Retailer EDI Requirements Checklist: Walmart, Amazon, Target & More

Direct answer

Retailer EDI requirements usually include exchanging purchase orders, purchase order acknowledgments, advance ship notices, invoices, and functional acknowledgments using the retailer's required EDI standard, transport method, testing process, labels, routing guide, and compliance rules. The exact requirements vary by retailer, program, fulfillment model, geography, and product category.

Before onboarding with Walmart, Amazon, Target, Costco, Kroger, Home Depot, or any other trading partner, suppliers should confirm the required EDI transaction sets, ASNs, UCC-128 or GS1-128 label rules, ship-from and ship-to data, item identifiers, invoice matching rules, testing steps, chargeback rules, and go-live timeline.

How to use this retailer EDI checklist

This guide is designed to help you prepare for trading partner onboarding before a retailer's testing deadline arrives. Use it to gather the right information, align your internal teams, and avoid the most common compliance delays.

Start with the retailer guide

Ask for the official implementation guide, routing guide, packaging guide, testing instructions, label requirements, and EDI contact list.

Confirm the workflow

Document how the order will move from PO to acknowledgment, shipment, ASN, label, invoice, and payment reconciliation.

Validate system readiness

Confirm whether EDI needs to connect to ERP, WMS, TMS, accounting, shipping, marketplace, 3PL, or warehouse systems.

Test what matters most

Prioritize ASNs, labels, acknowledgments, invoices, and business-rule validation because these often affect receiving, chargebacks, and payment.

Monitor after go-live

Track missing acknowledgments, rejected documents, late ASNs, label mismatches, invoice exceptions, and retailer scorecard issues.

Use Cleo to accelerate onboarding

Cleo Integration Cloud helps automate EDI and API transactions, validate workflows, and provide visibility across trading partners.

The universal retailer EDI requirements checklist

Retailers differ in their EDI specifications, but most onboarding projects require the same categories of information. Complete this checklist before testing begins.

Requirement category	What to confirm	Why it matters	Common owner
Trading partner setup	Sender/receiver IDs, ISA/GS values, VAN mailbox, AS2/SFTP details, certificates, test endpoint, production endpoint.	Incorrect IDs, endpoints, or certificates can prevent documents from sending or being accepted.	EDI / integration team
Required transaction sets	Purchase orders, PO acknowledgments, ASNs, invoices, functional acknowledgments, PO changes, inventory, remittance, or retailer-specific documents.	Missing required transactions can delay certification or create production compliance errors.	EDI analyst + operations
Item and product data	UPC, GTIN, SKU, vendor item number, buyer item number, case pack, unit of measure, pricing, product descriptions, dimensions, and weights.	Item-data mismatches can cause rejected POs, invoice discrepancies, receiving errors, and order delays.	Master data / merchandising
ASN and packing hierarchy	Shipment, order, pallet, carton, pack, item, tracking, carrier, and SSCC requirements.	ASN structure must match the physical shipment and label data to support receiving accuracy.	Warehouse / 3PL / EDI
Labels and packaging	UCC-128 or GS1-128 label format, barcode size, SSCC, label placement, carton rules, pallet rules, and routing-guide requirements.	Label errors are a common source of receiving delays and retail compliance penalties.	Warehouse / 3PL
Invoice and payment rules	Invoice timing, PO/invoice matching, allowances, freight, taxes, remit-to data, terms, quantity rules, and pricing rules.	Invoice mismatches can delay payment or create disputes.	Finance / AR
Testing and certification	Test cases, required documents, pass/fail criteria, contacts, deadline, retest process, and production migration steps.	Certification proves that EDI documents can be exchanged correctly before production traffic begins.	EDI project owner
Monitoring and support	Who monitors acknowledgments, rejected documents, late ASNs, failed integrations, chargebacks, and production exceptions.	Post-go-live visibility is critical because compliance risk continues after certification.	Operations + integration support

Retailer EDI requirements matrix

The table below summarizes common EDI planning areas for major retailers. Treat this as a planning framework, not a replacement for each retailer's official implementation guide. Requirements can vary by program, fulfillment model, geography, and product category.

