EDI 855 Purchase Order Acknowledgment Explained
The supplier’s reply to an 850: accepted, changed or rejected, line by line, so the buyer knows what will actually ship.
- Document
- X12 855: Purchase Order Acknowledgment
- Sent by
- Supplier
- Sent to
- Buyer
- In NetSuite
- Generated from the sales order after review
(01)What it is
The 855 tells the buyer what happened to their purchase order. It can accept the whole order, accept it with changes such as a different quantity, date or price on some lines, or reject it. Many retailers require it within a set time after the 850, often a day or two.
For the buyer, the 855 is how they learn about shortages before the truck arrives. For the supplier, it is the moment to flag problems such as a discontinued item or a price mismatch, while they can still be fixed without a chargeback.
(02)What it carries
- 01The buyer’s PO number it responds to
- 02An overall status: accepted, accepted with changes, or rejected
- 03Line-level status for each item, with changed quantities, dates or prices
- 04The supplier’s own order reference
In plain language. Each trading partner’s implementation guide sets the exact fields it requires.
(03)Where it fits
Documents usually exchanged before and after the 855.
(04)In NetSuite
The 855 is built from the NetSuite sales order once someone, or a rule, has checked stock and prices. Keep the line-level decisions on the order (for example in a custom column) so the 855 reports exactly what was decided, and so the 856 and 810 later match it.
(05)Common mistakes
- 01Sending an automatic “accept everything” 855 before checking stock, then shipping short.
- 02Changing quantities on the sales order without sending an updated status, so the buyer’s system expects the original quantity.
- 03Missing the partner’s deadline for the 855, which some retailers fine.
(06)Questions
Is the 855 required?
It depends on the trading partner. Many large retailers require it, some only for certain order types, and some don’t use it at all. Their implementation guide says which.
What is the difference between an 855 and a 997?
A 997 only confirms that a document arrived and could be read. An 855 is a business answer to the order: what you will ship, at what price and when.
(07)More ordering documents
- EDI 850Purchase OrderThe buyer’s order: what they want, how many, at what price, and where and when to ship it. It starts almost every EDI trading relationship.
- EDI 860Purchase Order Change Request (Buyer Initiated)The buyer changing an order they already sent: quantities, dates, ship-to, added or cancelled lines, or the whole order.