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.

A buyer asks for the current status of whole purchase orders or specific lines, usually for past-due, backordered or drop-ship orders.

Reports shipped, partial, backordered, delayed or canceled status per PO line, in reply to an 869, on a schedule, or unsolicited.

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 5010-era acknowledgment: reports whether each transaction met the X12 standard and the partner's implementation guide, down to the segment and element.

Requests, authorizes or denies the return of merchandise, and notifies a supplier of returns, with a reason and disposition per line.

Combines the 856 ship notice and the 810 invoice into one document that the buyer uses both to plan the receipt and to pay.

Bills recurring, usage and one-time service charges, often for many accounts under one master account, with a hierarchical breakdown and account balance.

Carries free-form messages for people to read, such as notices, policy changes and rejections explained in prose.

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.

Tells the 3PL that a shipment of the depositor's own inventory is on the way, with items, lots and carrier, so the dock can receive against it.

Confirms what the warehouse actually received, line by line, including short, over or damaged quantities, matched back to the 943.

Reports changes to stored inventory other than receipts or shipments (damage, holds, cycle-count corrections), each with a reason code.

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

The retailer's location list: head office, stores and DCs with GLN or store number, address and effective dates, so ship-to codes on orders resolve.

Grocery item setup: adds new items, changes case and consumer unit data, and withdraws or discontinues items in the retailer's item file.

Sends new item costs and cost changes to a grocery retailer or wholesaler, with effective dates and optional price brackets.

The grocery purchase order: G50 names the order, G68 lines carry case UPCs, quantities and costs (including by-the-pound items), and G76 totals the order.

The grocery invoice that pairs with the 875: G01 names the invoice and PO, G17 lines bill cases or actual weight, G72 applies deals, and G31/G33 total it.

Direct store delivery (DSD) record of what a route driver delivered to or picked up from one store: items, quantities, unit cost, totals, and the receiver's electronic signature.

The store's answer to an 894: accepts the delivery or return as sent, or adjusts quantities and costs the receiver disputed.

Grocery counterpart of the 860: changes or cancels an 875 by restating new values, with a zero quantity deleting a line.

Announces, changes or cancels a trade promotion: allowances, date windows, performance requirements and promoted items.

Periodic DSD statement summarizing deliveries, returns and adjustments already reconciled through the 894 and 895, one line per ticket.

Publishes or changes a contract (price authorization): eligible customers, covered items, contract prices and dates.

Claims credit for the difference between the distributor's acquisition cost and the contract price on sales to contracted customers.

Accepts, adjusts or rejects each line of an 844 chargeback claim, with reason codes and the allowed amount.

Reports what a distributor sold or transferred, to which end customers, so the manufacturer can trace sales and validate contracts.

Asks a health plan whether a patient has active coverage and what benefits apply, under the HIPAA 005010X279A1 guide.

Answers a 270 with coverage status, plan dates, deductibles, copays, coinsurance and out-of-pocket amounts, or an AAA rejection.

Asks a payer where specific submitted claims stand, under the HIPAA 005010X212 guide.

Reports each claim's status category and status codes, charges, payment amount and payment details; the 277CA variant acknowledges claims at intake.

Requests and returns prior authorization, referral and admission review decisions, under the HIPAA 005010X217 guide.

Submits professional (837P), institutional (837I) or dental (837D) claims or encounters to a payer, usually through a clearinghouse.

Explains what a payer paid, adjusted or denied on each claim and service line, with CARC/RARC codes, and ties it to the payment.

Adds, changes, terminates or verifies members' health, dental, vision and other benefit coverage.

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.

Tells a retailer that collect freight is ready and asks for routing: pickup window, pallets, cartons, weight and cube per PO.

The retailer's routing reply: assigned carrier (SCAC), load and pickup appointment numbers, scheduled pickup, and which POs ship together.

Tells a consignee every LTL shipment on a trailer the carrier is about to deliver, often used to request a dock appointment.

Asks a motor carrier for the current status of one shipment, identified by PRO, bill of lading or PO.

Lists every shipment a shipper handed to one carrier at a pickup, with service level, terms, consignee and package detail.

Sends a carrier detailed bill-of-lading, rating and scheduling information for a shipment, including government bills of lading.

The ocean carrier's bill of lading data and freight invoice: parties, vessel, routing, containers, cargo and charges for one shipment.

Reports one container or shipment event, such as loaded on vessel, vessel departure, discharge, availability or out-gate, with time and location.