EDI Requirements

UNFI EDI Requirements

UNFI is the largest natural/organic/specialty distributor in North America and the primary distributor for Whole Foods (through May 2032) — the gateway to the natural channel. It uses the core EDI documents plus grocery UCS variants (875/880) depending on division (legacy Supervalu “conventional” vs natural).

Required EDI documents

Document	Name	Notes
EDI 850	Purchase Order	or 875 by division
EDI 875	Grocery Products PO (UCS)	catch-weight, sell-by, lot data
EDI 855	PO Acknowledgment
EDI 856	Advance Ship Notice (ASN)	most compliance-sensitive
EDI 810	Invoice	or 880 by division
EDI 880	Grocery Products Invoice (UCS)	grocery
EDI 846	Inventory Advice
EDI 820	Remittance	UNFI-sent
EDI 824	Application Advice	UNFI-sent
EDI 860	PO Change	optional
EDI 997	Functional Acknowledgment

Labeling & packaging

GS1-128 (UCC-128) carton labels with an SSCC-18 matching the ASN (SSCC mismatch is the #1 ASN error).
Reported carton label fields: description, sell-by/use-by/pack date, case pack, UPC/supplier item code, net weight; barcode on the longest side.
Pallets: GMA 4-way 40“x48”, shrink-wrapped, no overhang; pallet/freight label bottom-left under stretch wrap on two opposite sides. GS1 Company Prefix required.

Connection & portal

AS2 (preferred for high volume), VAN, and SFTP supported; SPS Commerce is repeatedly named the primary facilitator.
Portals: myUNFI / suppliers.unfi.com for item setup, promotions, invoice tracking, and deduction management.

Onboarding & testing

Reported ~2–6 weeks. Test the 850/855/856 (with SSCC-18)/810/997, then UNFI certifies. New-vendor application via the Supplier Portal/category manager (needs UNFI ISA qualifier/ID and GS1 IDs).

Compliance & chargebacks

• Fill rate is the primary metric (~95%+ on open orders); a ~3% service-level fine on the value of shorted goods is reported when a brand misses the threshold for two or more consecutive calendar weeks, with corrective action or delisting risk if it persists.
• Deduction model (UNFI pays net of deductions); reported barcode/label non-compliance up to $500/PO.
• Deductions arrive coded, and the code tells you which lane you are in: shortages (reported as code 01), pricing discrepancies (02), unsaleables and damages (05), advertising and promotional including MCB and off-invoice (10, 11, 12), and compliance/logistics fees such as late shipment, labeling, and pallet violations (30 and up). Shortages are widely reported as the most frequently invalid category in the natural channel.
• Dispute windows are short and hard: reported at ~30–60 days, with adjustments older than 12 months denied and no escalation path through the portal once the deadline passes. A filing needs the PO, invoice, BOL, and proof of delivery attached.
• On overages, UNFI may accept the extra product and charge a per-order overage fee or reject it and bill back storage or disposal; suppliers are reported to have ~14 days to arrange the product once notified.

Worth knowing

• Primary distributor for Whole Foods through May 2032 — selling to UNFI is often the path onto Whole Foods shelves.
• Two legacy sides (natural/organic vs Supervalu/conventional) with different divisional setups. A Supplier Success Agreement reportedly waives certain fees.
• UNFI has been consolidating supplier tooling into a single supplier portal, and reportedly consolidated Simplified Supplier Approach (SSA) allowances into one monthly charge per region — a change to timing and presentation rather than to rates, which still moves what your remittance looks like month to month.

How EndlessEDI helps with UNFI

EndlessEDI supports UNFI’s core and grocery UCS (875/880) flows with SSCC-matched ASNs, and keeps fill-rate-critical orders accurate — the same connection that gets most brands onto Whole Foods shelves. With orders, inventory, and EDI on one record, the PO, BOL, and proof of delivery a dispute needs are already together when a 30-day window opens.

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UNFI EDI FAQ

What EDI documents does UNFI require?

Core documents are the 850 (or 875 grocery), 855, 856, 810 (or 880 grocery), 846, and 997, with UNFI sending the 820 and 824. Which PO/invoice variant you use depends on the UNFI division.

Is selling to UNFI how I get into Whole Foods?

Often, yes. UNFI is Whole Foods’ primary distributor through 2032, so for many brands trading EDI with UNFI and shipping to UNFI DCs is the practical path onto Whole Foods shelves.

What is UNFI’s main compliance metric?

Fill rate (reported ~95%+ on open orders). Missing the threshold for two or more consecutive weeks is reported to incur roughly a 3% service-level fine on the value of shorted goods, with corrective-action or delisting risk if it persists.

How long do I have to dispute a UNFI deduction?

Shorter than most brands expect — reported at roughly 30 to 60 days, with adjustments older than 12 months denied outright and no portal escalation path after the deadline. File through the supplier portal with the PO, invoice, BOL, and proof of delivery attached. Confirm your own window in your current UNFI supplier agreement.

What do UNFI deduction codes mean?

The code identifies the category. Reported families: 01 for shortages, 02 for pricing discrepancies, 05 for unsaleables and damages, 10 through 12 for advertising and promotional charges including MCB and off-invoice, and 30 and up for compliance and logistics fees such as late shipments, labeling errors, and pallet violations. Shortages are the category most often reported as invalid and worth disputing.

How do UNFI and KeHE deductions differ?

Mostly in the clock. KeHE runs a long, fixed dispute deadline (reported at 180 days from the deduction date) plus a very short ~48-hour UDR window at the dock. UNFI runs shorter dispute windows (reported at ~30–60 days) with a hard 12-month cutoff. Same evidence either way — PO, BOL, proof of delivery — but UNFI punishes a slow month-end close far faster.

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.