Walmart EDI Requirements
Walmart runs three distinct lanes: 1P EDI suppliers, the 3P Marketplace/WFS (which don’t use traditional EDI), and Drop Ship Vendors (DSV). For 1P and DSV, EDI is mandatory and tied to Walmart’s OTIF and Supplier Quality Excellence Program (SQEP) compliance regimes.
Required EDI documents
| Document | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| EDI 850 | Purchase Order | |
| EDI 855 | PO Acknowledgment | |
| EDI 856 | Advance Ship Notice (ASN) | most compliance-sensitive |
| EDI 810 | Invoice | |
| EDI 860 | PO Change | conditional |
| EDI 846 | Inventory Advice | conditional / daily for DSV |
| EDI 852 | Product Activity Data | conditional |
| EDI 753 | Request for Routing Instructions | collect/managed freight |
| EDI 754 | Routing Instructions | collect/managed freight |
| EDI 940 | Warehouse Shipping Order | DSV |
| EDI 945 | Warehouse Shipping Advice | DSV |
| EDI 997 | Functional Acknowledgment |
Labeling & packaging
- GS1-128 (formerly UCC-128) case/shipping labels; SSCC-18 at pallet level that must exactly match the 856.
- Pallet labels reported as 4“x6” on two adjacent sides (upper-right preferred); case label left-of-center on the longest side.
- Governed by Walmart’s Supply Chain Packaging Guide.
Connection & portal
- AS2 for direct connection (reported as required above ~5,500 invoices/year); ANSI X12. VANs/providers (SPS, Cleo, TrueCommerce) can broker connectivity.
- Connection must be registered in Retail Link before testing; onboarding via Supplier One / Supplier Help.
- Marketplace (3P) and Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS) do not require EDI — EDI is for 1P vendors and DSV.
Onboarding & testing
Roughly 8–14 weeks end-to-end with legacy providers. Testing is reported to require completion within about 6 weeks or a supplier may be removed from onboarding and have to reapply. Sequence: AS2 connectivity → register in Retail Link → certify each transaction set → go live.
Compliance & chargebacks
- • OTIF (On-Time In-Full): reported 3% chargeback on the cost/value of non-compliant cases. Reported thresholds: On-Time 90% (prepaid) / 98% (collect ready), In-Full 95%. MABD (Must-Arrive-By-Date) on every PO.
- • SQEP (Supplier Quality Excellence Program): reported per-defect fees for PO, ASN, and barcode/labeling accuracy, with a reported cap of 30% of COGS per defective PO.
- • DSV: reported on-time ship >99% and a 15-day defect rate <2%.
Worth knowing
- • FSMA Section 204 food-traceability adds Key Data Elements to the 856 for food/beverage suppliers — confirm the current federal compliance date and KDE list.
- • Three separate models mean very different requirements — confirm which lane applies to you.
How EndlessEDI helps with Walmart
EndlessEDI ingests Walmart 850s as orders on one source of truth, builds carton-level 856s tied to SSCC labels, and keeps the PO, ASN, and invoice in agreement — the data accuracy OTIF and SQEP reward. It can also interoperate with SPS where used.
Explore EndlessEDIWalmart EDI FAQ
What EDI documents does Walmart require?
Core 1P documents are the 850 (PO), 855 (PO acknowledgment), 856 (ASN), 810 (invoice), and 997, with 860/846/852 as conditional. Drop Ship Vendors add the 940 and 945. Collect freight uses the 753/754 routing handshake.
Does Walmart Marketplace require EDI?
No. Walmart’s 3P Marketplace and WFS are listing/API-based and don’t use traditional EDI. EDI applies to 1P vendors and Drop Ship Vendors (DSV).
What is Walmart OTIF?
OTIF (On-Time In-Full) measures whether shipments arrive on time and complete against Walmart’s thresholds and the MABD on each PO. Misses are reported to incur a 3% chargeback on non-compliant cases — confirm current figures in your routing guide.
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.
