EDI glossary · Inbound

EDI 850: the Purchase Order

The order a trading partner sends you. Process same day, never re-key.

Automate the 850 free All transactions

What the 850 is

The EDI 850 — the X12 Purchase Order — is the order a trading partner sends you. Process same day, never re-key. It travels inbound for most trading programs.

When it's sent

The 850 opens the order-to-cash chain: 850 → 855 → 856 → 810, with a 997 acknowledging every hop.

Key segments

SegmentWhat it carries
BEGPO number, order type, and PO date — the identifiers every downstream document must echo
REFBuyer references: department, vendor, and promotion numbers
DTMRequested ship and cancel-after dates — the compliance clock
N1Ship-to and bill-to parties, usually by DC or store number
PO1Line items: quantity, unit, price, and item identifiers (UPC/GTIN/buyer item)
PIDItem descriptions for human review
CTTLine count control total

Sample 850

A representative 850 interchange — fixed-width ISA envelope, functional group, and control totals:

1ISA*00*          *00*          *ZZ*ACMESUPPLY     *ZZ*RETAILPARTNER  *260101*1200*U*00401*000000001*0*P*>~
2GS*PO*ACMESUPPLY*RETAILPARTNER*20260101*1200*1*X*004010~
3ST*850*0001~
4BEG*00*SA*PO12345**20260101~
5REF*DP*056~
6DTM*002*20260110~
7N1*ST*RETAIL PARTNER DC 5093*92*5093~
8PO1*1*24*EA*9.75**UP*012345678905~
9PID*F****ACME WIDGET 24CT~
10PO1*2*12*EA*14.50**UP*012345678912~
11PID*F****ACME GADGET 12CT~
12CTT*2~
13SE*11*0001~
14GE*1*1~
15IEA*1*000000001~

Partners that require it

Trading partners in the EDISQ catalog that trade the 850:

850

Walmart EDI 850

Mass & Club · AS2

850

Target EDI 850

Mass & Club · SFTP

850

Amazon Vendor Central EDI 850

E-commerce · API + AS2

850

Costco EDI 850

Mass & Club · VAN

850

Kroger EDI 850

Grocery · AS2

850

Sam's Club EDI 850

Mass & Club · AS2

850

BJ's Wholesale Club EDI 850

Mass & Club · AS2

850

The Home Depot EDI 850

Home & DIY · AS2

850

Lowes EDI 850

Home & DIY · AS2

850

Menards EDI 850

Home & DIY · AS2

850

Ace Hardware EDI 850

Home & DIY · AS2

850

True Value EDI 850

Home & DIY · VAN

FAQ

What is an EDI 850?

The EDI 850 is the X12 Purchase Order. The order a trading partner sends you. Process same day, never re-key.

Who sends the 850?

Your trading partner sends the 850 to you. EDISQ receives it, validates it, and delivers it straight into your ERP.

How do I automate the 850?

Enable your trading partner in EDISQ, connect your ERP, and the certified map handles the 850 end to end — first 25 documents each month free.