How to read an 850 without a translator
The two mistakes that cost the most: reading the wrong identifier as the product code, and treating a change order as a new order.
Get a fixed quote Decode an 824
The six segments that matter
Everything a supplier needs to fulfil the order lives here:
- BEG — order type, PO number and date. BEG03 is the number you quote in every later document.
- REF — references: department, vendor number, sometimes a buyer's internal id. Useful, not the PO.
- N1 — the parties: ship-to, bill-to, sometimes the buyer. N1*ST is where the truck goes.
- PO1 — one per line: quantity, unit of measure, unit price, and the product identifier.
- PID — description. Never the source of truth for what the item is.
- CTT — the line count. A mismatch here means a lost line, not a formatting problem.
The identifier trap
PO106 and PO107 are a qualifier and a value. UP means UPC, VN means vendor part number, UK means GTIN. Reading PO107 without PO106 is how a supplier ships the right item under the wrong code and gets a chargeback for an item that does not exist in the retailer's file.
What to send back, in order
Two documents, and they are not interchangeable:
- 997 — functional acknowledgement. Confirms the file arrived and parsed. Send it promptly; some retailers measure the window in hours.
- 855 — PO acknowledgement. Confirms what you will actually ship, line by line, including backorders and substitutions.
Change orders are not new orders
An 860 modifies an existing PO and an 865 acknowledges the change. Treating an 860 as a new order creates a duplicate shipment; ignoring it ships the old quantity. Match the 860 to the original PO number, then acknowledge the change itself.
Questions
Is the PO number always in BEG03?
In retail 850s, almost always. Some partners use a reference segment for a secondary number, which is why BEG03 is the one to carry forward.
Can I ignore an 850 for an item I do not stock?
No. Acknowledge it and mark the line rejected or backordered in the 855. Silence reads as a missed order and becomes a compliance charge.