EDI Reference / 850
850

Purchase Order

Retailer → Supplier

The order itself — what the retailer wants, how much, at what price, ship where.

The 850 is the document that starts a retail EDI relationship: the buyer's purchase order. It carries the PO number, order date, ship-to and bill-to parties, requested delivery window, and a line for every item with quantity, unit of measure, price, and the item's UPC/GTIN. Everything you send back — the acknowledgment, the ASN, the invoice — references this PO.

⚠ Where it bites

If the PO number on your 855/856/810 doesn't match the 850's BEG03, the documents won't auto-match and you risk a chargeback.

Key segments

ISA GS ST BEG REF DTM N1 N3 N4 PO1 PID CTT SE GE IEA

Related documents

855 Purchase Order Acknowledgment

Your 'got it' — confirm, change, or reject each line of the PO.

 860 Purchase Order Change

The retailer changing an existing PO — new quantities, dates, or cancellations.

 856 Advance Ship Notice (ASN)

What's on the truck — the pack hierarchy, SSCC carton labels, and ship date.

 810 Invoice

The bill — line prices and totals that must reconcile to the PO and the shipment.

Got a real 850? See if it'd pass.

Inspect it segment-by-segment, or score it against a retailer's rules — free.

Inspect an X12 Readiness Check