White PaperAn ANSI X12 EDI 855 message is a Purchase Order Acknowledgment sent by a seller to confirm receipt and understanding of an EDI 850 Purchase Order or EDI 860 Purchase Order Change.
What Is an ANSI X12 EDI 855 Message?
An ANSI X12 EDI 855 message is the purchase order acknowledgment transaction set used by a seller to confirm receipt and understanding of an EDI 850 Purchase Order or EDI 860 Purchase Order Change. It tells the buyer whether the order was accepted, rejected, or accepted with changes.
SEEBURGER supports EDI order processes by helping companies exchange, convert, and process ANSI X12 EDI message standards across ERP systems, EDI systems, cloud, public-cloud, and on-premises environments.
Key takeaways
- EDI 855 confirms that a seller has received and understood an EDI 850 purchase order or EDI 860 purchase order change.
- The message can accept an order, reject it, partially accept it, or propose changes to quantities, items, delivery dates, or other order details.
- Buyers use the response to update ERP systems, improve planning, and keep order and delivery schedules aligned.
What is an ANSI X12 EDI 855 message used for?
An EDI 855 Purchase Order Acknowledgment is generated after a seller receives an EDI 850 Purchase Order or EDI 860 Purchase Order Change. The seller sends the 855 to acknowledge receipt of the file and confirm that its contents were understood.
Body copy The message can confirm that all requested items can be supplied, propose amendments to individual order lines, or state which parts cannot be supplied and why. This gives the buyer structured feedback before fulfillment continues.
When should an EDI 855 be used in the order process?
An EDI 855 should be used when a seller needs to respond electronically to a purchase order or purchase order change. It is especially useful when the buyer needs early confirmation of acceptance, rejection, quantity changes, delivery-date changes, or partial fulfillment information.
Body copy In a typical retail workflow, the 855 appears after an EDI 850 Purchase Order or EDI 860 Purchase Order Change and before later order, delivery, or invoice messages.
How is an ANSI X12 EDI 855 processed?
The seller typically generates the 855 from its ERP system and exports the data in an internal format, such as a SAP IDoc. The EDI solution converts that in-house format into the buyer’s required ANSI X12 structure.
When the buyer receives the 855, the buyer’s EDI system validates the file against the agreed specification and updates the ERP system with accepted or amended order details.
What information does an EDI 855 include?
| Segment or information type | What it communicates |
| Message function code | Acceptance, partial acceptance, or rejection of the purchase order |
| Purchase order references | Purchase order numbers and related codes |
| Dates | Planned delivery or order-related dates |
| Item details | Item or goods information, including details that cannot be supplied in full |
| Proposed amendments | Quantity, date, or item changes proposed by the seller |
| Rejection reasons | Reasons why all or part of the order cannot be accepted |
| Transport and delivery information | Delivery pattern or transport details where needed |
What can an ANSI X12 EDI 855 example look like?
An 855 message can vary depending on whether the seller accepts the full order, rejects it, partially accepts it, or proposes changes. A simplified example can include envelope segments, the transaction set header, the acknowledgment details, item lines, acknowledgment segments, totals, and closing segments.
ISA*01* *00* *ZZ*SENDER *12*RECEIVER *231014*1719*U*00401*000000001*0*P*>~
GS*PR*APP SENDER*APP RECEIVER*20231014*1719*0001*X*004010~
ST*855*1001~
BAK*00*AC*ABC123*20231014*****20231015~
N1*ST*SEEBURGER AG*UL*4019315000007~
PO1*1*10*CA*72.95*CT*UK*12345678~
ACK*IA*10*CA****UK*12345678~
PO1*2*25*BX*15.75*CT*UK*23456789~
ACK*IA*25*BX****UK*23456789~
CTT*2~
SE*9*1001~
GE*1*0001~
IEA*1*000000001~
What are the equivalents of ANSI X12 EDI 855 in other EDI standards?
In EDIFACT, the equivalent order response message is ORDRSP. In TRADACOMS, the comparable acknowledgement message is ACKHDR.
What are the benefits of using an ANSI X12 EDI 855?
Provides fast confirmation or rejection of purchase orders
Reduces manual data entry, saving time and overhead
Sends order-response data automatically into future ordering and delivery scheduling processes
Allows sellers to propose order amendments electronically
Gives feedback about full or partial delivery of one or more orders
Supports fewer errors, stronger supplier ratings, and more efficient trading
How does SEEBURGER support stable ANSI X12 EDI 855 use?
SEEBURGER provides EDI solutions for exchanging and processing ANSI X12 messages, including EDI 855 Purchase Order Acknowledgments. Deployment options include on-premises software, EDI Cloud Services in the SEEBURGER Cloud, and public cloud environments such as Google, AWS or Azure.
Frequently asked questions about ANSI X12 EDI 855
What is an ANSI X12 EDI 855 message?
Who sends an EDI 855?
The seller sends the EDI 855 to the buyer after receiving a purchase order or purchase order change.
What does an EDI 855 tell the buyer?
It tells the buyer whether the order was accepted, rejected, partially accepted, or accepted with proposed amendments such as quantity, item, or delivery-date changes.
Which EDI messages usually come before an EDI 855?
An EDI 855 usually follows an EDI 850 Purchase Order or an EDI 860 Purchase Order Change.
How is an EDI 855 created?
It is typically generated from the seller’s ERP system, exported in an internal format such as an SAP IDoc, and converted by an EDI solution into the buyer’s required ANSI X12 structure.
What is the EDIFACT equivalent of EDI 855?
The EDIFACT equivalent is ORDRSP, an order response message.
What is the TRADACOMS equivalent of EDI 855?
The TRADACOMS equivalent is ACKHDR, an acknowledgement message.
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