Target EDI requirements: the short version
Most Target suppliers need the same five documents as everywhere else. The difference is in item setup and in how quickly a mismatch becomes a chargeback.
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Documents
The standard set, plus optional inventory and sales data for vendors who replenish:
- 850 purchase order
- 855 PO acknowledgment
- 856 ASN with SSCC-18 carton labels
- 810 invoice
- 997 functional acknowledgment
- 846 / 852 for replenishment vendors
What Target checks that new suppliers miss
Three things, in order of frequency:
- Unit of measure consistency — ordering in eaches but invoicing in cases is the classic first rejection.
- DC and store routing — the ship-to on the 856 must match the destination on the PO, including split shipments.
- Label placement — carton labels have a required position and must survive handling; a label that scans at the printer and not at the DC is a chargeback.
Testing and go-live
Target requires a test cycle before production, run through its supplier portal. Expect to exchange test orders, acknowledgments and ASNs, then an invoice, before the first live PO.
The practical risk is the same as everywhere: the queue runs on Target's schedule. Suppliers who start item setup and transport on day one usually make the date; suppliers who start with mapping do not.
- Confirm which portal your buyer's onboarding team uses before creating accounts.
- Get GTINs and case packs into Target's item file first.
- Test a partial shipment — that is where ASN line matching breaks.
Questions
Does Target accept a VAN instead of direct AS2?
Target supports standard transport arrangements, but the current requirement is in the supplier guide attached to your onboarding packet. Read that before choosing.
How long does Target EDI onboarding take?
Two to six weeks is typical when item data is ready; the variance is testing capacity and how fast rejections get fixed.