Retailer	Common EDI planning areas	Highest-risk workflow	What to verify first	Cleo resource
Walmart	POs, acknowledgments, ASNs, invoices, labels, routing, inventory, scorecards, chargebacks, and OTIF-related workflows.	ASNs, labels, routing, and chargebacks	Walmart program type, testing process, required transaction sets, ASN timing, UCC-128 labels, routing guide, and production deadline.	Walmart EDI guide and Walmart trading partner page
Amazon	Vendor Central EDI, marketplace or Seller Central APIs, order fulfillment, direct fulfillment, inventory, shipment confirmations, and invoice workflows.	EDI/API choice and fulfillment workflow	Whether the program uses Vendor Central EDI, marketplace APIs, or a hybrid flow; then confirm order, shipment, inventory, and invoice requirements.	Amazon EDI guide and Amazon trading partner page
Target	Retail EDI compliance, order management, ASN and shipment accuracy, invoice workflows, and vendor onboarding.	Shipment accuracy and ASN compliance	Target program type, trading partner guide, transaction requirements, routing rules, label requirements, and testing process.	Target trading partner page and Target.com EDI page
Costco	Order processing, ASNs, invoices, product/shipment accuracy, supplier onboarding, and compliance documentation.	Shipment detail and invoice matching	Costco supplier program, required transactions, item data, shipment details, invoice rules, and testing expectations.	Costco EDI integration
Kroger	Grocery EDI, order processing, product and item data, ASNs, invoices, shipping workflows, and supplier compliance.	Grocery item data, shipping, and invoice accuracy	Grocery-specific transaction requirements, product identifiers, ship-to locations, routing, and invoice matching rules.	Kroger EDI integration
Home Depot	Order-to-cash automation, purchase orders, ASNs, invoices, labels, shipment data, and vendor compliance.	Labels, ASNs, and order accuracy	Required documents, routing guide, shipment hierarchy, label specifications, and testing process.	Home Depot EDI integration
Other retailers, distributors, 3PLs, and marketplaces	Trading partner onboarding, supported protocols, required documents, EDI/API/file formats, testing, monitoring, and production support.	Partner-specific rules	Implementation guide, trading partner IDs, document list, protocol, certificates, test plan, labels, and support process.	Cleo Trading Partner Network

Important

This matrix is a planning tool. Always validate the latest official retailer implementation guide, routing guide, and testing instructions before certification or go-live.

Common EDI transactions retailers ask suppliers to support

Most retail EDI programs rely on a core set of transaction types. Cleo's EDI transaction resources define EDI as the standardized electronic exchange of business documents such as purchase orders and invoices between organizations.

850 Purchase Order The retailer sends the order electronically.

855 PO Acknowledgment The supplier accepts, rejects, or changes order details.

856 Advance Ship Notice The supplier sends shipment and packing details.

810 Invoice The supplier bills for shipped goods.

997 Acknowledgment Systems confirm receipt and structural status.

Transaction or asset	What it does	Retail compliance risk	Related Cleo resource
EDI 850 Purchase Order	Communicates what the retailer ordered, including items, quantities, ship-to locations, dates, and terms.	Missed or misread purchase orders can create fulfillment delays and order-entry errors.	EDI codes directory
EDI 855 PO Acknowledgment	Confirms whether the supplier can fulfill the PO as requested.	Incorrect acknowledgments can create expectation gaps before fulfillment begins.	EDI codes directory
EDI 856 ASN	Communicates what shipped, when it shipped, how it was packed, and how cartons or pallets are identified.	ASN errors can affect receiving accuracy, chargebacks, inventory updates, and payment timing.	EDI transactions guide
UCC-128 / GS1-128 label Shipping Label	Identifies and tracks cartons or pallets with standardized barcode data tied to shipment and ASN information.	Label mismatches can cause receiving delays and compliance penalties.	UCC-128 label guide
EDI 810 Invoice	Sends invoice data electronically for payment and reconciliation.	Invoice mismatches can delay payment or create disputes.	EDI transactions guide
EDI 997 / 999 Acknowledgment	Confirms whether a document was received and whether it passed structural checks.	Missing or rejected acknowledgments can hide failed transactions until the retailer escalates.	EDI 997 guide
EDI 860 PO Change	Communicates changes to the original purchase order.	Shipping against outdated order data can create quantity, timing, or pricing issues.	EDI codes directory
EDI 846 Inventory Inquiry / Advice	Communicates inventory availability or stock status.	Important for replenishment, marketplace, and drop-ship workflows.	EDI codes directory
EDI 820 Payment / Remittance	Communicates payment and remittance details.	Helps finance teams reconcile payments, deductions, and invoice status.	EDI codes directory

Retailer-by-retailer EDI checklist

Use these quick checklists to prepare for retailer conversations and vendor setup. Each checklist is intentionally practical: what to ask, what to gather, and what to test before go-live.

