Understanding the EDI 850 Purchase Order

The EDI 850 Purchase Order is the digital equivalent of a paper PO — but with far more structured data. Every retail relationship starts here.

What’s in an EDI 850?

A typical 850 contains:

Header Information

• PO number and date
• Retailer and vendor identification
• Ship-to location (store, DC, or dropship address)
• Requested ship and cancel dates

Line Item Detail

• UPC/EAN for each item
• Ordered quantity
• Unit of measure
• Unit price
• Department and buyer codes

Shipping Instructions

• Routing instructions or carrier SCAC
• Freight terms (prepaid vs. collect)

Processing an EDI 850

When you receive an 850:

1. Acknowledge it with an EDI 855 (within the retailer’s required window)
2. Review all line items, quantities, and dates
3. Flag any issues (item not available, quantity reduced) in the 855 acknowledgment
4. Fulfill the order and send the 856 ASN at time of shipment

Common 850 Processing Errors

• Not sending the 855 acknowledgment
• Fulfilling an order with the wrong quantity without updating the 855
• Missing the cancel date — retailers don’t accept late shipments

Automation Makes the Difference

In a high-volume environment, manually processing 850s is error-prone. Spring Systems’ integrated service routes 850s directly into your ERP or order management system, triggering fulfillment workflows automatically.