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Talk to our experts- EDI 850
- An EDI 850 is the X12 Purchase Order transaction set: the electronic document a buyer's system sends to a supplier to place an order for goods or services. It carries the purchase order number, the parties, items, quantities, prices and delivery details. X12 says it should not be used for order changes or acknowledgments.
Also called: 850 Purchase Order
How it works
When both sides have already shared item data and use unique item identifiers, the 850 can stay simple: the parties' names or identifiers, item identifiers, quantity, price, delivery location and delivery date.
In X12's basic supply chain flow, the 850 is followed by an acknowledgment, a ship notice and an invoice:
Where the EDI 850 sits in the X12 order cycle
The purchase order process establishes the legal contract between buyer and seller about the purchase.
The seller's system reports back after processing the 850, affirming the order or indicating changes.
The delivery process advises the buyer about product being shipped, covering one or more purchase orders.
The seller invoices the buyer, requesting payment, and the invoice must include a purchase order reference.
After the supplier receives an 850, its system also returns a 997 to confirm receipt. A buyer can request changes with an 860 Purchase Order Change Request. Partners that have not implemented the 860 or 865 may allow several rounds of the 850 and 855 under the same purchase order number, up to an agreed cut-off point.
What an EDI 850 contains
X12 lists what an 850 can carry, for simple and complex orders alike:
- Buyer and seller party information
- A unique purchase order identification
- Order currency, tax information, allowances and charges
- Packaging information and carrier details
- Product price, product-related dates and delivery scheduling
- Product subline detail, such as the parts of a kit
Inside the document, data sits in segments. X12's own sample 850s, published for the aerospace industry in X12 version 004010, group them into three tables. Table 1 opens with ST, which starts the transaction set, and BEG, which holds the PO number and date. Party segments follow: N1 names the buyer, and N3 and N4 give its street address and city, state and ZIP. The tax exempt sample adds PER for the buyer's contact and TAX for a tax exempt ID.
Table 2 holds the lines. In both samples, each PO1 gives a quantity, unit price and part number. Segments such as MEA (the unit weight), IT8 (no substitution allowed) and SCH (the required arrival date) can follow it.
Table 3 closes the order: CTT counts the line items, AMT states the total and SE ends the transaction set with its segment count.
Example
X12's basic sample 850 orders one item. Its PO1 line asks for a quantity of 48 at $3 each of one manufacturer part number: 48 x $3 = $144. The CTT segment confirms the order contains 1 line item, and the AMT segment states the total transaction amount of $144. The BEG segment adds the PO number and the order date.
On Shopify
Shopify orders have a PO number field, which Shopify describes as typically provided by business customers who require a PO number for their procurement. An integration that receives an 850 can create the matching Shopify order through the Admin API, where the orderCreate mutation covers orders that aren't created through the standard checkout, such as orders imported from an external system or created for wholesale customers.
How Uncap helps
As Uncap's Shopify EDI integration guide puts it, the fields in an 850 must map correctly to Shopify order fields, and product identifiers (UPC, GTIN, buyer item number) must match your Shopify variants.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between EDI 850 and EDI 855?
The 850 is the buyer's purchase order. The 855 is the seller's Purchase Order Acknowledgment, sent back after the 850 is processed, and it may affirm the order or indicate changes.
What is EDI 810 and 850?
The 850 places the order and the 810 is the invoice the seller sends to bill for the goods or services. In X12's supply chain flow, the invoice must include a purchase order reference.
What is the difference between EDI 850 and 860?
The 850 places a new order. The 860 Purchase Order Change Request lets the buyer change a previously submitted purchase order or confirm a change the seller initiated.
