the price check results Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Each open dispute on this account has a named owner Yes / No 1 pt
  6. The retailer's buyer was told of each dispute in writing Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Disputes open for more than 90 days have been escalated to sales management Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Amounts the retailer repaid were applied to the promotion they belong to Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Each write-off of a disputed amount was approved at the level company policy requires Yes / No 1 pt
  10. No disputed amount was written off only because the dispute window had passed Yes / No 1 pt
  11. A reason code is recorded for each invalid deduction (no proof, wrong rate, wrong dates, not performed, duplicate) Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Repeated non-performance by this store or banner was raised at the last account review Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Findings of the previous proof-of-performance audit of this account are closed Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Open disputed deductions on this account Number
  15. Value of the open disputed deductions (dollars) Number
  16. Age of the oldest open dispute (days) Number
  17. Name of the store manager or department manager met Short text
  18. Name of the account manager responsible for the agreement Short text
  19. Overall result of the audit for this event Rating
    • Performed as paid for and claimed correctly 5 pts
    • Performed, with errors in the claim or minor shortfalls 3 pts
    • Funding paid or claimed without performance 1 pt
  20. Findings, amounts to recover and corrective actions Comments

About this template

This checklist is part of the Bindy template library. Yes / No checks score 1 point when met; ratings score the points shown for each option. The overall score is the percentage of points earned, with N/A answers excluded. In Bindy you can add photos, assign corrective actions, require sign-off and compare results across sites.

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