Walmart EDI checklist

Walmart EDI projects often require close attention to ASNs, labels, routing, inventory, and chargeback prevention. Confirm requirements for the exact Walmart program you are joining.

Confirm required Walmart EDI transaction sets and testing process.
Verify ISA/GS sender and receiver IDs, protocol, certificates, and production endpoint.
Confirm ASN timing, shipment hierarchy, SSCC, and UCC-128 label requirements.
Validate routing guide, carrier data, ship-from, ship-to, and tracking details.
Map invoice rules, allowances, taxes, freight, and PO/invoice matching requirements.
Set up monitoring for missing acknowledgments, late ASNs, rejected invoices, and chargeback-related exceptions.

Read Cleo's Walmart EDI integration guide.

Amazon EDI checklist

Amazon workflows can involve EDI, APIs, or a hybrid of both depending on the program. Confirm whether the business process is Vendor Central, Seller Central, direct fulfillment, marketplace, or another model.

Determine whether your Amazon workflow uses EDI, API, or a combined integration model.
Confirm order, inventory, shipment confirmation, invoice, and acknowledgment requirements.
Validate ship-from, fulfillment, carrier, tracking, and delivery promise data.
Confirm item identifiers, marketplace SKUs, UPCs/GTINs, pricing, and inventory rules.
Map exception handling for cancellations, changes, inventory issues, and shipment delays.
Monitor transaction status across Amazon, ERP, WMS, marketplace, shipping, and finance systems.

Read Cleo's Amazon EDI guide.

Target EDI checklist

Target supplier compliance requires accurate order, shipment, ASN, label, and invoice execution. Confirm requirements for the specific Target or Target.com program.

Request the Target implementation guide, routing guide, testing instructions, and compliance documentation.
Confirm the transaction set list, required acknowledgments, and certification process.
Validate ASN and label data against actual carton, pallet, carrier, and tracking information.
Confirm item data, locations, pricing, dates, and ship-window expectations.
Review invoice and payment matching rules before go-live.
Set up alerts for rejected ASNs, label errors, late shipments, and missing acknowledgments.

View Cleo's Target EDI connection page.

Costco EDI checklist

Costco supplier EDI workflows can depend on program type, product category, and fulfillment model. Validate order, shipment, and invoice expectations early.

Confirm Costco trading partner setup, required documents, and implementation timeline.
Validate item identifiers, vendor numbers, case packs, unit of measure, and pricing.
Review ASN, label, carton, pallet, and shipment-detail expectations.
Confirm invoice matching rules, allowances, taxes, and payment terms.
Test acknowledgments and rejected-document handling before production.
Monitor shipment and invoice exceptions after go-live.

View Cleo's Costco EDI integration page.

Kroger EDI checklist

Grocery EDI can introduce additional complexity around item data, locations, quantities, promotions, pricing, and shipment detail. Confirm the Kroger requirements tied to your supplier program.

Confirm Kroger-required EDI documents and grocery-specific transaction requirements.
Validate product identifiers, UPCs/GTINs, vendor item numbers, pack sizes, and units of measure.
Confirm ship-to locations, routing, warehouse, distribution center, or store-delivery rules.
Review invoice rules, deductions, allowances, and payment reconciliation requirements.
Test PO changes, acknowledgments, ASNs, invoices, and exception handling if required.
Monitor item-data mismatches, shipping exceptions, and invoice discrepancies.

View Cleo's Kroger EDI integration page.

Home Depot EDI checklist

Home Depot EDI onboarding often centers on accurate order-to-cash execution, shipment data, labels, invoices, and supplier compliance.

Confirm Home Depot trading partner IDs, transport method, required documents, and testing process.
Validate order, item, date, ship-to, and fulfillment rules.
Confirm ASN, carton, pallet, label, carrier, and tracking requirements.
Review invoice rules, PO matching, payment terms, and exception workflow.
Test acknowledgments, rejected document handling, and reprocessing rules.
Monitor late ASNs, label mismatches, invoice rejects, and chargeback-related exceptions.

