EDI Requirements

Ross Stores EDI Requirements

Ross Stores is the largest U.S. off-price apparel and home retailer, running two banners — Ross Dress for Less and dd’s DISCOUNTS — on a shared supply chain. Buying is opportunistic (closeouts, packaway, canceled orders), so POs tend to be one-time and time-sensitive rather than replenishment-driven. EDI on ANSI X12 (VICS) is expected for vendors, and the 856/ASN plus carton labeling and ticketing are where compliance dollars are won or lost.

Required EDI documents

Document	Name	Notes
EDI 850	Purchase Order
EDI 855	PO Acknowledgment
EDI 856	Advance Ship Notice (ASN)	most compliance-sensitive; UCC-128/GS1-128 cartons must match
EDI 810	Invoice	must reconcile to the PO and ASN exactly
EDI 860	PO Change	conditional
EDI 852	Product Activity Data	conditional
EDI 997	Functional Acknowledgment	required for all transmissions

Labeling & packaging

GS1-128 (UCC-128) carton/shipping labels on every carton, each carrying a unique SSCC-18 that must match the corresponding pack loop in the 856 exactly.
Carton marking is expected to carry vendor info, PO number, style, color, and size; apparel uses NRF standard color and size codes.
Off-price ticketing: many POs require vendor pre-ticketing with the Ross/dd’s SKU (retail price ticket) per Ross’s Ticket Placement Guidelines; where vendors don’t pre-ticket, Ross re-tickets at its DCs. Bags should be sealed only once pre-ticketed. Confirm ticket type and placement on the PO/routing guide.

Connection & portal

AS2 or an approved VAN over ANSI X12 (VICS); providers such as SPS, Cleo, or TrueCommerce can broker connectivity.
The Ross Partners Portal (partners.rossstores.com) is the vendor portal for shipping guidelines, documentation, and compliance visibility; the routing guide is published separately (ros.com / transportation.ros.com) and sits alongside the EDI document flow.

Onboarding & testing

Reported 4–8 weeks to production with traditional providers, partner-controlled. Certification testing of each document type is required before go-live. Typical sequence: vendor setup/agreement → Ross vendor number → Partners Portal registration → choose provider + AS2/VAN → mapping → certification → production.

Compliance & chargebacks

• Ross maintains a vendor scorecard and, per third-party sources, high chargeback exposure — reported deductions concentrate on ASN accuracy, carton-label/barcode defects, ticketing errors, and routing-guide non-compliance. Specific dollar/percentage figures sit behind the vendor portal; treat any circulating numbers as reported until confirmed.
• Invoice (810) must reconcile to the PO and ASN exactly; mismatches are a common deduction trigger.
• Routing-guide compliance (freight type/weight thresholds, approved carriers, DC assignment) is mandatory; a non-approved routing or carrier is a reported chargeback. Confirm the current Ross domestic/import routing guide before shipping.

Worth knowing

• Off-price, opportunistic buying: orders are typically one-time closeout/packaway buys, not ongoing replenishment — timing and accuracy matter more than forecast integration, and canceled or late shipments are hard to re-place.
• Two banners (Ross Dress for Less and dd’s DISCOUNTS) run on a shared network across DCs including Fort Mill SC, Carlisle PA, Perris CA, and Moreno Valley CA — ship-to and ticketing can differ by banner and PO.
• Ticketing is the off-price tell: pre-ticketing with the retail price ticket, correct ticket placement, and NRF color/size codes matter as much as the EDI itself.

How EndlessEDI helps with Ross Stores

Ross buys are one-time and time-sensitive, so a mislabeled or late shipment is hard to re-place. EndlessEDI carries the Ross/dd’s SKU and NRF codes through to labels and tickets and builds 856s with matching SSCCs, so the first shipment is accurate.

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Ross Stores EDI FAQ

What EDI documents does Ross Stores require?

Core documents are the 850 (PO), 855 (PO acknowledgment), 856 (ASN), 810 (invoice), and 997, on ANSI X12 (VICS), with 860 and 852 conditional. The 856 with GS1-128/SSCC-18 carton labels is the most compliance-sensitive. Confirm your exact set in the Ross Partners Portal.

Does Ross require vendor pre-ticketing?

Often, yes. As an off-price retailer, Ross frequently requires vendors to pre-ticket goods with the Ross/dd’s SKU (retail price ticket) per its Ticket Placement Guidelines, and re-tickets at its DCs where vendors don’t. Bags should be sealed only once pre-ticketed. Confirm the ticket type and placement on your PO and routing guide.

How does Ross’s off-price model change EDI expectations?

Ross buys opportunistically — closeouts, packaway, and canceled orders — so POs are usually one-time and time-sensitive rather than replenishment. Accurate ASNs, carton labels, and ticketing on a tight window matter more than forecast integration, and a missed or non-compliant shipment is hard to re-place. Confirm current terms against the routing guide and your vendor agreement.

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.