Sam's Club EDI Compliance Guide
Navigate Sam's Club EDI and supplier compliance requirements
Sam's Club requires EDI 850 (Purchase Order), EDI 855 (PO Acknowledgment), EDI 856 (Ship Notice (ASN)), EDI 810 (Invoice), EDI 997 (Functional Acknowledgment) from all suppliers. Non-compliance triggers chargebacks including oTIF failure: percentage-based COGS penalty.
Sam's Club, a division of Walmart Inc., operates over 600 warehouse club locations. Sam's Club shares much of Walmart's EDI infrastructure but has its own vendor compliance program tailored to the club warehouse model, with emphasis on pallet-level shipping, bulk packaging standards, and high-volume order accuracy.
Required EDI Transactions
Sam's Club requires suppliers to support the following EDI transaction types. Click any transaction to view our detailed guide with segment breakdowns and examples.
Compliance Requirements
Here is what Sam's Club expects from EDI-compliant suppliers:
- EDI 850 Purchase Order processing
- EDI 855 PO Acknowledgment within 24 hours
- EDI 856 ASN with SSCC-18 pallet-level tracking
- EDI 810 Invoice matching PO and ASN data
- EDI 997 Functional Acknowledgment
- Retail Link access (shared with Walmart infrastructure)
- Club-format packaging and pallet build standards
- GS1-128 barcode labeling on all shipping units
Chargeback Penalties
Non-compliance with Sam's Club's EDI requirements can result in significant financial penalties:
On the missing dollar amounts. Sam's Club publishes its fee schedule to suppliers through a portal that requires a login, so we have no public document to cite. Rather than print a number we cannot stand behind, we list the consequences and leave the amounts to their own guide. Confirm both the amount and the unit there, because programs charge per PO, per shipment or per carton and the unit changes what you owe more than the figure does.
Common Sam's Club Chargebacks
- OTIF failure: percentage-based COGS penalty
- Invoice mismatches: payment deductions
How to Achieve Sam's Club EDI Compliance
Getting compliant with Sam's Club requires three things: an EDI platform that supports all required transaction types, automated validation that catches errors before they trigger chargebacks, and integration with your ERP so orders flow through without manual re-entry.
EDI transaction formats follow ASC X12 standards, and product identification uses GS1 GTIN and GS1-128 barcode specifications. Both are required by virtually every major US retailer.
OrderSync handles all three compliance layers. Our purchase order automation platform processes EDI transactions (850, 855, 856, 810, 997) alongside PDF, CSV, and email orders through a single pipeline. Automated validation checks every order against your product catalog, pricing rules, and Sam's Club-specific compliance requirements before syncing to your ERP.
Related Guides and Articles
Learn more about Sam's Club EDI requirements and compliance best practices:
Related Resources
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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Test Your EDI Compliance
Upload your EDI documents to our free inspector and check for compliance issues before sending to Sam's Club.
Open EDI InspectorFrequently Asked Questions
Sam's Club requires EDI 850 (Purchase Order), EDI 855 (PO Acknowledgment), EDI 856 (Ship Notice (ASN)), EDI 810 (Invoice), EDI 997 (Functional Acknowledgment). Each transaction must meet Sam's Club's specific formatting and timing requirements.
It depends on the violation and on how Sam's Club charges for it: programs bill per purchase order, per shipment or per carton, and the unit changes what you owe more than the headline figure does. Beyond the deductions, repeated non-compliance affects your vendor scorecard and can lead to supplier suspension or loss of the account. Sam's Club publishes its current schedule to suppliers directly.
Yes. OrderSync supports all EDI transaction types required by Sam's Club and includes automated validation to catch compliance errors before documents are sent. Our platform processes EDI alongside PDF, CSV, and email orders through a single pipeline.