EDI documents

EDI transaction codes: the list apparel brands actually use

X12 defines more than 300 transaction sets. An apparel brand selling to retailers works with a couple of dozen at most. Here's what each one does, who sends it, and where it fits.

Reviewed October 2026 by a BFA advisor with 30+ years in apparel operations. Editorial standards

What is an EDI transaction code?

An EDI transaction code, or transaction set number, is the three-digit number X12 gives each type of business document. 850 is a purchase order, 856 is a ship notice and 810 is an invoice. The number tells both systems how to read the file.

X12 is the EDI standard used across North American retail. Each retailer then publishes an implementation guide that says which transaction sets it uses, which X12 version, and how it wants each one filled in.

Order, ship and bill

The documents nearly every retailer relationship runs on.

Code	X12 name	Sent by	What it does
850	Purchase Order	Retailer	Places the order
855	Purchase Order Acknowledgment	Supplier	Accepts, changes, backorders or rejects order lines
860	Purchase Order Change Request - Buyer Initiated	Retailer	Changes or cancels an order already sent
865	Purchase Order Change Acknowledgment/Request - Seller Initiated	Supplier	Answers an 860, or asks for a change
856	Ship Notice/Manifest	Supplier	Says what shipped, carton by carton, before it arrives
810	Invoice	Supplier	Bills for what shipped
997	Functional Acknowledgment	Whoever received the document	Confirms a document arrived and could be read
820	Payment Order/Remittance Advice	Retailer	Says which invoices a payment covers, and what was deducted
812	Credit/Debit Adjustment	Either side	Explains a chargeback, deduction or credit
824	Application Advice	Retailer	Reports business errors in a document you sent

Inventory, items and returns

Documents that keep item data and stock levels in sync, especially for dropship.

Code	X12 name	Sent by	What it does
846	Inventory Inquiry/Advice	Usually the supplier	Reports available inventory by item
852	Product Activity Data	Retailer	Shares sales and on-hand by store or distribution center
832	Price/Sales Catalog	Supplier	Sends item data such as UPCs, descriptions, colors, sizes and costs
816	Organizational Relationships	Retailer	Lists store and distribution center locations and their numbers
870	Order Status Report	Supplier	Reports order status. Some dropship programs use it to cancel lines.
864	Text Message	Either side	Free-form notices, often from the retailer
180	Return Merchandise Authorization and Notification	Either side	Authorizes or reports returns
830	Planning Schedule with Release Capability	Buyer	Shares a forecast. More common in manufacturing than apparel.

Freight and 3PL warehouses

Documents between you, carriers and an outside warehouse.

Code	X12 name	Sent by	What it does
753	Request for Routing Instructions	Supplier	Asks the retailer how to ship a collect order
754	Routing Instructions	Retailer	Says which carrier to use and when to ship
204	Motor Carrier Load Tender	Shipper	Offers a load to a trucking carrier
214	Transportation Carrier Shipment Status Message	Carrier	Sends tracking and delivery updates
210	Motor Carrier Freight Details and Invoice	Carrier	Bills for freight
940	Warehouse Shipping Order	Brand	Tells the 3PL what to pick and ship
945	Warehouse Shipping Advice	3PL	Confirms what the 3PL actually shipped
943	Warehouse Stock Transfer Shipment Advice	Brand	Tells the 3PL what inventory is on its way in
944	Warehouse Stock Transfer Receipt Advice	3PL	Confirms what the 3PL received
947	Warehouse Inventory Adjustment Advice	3PL	Reports adjustments such as damages and count corrections

Which EDI documents do I need?

It depends on who you sell to and how you ship. As a rough guide:

Wholesale to department stores: 850, 856, 810 and 997, usually with 860 and 855, plus 820 or 812 for payments and deductions
Dropship for a retailer's website: 846, 850, 855 or 870, 856, 810 and 997
Shipping through a 3PL: add 940, 945, 943 and 944 between you and the warehouse
Collect freight under retailer routing: 753 and 754, or the retailer's routing portal

Each retailer's guide is the final word. Two retailers can use the same 856 very differently, and their vendor compliance requirements say which documents they expect and when.

How EDI documents are packaged

Documents travel in nested envelopes. ISA and IEA wrap the whole interchange. GS and GE wrap a functional group of one document type, such as all the 856s in a batch. ST and SE wrap each individual transaction set. The 997 reports back at the group and transaction set levels, which is why it can reject one 856 and accept the rest.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common EDI transaction codes in retail?

The 850 purchase order, 856 ship notice and 810 invoice, with a 997 sent back for each. Almost every retailer that trades by EDI uses those four.

What's the difference between X12 and EDIFACT?

X12 is the standard used mainly in North America. EDIFACT is the UN standard used more in Europe and internationally, and it names documents with words instead of numbers, such as ORDERS for a purchase order and INVOIC for an invoice.

Are transaction codes the same in every X12 version?

The numbers stay the same across versions such as 4010 and 5010. The segments and allowed codes inside them can change, which is why retailer guides name a version.