WERCSmart Overview
All products that are or contain a chemical, pesticide, aerosol, or battery (battery types identified below) must be registered with WERCSmart (WERCS). The following FAQs will help you understand WERCS and how you can start the process of getting your items approved for sale on Walmart.com.
1. Why do I have to register my product with WERCSmart (WERCS)?
WERCSmart assessments allow Walmart to understand when products are regulated and the appropriate means for handling, transport, storage, and disposal. This also helps support our environmental sustainability efforts and commitment to complying with all federal, state, and local regulations.
2. Which products require a WERCS assessment?
If you are still unsure whether you need to register your product with WERCS after reading the definitions below, please reach out to your Category Specialist.
Walmart's definition of a chemical, aerosol, pesticide and battery/battery-containing product requiring a WERCS assessment is outlined below:
- Chemical is defined by Walmart to include any item of merchandise that contains a powder, gel, paste or liquid that is not intended for human consumption. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Chemical also includes the following item types that are intended for human consumption, inhalation, or absorption, or labeled with Drug Facts or Supplement Facts:
- All over-the-counter medications, including: lozenges, pills or capsules (e.g., pain relievers; vitamins and supplements); medicated swabs, wipes, bandages, acne medication and sunscreen; medicated patches (such as nicotine patches); liquids (e.g., cough medicine, eye/ear drops, nasal spray and inhalers); medicated shampoos, gums, ointments and creams; lip balm, lip creams and petroleum jelly; contraceptive foam, films and spermicides; and product/equipment sold with chemicals (e.g., vaporizer sold with medication) and electronic cigarettes.
- Aerosol is defined by Walmart to include any item of merchandise that contains a compressed gas or propellant (including bag-on-valve and other pressurized designs).
- Battery or battery-containing product is defined by Walmart to include any item of merchandise that is a battery or any component of merchandise, including reusable packaging intended to stay in use with the item, containing a battery of any chemistry/type. Only lithium or lead-acid batteries should be submitted to WERCS.
- Pesticide is defined by Walmart to include any item of merchandise which is advertised or claims to kill, repel or prevent the growth of any living organism (e.g., anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal).
3. In what format does the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) need to be?
SDS documents must be consistent with the United Nations' Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). If not available, Suppliers may purchase the SDS authoring service from UL WERC. Basic authoring is included in premium subscriptions. Limited or standard subscriptions require an additional fee.
4. When should I begin the WERCS process?
Walmart item numbers cannot be created until completion of a WERC assessment. To avoid delays during the item setup process, you must register the item with WERCS prior to setup. Items requiring a WERCS assessment will be placed on hold until the assessment is completed. Items setup without a WERCS assessment will be unpublished or pulled from shelves until the WERCS assessment is received.
5. What is the normal turnaround time?
Assessments are typically completed within 48 hours, dependent upon the completeness, accuracy, and payment by the supplier.
6. What will happen if I don't provide accurate information to WERCS when I register my product?
Providing inaccurate information may result in item setup delays and liability for regulatory issues incurred (e.g., fines, penalties, etc.). Suppliers must maintain assessment data ensuring accuracy and completeness as formulations, registration information, etc. change. Registration information can be amended by creating a ticket in the WERCS Helpdesk Hub and requesting the product/assessment in question be placed into recertification status. Once the product has been placed into recertification, edit the data and resubmit the product registration.
The information provided to WERCS is used to conduct an assessment on behalf of retailers who rely upon the accuracy of the data to ensure the proper storage, transportation, sales restrictions, regulatory reporting, disposal, and handling of potentially hazardous materials.
7. Do I have to provide full disclosure of my formula?
Yes, all Suppliers are required to provide all ingredients contained in the products being registered. Ingredients and chemicals must be entered individually and must include the percentages that exist within the product. The ingredients and/or chemical components must total 100% or higher. This includes suspected contaminants and ingredients that may exist in trace amounts.
8. Do I need to supply a sample of my product?
No, samples are not required or accepted.
9. Do I need to notify Walmart once my assessment with WERCS is complete?
No, WERCS will send the data to Walmart once the assessment is complete.
10. Do I need a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for the product I am registering with WERCS?
Yes, suppliers must upload an SDS or submit a request with WERCS to author the document on their behalf (additional fee may be required) if an SDS is required for that product type. Walmart requires products that are sold as a Walmart private label product (e.g., Equate, Mainstays, etc.) obtain a WERCS authored SDS.
Suppliers must ensure their My Account page is maintained.
- Additional Users
Click Create User Account from the menu (left side of the screen of the My Account page) to add additional users, including additional administrators.
- Email Notifications
If you want additional people within your company to be notified regarding account activity (such as new product registration), see the My Account Page on the left-hand menu for the link to manage email notifications.
- Adding a Walmart Vendor ID to your WERCSmart account
The Walmart vendor ID must be added to your account to complete a registration (see My Account page, left-hand menu link to Manage Supplier ID). Direct Ship Vendors (DSV) requesting manufacturers or suppliers register a product on their behalf must add the Walmart Vendor ID to their account. Multiple Walmart Vendor IDs may be added to a single account.
Before a new registration, verify whether you (or another company representative) have already registered the product and assigned the assessment to another retailer. You may forward that registration to Walmart by clicking My Product > Forward Product from the top menu or from WERCSpace, in the Task column, select Manage Products > Forward Product. Before creating a new registration, check to see if the supplier or manufacturer has already registered that product or UPC.
11. In the left menu of the My Products page, I see a color-coded status legend. What do these different statuses mean?
Status | Definition |
New | Product has been "created" by the supplier but not submitted through their cart (initial/new product registration). |
Submitted | Product has been submitted through the supplier's cart, and assessment is queued for review. |
Assigned | Product review is in progress. |
Accepted | Product passed review process and item information is being transferred to retailer. |
Completed | The assessment is complete and the product has passed all stages of processing and is finalized to the retailer. |
Recertification | Supplier action required within their WERCSmart account. |
Cancelled | Due to lack of information or response by supplier, the item has been cancelled. |
Hold/Pending | Supplier action required within the WERCSmart account. |
12. I have questions for WERCS. How do I get in touch with them?
There are multiple ways to get help with WERCSmart:
Resources | |
Webinars | https://wercsmart.freshdesk.com/en/support/solutions/folders/25000032580 |
Pricing | https://wercsmart.freshdesk.com/en/support/solutions/articles/25000007523-wercsmart-subscription |
File a Support Ticket | |
Telephone Support | Live Support is available at (518) 720-6220 or (877) 642-6753 Response is based on operator availability, Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM–5:30 PM EST. You may leave a voicemail and a representative will return your call at the earliest opportunity. |