EDI Document Types

The buyer tells the supplier what to ship: SKUs, quantities, prices, ship-to, delivery dates. Triggers everything downstream.

The supplier confirms receipt of the 850 and accepts, rejects, or proposes changes to each line item.

The buyer modifies an existing PO: change quantity, change ship date, cancel a line. Sent after the 850 and before fulfillment.

The supplier acknowledges the buyer's 860 change, or proposes its own change such as a substitution or backorder. Closes the change loop.

The supplier tells the buyer a shipment is in transit, with full pack-level detail and tracking numbers. Required by virtually every major retailer.

The buyer reports what was actually received against what was shipped. Used to flag short shipments, damages, and overages before invoice payment.

The supplier requests payment for the shipment, referencing the original PO. Closes the order-to-cash loop.

The buyer tells the supplier which invoices were paid and how the funds were transferred. Pairs with the underlying ACH or wire transfer.

Reports application-level errors in a previously received document (more detailed than the syntax-only 997). Used to flag business-rule failures.

Sent for every inbound document. Confirms receipt and reports syntax-validation results. Missing 997s are treated as failed transmissions.

The brand instructs a third-party warehouse or 3PL to ship a specific order to a specific destination by a specific date.

The warehouse confirms what actually shipped, with carrier, tracking numbers, SSCC-18 carton labels, and any short-shipped lines.

Communicates inventory levels per item per location. Used by buyers to check supplier stock before ordering and by suppliers to publish on-hand quantities.

The retailer reports sell-through and on-hand inventory per item per location, so the supplier can replenish on real demand. Powers vendor-managed inventory.

The supplier publishes their full product catalog: SKUs, UPCs, descriptions, prices, packaging, dimensions. Required before any 850 can flow.

Grocery-specific PO with native support for catch-weight items, sell-by dates, lot tracking, and variable case packs that the standard 850 doesn't carry well.

Grocery-specific invoice that pairs with the 875: handles catch-weight billing, off-invoice allowances, and grocery pack detail the standard 810 can't carry.

The shipper, broker, or 3PL offers a load to a carrier: stops, equipment, weight, and pickup and delivery windows. The freight equivalent of a purchase order.

The carrier accepts or declines the 204 tender. A single action code tells the shipper whether the load is covered or needs re-tendering.

The electronic bill of lading: consignor, consignee, freight description, and weight. The receipt and contract of carriage for the shipment in structured form.

The carrier reports shipment status, picked up, in transit, arrived, delivered, with time and location. The EDI feed behind shipment tracking and delay alerts.

The carrier's freight invoice: line-haul, fuel, and accessorial charges. Shippers audit it against the agreed rate before paying to catch overcharges.