EDI Requirements

REI EDI Requirements

REI is a member-owned outdoor specialty co-op, so selling to it is two gates, not one: a fairly conventional ANSI X12 EDI setup (reported on the 4010 version), and REI’s Product Impact Standards — the sustainability, chemicals, and social-compliance bar every one of its 1,000+ brand partners has to clear. EDI runs across three lanes (brand suppliers, direct import, and drop-ship), the 856/ASN is the most compliance-sensitive document, and the per-account rules live in REI’s Order Management Manuals (OMMs) rather than one universal routing guide.

Required EDI documents

Document	Name	Notes
EDI 850	Purchase Order	inbound; store and DC orders
EDI 855	PO Acknowledgment	confirmation
EDI 856	Advance Ship Notice (ASN)	most compliance-sensitive; GS1-128 labels required
EDI 810	Invoice	must reconcile to the PO
EDI 860	PO Change	conditional
EDI 846	Inventory Advice	conditional
EDI 852	Product Activity Data	conditional / reported in use
EDI 820	Remittance	supporting
EDI 997	Functional Acknowledgment

Labeling & packaging

GS1-128 (UCC-128) labels required on all cartons and pallets; SSCC-18 on the label must match the 856 exactly.
GS1-licensed GTINs/UPCs required at item level.
Carton/pallet construction and label placement are governed by the applicable OMM (Order Management Manual) and enforced strictly — late or mislabeled shipments are a reported chargeback trigger.

Connection & portal

AS2, VAN, or SFTP over ANSI X12 (reported on the 4010 version).
The REI Vendor Portal handles certification, order visibility, and day-to-day compliance; it doesn’t replace the EDI connection itself.
SPS Commerce is a commonly used broker into REI and understands the account-specific OMMs and label specs.

Onboarding & testing

Reported as quick relative to the mass merchants — on the order of a few weeks, and largely partner-controlled — when routed through an established provider like SPS. Sequence: vendor agreement and REI vendor setup → Vendor Portal registration → choose provider + AS2/VAN/SFTP → map and certify each transaction set against the relevant OMM → production. Confirm the current window with REI, since it varies by program.

Compliance & chargebacks

• Vendor scorecard / chargeback exposure is reported as high, driven by late or missing ASNs, incorrect labels, and late routing instructions. Specific dollar/percentage penalties are not published — treat any figure as reported and confirm against your OMM and vendor agreement.
• The 856/ASN and its GS1-128 labels are the sharpest edge: late, missing, or mismatched ASNs are the most-cited chargeback cause.
• Requirements are governed by the account-specific Order Management Manual (OMM) rather than a single universal routing guide — confirm which OMM applies to your program.

Worth knowing

• Outdoor specialty co-op: member-owned, with a curated 1,000+ brand-partner base rather than an open marketplace — the merchandising relationship matters as much as the EDI setup.
• REI’s Product Impact Standards apply to every brand and product sold, splitting into brand expectations (mandatory) and preferred attributes (voluntary certifications). Expect a restricted substances list (RSL), chemicals-management practices aligned to the OIA Chemicals Management framework, and reported PFAS restrictions on textiles and cookware — confirm the current standards and effective dates directly with REI.
• Social/responsible-sourcing compliance (factory code of conduct, animal-welfare standards such as RDS/RWS for down and wool) sits alongside EDI, not inside it.

How EndlessEDI helps with REI

REI checks two things — clean EDI and compliance with its Product Impact Standards. EndlessEDI builds matching-SSCC 856s against the OMM that governs your program and keeps product data clean enough to feed the co-op’s impact reporting, with PO, ASN, and invoice reconciled. Connects through SPS where you already use it.

Explore EndlessEDI

REI EDI FAQ

What EDI documents does REI require?

Core documents are the 850 (PO), 855 (PO acknowledgment), 856 (ASN), 810 (invoice), and 997, with 860/846/852 conditional and 820 as supporting remittance — reported on ANSI X12 4010. Exact requirements come from the Order Management Manual (OMM) for your program.

What is an REI OMM?

An Order Management Manual — REI’s account- and program-specific rulebook for orders, shipping, labeling, and ASN timing. It plays the role a single routing guide does at other retailers, but is applied per vendor program (brand supplier, direct import, drop-ship), so confirm which one governs you.

Is selling to REI just about EDI?

No. Beyond EDI, REI holds its 1,000+ brand partners to Product Impact Standards covering chemicals/RSL, PFAS restrictions, climate, packaging, and social compliance. The EDI setup gets your orders flowing; the standards decide whether the co-op will carry the product at all — confirm current requirements and deadlines with REI.

EDI requirements and penalty schedules change and vary by program. Figures marked “reported” come from third-party sources, not the retailer’s published fee schedule — always confirm against the retailer’s current routing guide and your vendor agreement.