Co-op EDI Requirements and Compliance Guide

Q: How do I become EDI compliant with Co-op?

To trade with Co-op over EDI you need a setup that sends and receives the TRADACOMS messages Co-op uses (ORDHDR, ASN, INVFIL, CREHDR), validation that catches errors before a message reaches Co-op, and a connection to your ERP so orders are not re-keyed. Co-op's EDI team confirms the exact specification and runs testing with you before go-live.

Co-op's TRADACOMS V9 requirements, ASN cut-offs and SSCC pallet labels, from its own supplier guidelines

Co-op trades with suppliers in TRADACOMS. The messages to plan for are TRADACOMS ORDHDR (Order File), ASN (Advance Shipping Notice), TRADACOMS INVFIL (Invoice File), TRADACOMS CREHDR (Credit Note File).

Co-op exchanges purchase orders, advance shipping notices, invoices and credit notes with suppliers in TRADACOMS V9, all routed through one live EDI mailbox into its SAP system. Suppliers without EDI, or with an EDI outage, use Co-op's SNC portal for the same documents. Co-op sets hard ASN cut-offs for chilled and direct-to-store deliveries.

Co-op's EDI Messages

These are the TRADACOMS messages Co-op exchanges with suppliers. Where we have a guide, the card links to a segment-by-segment breakdown. New to the standards? Start with the EDIFACT guide or the TRADACOMS guide.

ORDHDR

TRADACOMS ORDHDR

Order File

ASN

Advance Shipping Notice

Co-op-Specific Message Requirements

TRADACOMS ORDHDR (Order File): Co-op sends purchase orders by EDI or through SNC. Quote the PO number on the delivery note and on invoices and credit notes.
ASN (Advance Shipping Notice): Co-op monitors ASN compliance. An ASN that arrives after the goods means depot staff create it by hand, which delays receiving, store availability and payment of your invoice.
TRADACOMS INVFIL (Invoice File): All SAP-related invoices must come electronically, by EDI or SNC. Invoices sent late can push payment beyond your terms.
TRADACOMS CREHDR (Credit Note File): Credit notes go by EDI or SNC. For uplifted goods, quote the uplift note serial number on the credit note.

Compliance Requirements

Here is what Co-op expects from EDI-compliant suppliers:

Exchange purchase orders, ASNs, invoices and credit notes by EDI in TRADACOMS V9
Send the ASN no later than despatch, and make sure it is in Co-op's systems before the goods arrive
For chilled orders, send the ASN before 02:00 on the day of delivery
For direct-to-store orders, send the ASN before the delivery arrives and no later than 16:00 on the day of delivery
Label each pallet with an SSCC in a UCC/EAN-128 (GS1-128) barcode, plus the product code, quantity, best-before or expiry date and batch code
Use the SNC portal as the fallback for purchase orders, ASNs, invoices and credit notes when EDI is unavailable
Send EDI invoices promptly so they process within your payment terms
Register on Co-op Connect and complete EDI and SNC setup as part of supplier onboarding

How to Set Up EDI with Co-op

Complete your Co-op Connect registration from the Vendor Master Data team's email.
Contact Co-op's EDI development team with details of your EDI provider or in-house solution.
Complete EDI and SNC setup, which you access through Co-op's MyApps.
Map TRADACOMS V9 orders, ASNs, invoices and credit notes, and test with the EDI team.
Set up SSCC pallet labels to the field list in section 8.13 of Co-op's Supplier Guidelines.
Go live, keeping SNC access as the fallback for EDI outages.

Sources for Co-op's EDI Requirements

Co-op issues its message specifications to suppliers during onboarding, so confirm the current version with Co-op's EDI team before you build. These are the public sources this page draws on:

Co-op Supplier Hub: Co-op's supplier hub: onboarding, Co-op Connect, delivery and logistics, and supplier documents.
Co-op Supplier Guidelines (August 2026): Section 2.5 covers EDI, 8.2 covers ASNs and 8.13 covers pallet labels.
Co-op supplier onboarding: The onboarding checklist, including EDI and SNC setup.

How to Achieve Co-op EDI Compliance

Getting compliant with Co-op takes three things: an EDI setup that sends and receives the TRADACOMS messages Co-op uses, validation that catches errors before a message reaches Co-op, and a connection to your ERP so orders flow through without re-keying.

UK grocery and health and beauty retail runs on two standards. UN/EDIFACT, usually in the GS1 EANCOM subset, is the international standard and the one GS1 recommends for new EDI users. TRADACOMS is the older UK-only standard. GS1 UK stopped supporting it in 2017, but many UK retailers still trade in it. Products are identified by GS1 barcodes, and pallets carry a GS1-128 logistics label with an SSCC that the despatch advice references.

OrderSync processes EDIFACT, EANCOM, and TRADACOMS orders in the same pipeline as your X12, PDF, CSV, and email orders. Our purchase order automation checks each order against your product catalogue, pricing, and Co-op's requirements before it syncs to your ERP. To check a message by hand, paste it into the free EDIFACT inspector.

Only trading with one or two retailers and no ERP to connect? Web EDI, or an agent that runs it for you, may be enough to meet Co-op's requirements.

Related Resources

EDI GuideTRADACOMS CREHDR: The UK Credit Note File EDI GuideTRADACOMS INVFIL: The UK Invoice File Explained Industry GuideEDI for Cosmetics and Personal Care Industry GuideEDI for Pharmaceutical

How to Answer "Are You EDI Capable?"

A buyer asked, and you need to answer this week. The four things they are checking, what you can say yes to today, and a realistic date for the rest.

What a buyer is really asking when they ask this
The minimum set-up that makes the answer yes
What you can answer today versus what needs building
Rough timelines, so you can give a date rather than a maybe

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Check Your EDIFACT Messages

Paste an EDIFACT message into our free inspector and read it segment by segment before it goes to Co-op.

Open EDIFACT Inspector

Trading with US customers in X12 as well? The EDI Inspector reads 850s, 856s and 810s.

Read the EDIFACT Guide View All EDI Guides Book My Intro Call

Frequently Asked Questions

Co-op trades in TRADACOMS. The messages on this page are TRADACOMS ORDHDR (Order File), ASN (Advance Shipping Notice), TRADACOMS INVFIL (Invoice File), TRADACOMS CREHDR (Credit Note File). Co-op's EDI team issues the specification for each one during onboarding, and the version you are given is the one to build to.

The first cost is operational. A delivery that arrives without a matching despatch advice has to be receipted by hand, and an invoice that does not match the order gets queried before it is paid. Any charges for non-compliance are set in your supply agreement with Co-op, so check the terms you signed.

Yes. OrderSync processes EDIFACT, EANCOM, and TRADACOMS orders alongside X12, PDF, CSV, and email orders, checking each one against your catalogue and pricing before it reaches your ERP. Book an intro call to walk through Co-op's message set with us.

SNC (Supplier Network Collaboration) is Co-op's supplier portal for the same documents EDI carries. Suppliers use it to view purchase orders, create ASNs, submit invoices and credit notes, and check payment status. Co-op positions it as the backup when EDI is not available.

Send the ASN no later than despatch, and it must reach Co-op before the goods arrive. Chilled orders need the ASN before 02:00 on the day of delivery. Direct-to-store orders need it before the delivery arrives and no later than 16:00 that day.