View Cleo's Home Depot EDI integration page.

Retail EDI risk map: where compliance issues usually happen

The biggest EDI compliance risks usually occur where electronic documents must match physical operations: cartons, pallets, labels, shipments, invoices, and receiving events.

Qualitative risk chart for supplier onboarding

Use this as a planning guide. Actual risk depends on retailer rules, shipment volume, fulfillment model, trading partner setup, and integration maturity.

ASN and packing hierarchy

Very high

UCC-128 / GS1-128 labels

Very high

Routing and shipment timing

High

Invoice matching

High

Item master data

Medium

Acknowledgment monitoring

Medium

Practical takeaway

If you only have time to pressure-test one part of a retail EDI workflow, start with the ASN and label process. The EDI 856 ASN and UCC-128 or GS1-128 label must reflect what is physically packed and shipped, or receiving errors and compliance deductions can follow.

Data readiness checklist for retailer EDI onboarding

Retailer EDI projects frequently stall because business data is incomplete or inconsistent. Gather these details before your first testing session.

Item and product data

UPC, GTIN, SKU, vendor item number, and buyer item number.
Case pack, pack size, unit of measure, product descriptions, and dimensions.
Pricing, allowances, taxes, promotions, and effective dates.
Product category, compliance attributes, and retailer-specific item setup.

Shipment and label data

Ship-from locations, warehouses, 3PLs, distribution centers, and ship-to locations.
Carrier, service level, PRO/tracking number, bill of lading, and routing guide details.
Carton, pallet, SSCC, UCC-128 or GS1-128 label requirements.
ASN hierarchy, pack structure, and shipment timing rules.

Finance and invoice data

Remit-to address, bill-to address, payment terms, and tax data.
PO/invoice matching rules, freight, allowances, deductions, and discounts.
Invoice timing, invoice number rules, and payment reconciliation process.
Ownership for invoice exceptions and dispute resolution.

Technical and testing data

ISA/GS IDs, sender/receiver IDs, test and production endpoints.
AS2, SFTP, VAN, API, certificate, or credential requirements.
Test cases, implementation guides, map versions, and pass/fail criteria.
EDI support contacts, escalation paths, and production migration steps.

Retailer EDI testing checklist

Testing should validate both the technical format and the real business workflow. A document can be syntactically valid and still fail retailer business rules.

Test area	What to test	Pass condition	Common failure
Connectivity	AS2, SFTP, VAN, API, certificates, sender/receiver IDs, mailbox, test endpoint.	Documents can be sent and received with the correct envelope and protocol.	Wrong IDs, expired certificate, incorrect endpoint, firewall, or partner mailbox issue.
Purchase order intake	Inbound PO receipt, translation, order creation, item matching, location matching.	PO becomes actionable in the right business system or workflow.	Item master mismatch, ship-to mismatch, duplicate PO, or missing required data.
PO acknowledgment	Accepted, rejected, or changed order lines.	Retailer receives the correct acknowledgment within the required window.	Incorrect code, missing line detail, wrong quantity, or late acknowledgment.
ASN and labels	ASN hierarchy, carton/pallet detail, SSCC, UCC-128/GS1-128 labels, carrier and tracking data.	ASN data matches the physical shipment and labels.	Pack hierarchy mismatch, bad SSCC, wrong label format, missing carrier or tracking data.
Invoice	PO/invoice matching, quantities, prices, taxes, allowances, freight, remit-to details.	Invoice is accepted and reconciles against the PO and shipment.	Price mismatch, missing PO reference, wrong quantity, tax or allowance errors.
Acknowledgments	997/999/TA1 status, missing acknowledgments, rejected transactions, accepted with errors.	Your team can see whether documents were accepted, rejected, or not acknowledged.	Silent failures, missing 997s, rejected envelopes, or unmonitored acknowledgments.
Exception handling	Rejected documents, late transactions, duplicate control numbers, invalid data, partner changes.	Owners can diagnose, fix, reprocess, and verify without disrupting the retailer relationship.	No runbook, unclear ownership, manual log hunting, or duplicate resubmissions.

