An EDI 855 tells the retailer which lines of its purchase order you'll ship, change or reject. It's your first chance to flag a shortfall, and retailers that require it count a late or missing 855 against you.
The EDI 855 is the X12 purchase order acknowledgment. A supplier sends it after receiving an 850 purchase order to confirm the order and say, line by line, whether each item is accepted as ordered, accepted with changes, backordered or rejected.
Not every retailer asks for one. The ones that do often want it within 24 to 48 hours of the 850, and they use it to plan receiving before your goods ship. An accurate 855 means fewer surprises at the distribution center and fewer cancellations later.
The 855 answers the original 850. If the retailer later changes the order with an 860, some retailers expect an 865 back instead of a second 855, so check the guide before you map both.
The 855 mirrors the 850. A header says which order you're answering and how, then a line loop repeats each PO line with an ACK segment that says what you'll do with it.
| Segment | Name | What it carries in an apparel 855 |
|---|---|---|
| BAK | Beginning segment for PO acknowledgment | Purpose code, acknowledgment type code, the retailer's PO number and the PO date |
| REF | Reference identification | Department, vendor number or other references the retailer wants echoed back |
| DTM | Date/time reference | The ship or delivery date you're committing to |
| N1 | Name | Ship-to, buyer or supplier identifiers |
| PO1 | Baseline item data | Line number, quantity, unit of measure, unit price, and the UPC or vendor style |
| PID | Product description | Style, color or size description, if the retailer asks for it |
| ACK | Line item acknowledgment | The status code for that line, the quantity it applies to, and a date if it's rescheduled |
| CTT, SE | Totals and trailer | Line item count and the end of the transaction set |
Which segments are required, and which codes a retailer accepts, is set by each retailer's 855 implementation guide. Many retailers accept only a few of the codes below.
BAK02 says how you're answering the order as a whole. These are the ones apparel suppliers run into most.
| Code | X12 meaning | When it's used |
|---|---|---|
| AD | Acknowledge, with detail, no change | Everything accepted as ordered, with each line echoed back |
| AK | Acknowledge, no detail or change | Everything accepted as ordered, header only |
| AC | Acknowledge, with detail and change | Some lines changed, and the line detail says how |
| AE | Acknowledge, with exception detail only | Only the lines that differ from the 850 are listed |
| AH | Acknowledge, hold status | The order is on hold, for example pending credit or a question to the buyer |
| RD | Reject with detail | The order is rejected, with reasons on the lines |
| RJ | Rejected, no detail | The whole order is rejected |
Each PO line gets at least one ACK segment. ACK01 is the status code and ACK02 is the quantity it applies to. A line can carry more than one ACK, for example 80 units accepted and 20 backordered.
| Code | X12 meaning |
|---|---|
| IA | Item accepted |
| IB | Item backordered |
| BP | Item accepted, partial shipment, balance backordered |
| IQ | Item accepted, quantity changed |
| IP | Item accepted, price changed |
| DR | Item accepted, date rescheduled |
| IC | Item accepted, changes made |
| IS | Item accepted, substitution made |
| IH | Item on hold |
| ID | Item deleted |
| IR | Item rejected |
| R2 | Item rejected, invalid item product number |
Be careful with IS. Most retailers won't take a substituted color or size without the buyer's sign-off, and the code on its own doesn't make an unapproved swap acceptable.
One style ordered in six sizes and three colors is 18 PO lines, each with its own UPC. If the small in navy is short, the 855 has to say so on that line, not on the style.
If you cut after orders come in, you may not know final quantities when the 855 is due. Accepting what you're confident you can ship and backordering the rest usually goes over better than accepting everything and cancelling later.
If the 850 ordered a prepack, acknowledge the prepack the way it was ordered. Breaking it into its component sizes on the 855 makes the acknowledgment stop matching the order.
Many retailers won't accept a price change through the 855 alone. Agree it with the buyer first, then use IP so the 855, the retailer's PO and your 810 invoice all carry the same price.
The fix is usually the same. Build the 855 from real available-to-ship numbers, meaning inventory on hand plus what's confirmed in production, not from the order itself.
Only if the retailer's EDI requirements say so. Many large retailers require it, some make it optional, and some don't use it at all. The retailer's implementation guide or vendor portal will say which.
A 997 only confirms that the 850 arrived and could be read. The 855 is a business answer: what you'll actually ship, at what price, and when. A retailer that requires an 855 won't treat a 997 as a substitute.
It depends on the retailer. Many ask for it within 24 to 48 hours of receiving the 850, and some track it on the vendor scorecard.
Yes. BAK02 codes such as RD and RJ reject the order, and ACK01 code IR rejects a single line. Most buyers expect a call or an email before a rejection, though, not just the document.
The 865 is the seller-initiated purchase order change acknowledgment or request. Some retailers use it for your reply to an 860 change, or to let you request a change to an order you already acknowledged.
The order every 855 answers, including size runs, prepacks and store splits.
Read the guideHow retailers change or cancel orders after the 850, and how to keep the old order from shipping.
Read the guideThe carton-by-carton ship notice that has to match what you acknowledged and packed.
Read the guideEvery X12 document an apparel brand is likely to see, what it does and who sends it.
See the listWe look at where your acknowledgments come from, often an order entry step that runs before anyone checks stock, and fix the process so what you confirm is what you ship.
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