What to monitor after retailer EDI go-live

EDI compliance does not end when testing passes. Production monitoring is what keeps orders flowing, shipments accepted, invoices paid, and retailer relationships protected.

Acknowledgment status

Track whether 997, 999, TA1, or other acknowledgments are accepted, rejected, accepted with errors, or missing.

Late transactions

Monitor PO acknowledgments, ASNs, shipment notices, invoices, and other time-sensitive documents against retailer deadlines.

Rejected documents

Review error details, failed maps, bad data, invalid codes, duplicate control numbers, and partner-rule violations.

Shipment exceptions

Watch for ASN and label mismatches, missing tracking, incorrect carton details, routing issues, and carrier-data problems.

Invoice exceptions

Track invoice rejects, PO mismatches, pricing disputes, allowance issues, tax errors, and delayed payments.

Compliance trends

Review chargebacks, scorecard issues, repeat partner errors, recurring data problems, and SLA misses.

How Cleo helps suppliers meet retailer EDI requirements

Cleo helps suppliers connect with retailers, distributors, marketplaces, manufacturers, 3PLs, carriers, and other trading partners through a cloud-based integration platform and extensive trading partner network.

Supplier need	How Cleo helps	Relevant resource
Connect to major retailers and trading partners.	Cleo's trading partner network includes pre-built profiles and connections for retailers, marketplaces, distributors, and other B2B partners.	Cleo Trading Partner Network
Automate EDI and API transactions across systems.	Cleo Integration Cloud helps automate EDI and API integrations across applications, trading partners, marketplaces, and supply chain systems.	Cleo Integration Cloud
Validate transactions before they create retailer issues.	Cleo can help validate transactions and provide visibility into status, exceptions, and compliance workflows.	EDI compliance solutions
Support Walmart, Amazon, Target, Costco, Kroger, Home Depot, and more.	Cleo provides retailer-specific connection pages and resources for major trading partners.	Browse trading partners
Connect EDI to ERP, WMS, TMS, eCommerce, and accounting systems.	Cleo's EDI/API integration capabilities help connect external partner transactions with internal business systems.	EDI/API integration
Detect issues before they become business disruptions.	CIC Cockpit provides end-to-end visibility, dashboards, issue lifecycle tracking, and actionable insights.	CIC Cockpit

"time to resolve and respond... decreased by at least 60%."

Terri Sandine, Manager of Application Development at Mohawk Global Logistics, in a Cleo EDI compliance customer proof section.

Need help meeting retailer EDI requirements?

See how Cleo helps suppliers automate retailer EDI, connect to major trading partners, validate transactions, improve visibility, and reduce compliance risk across order-to-cash and supply chain workflows.

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Copy/paste retailer EDI readiness template

Use this internal template to align sales, operations, IT, finance, warehouse, and 3PL stakeholders before retailer testing begins.

Retailer EDI readiness message

Subject: Retailer EDI requirements checklist for [Retailer Name]

We are preparing for EDI onboarding with [Retailer Name]. Please provide or confirm the following by [date]:

Retailer implementation guide, routing guide, packaging guide, and testing instructions.
Required EDI documents and deadlines for testing, certification, and go-live.
Current item master data, UPCs/GTINs, vendor item numbers, case packs, units of measure, pricing, and dimensions.
Ship-from locations, warehouse or 3PL process, carrier data, tracking workflow, and label process.
Invoice rules, payment terms, allowances, tax details, remit-to information, and exception owner.
Internal owner for PO receipt, PO acknowledgment, ASN, labels, invoice, acknowledgments, and rejected transactions.

FAQs: retailer EDI requirements

What are retailer EDI requirements?

Retailer EDI requirements are the technical and business rules suppliers must follow to exchange electronic documents with a retailer. They usually include required transaction sets, EDI standards, protocols, trading partner IDs, ASNs, labels, invoices, acknowledgments, routing guides, testing steps, and compliance rules.

Which EDI documents do major retailers usually require?

Major retailers commonly require purchase orders, purchase order acknowledgments, advance ship notices, invoices, and functional acknowledgments. Some programs may also require PO changes, inventory updates, remittance advice, shipment status, or retailer-specific documents.

What is the most important EDI document for retail compliance?

The EDI 856 advance ship notice is often one of the most important retail compliance documents because it tells the retailer what is shipping, how it is packed, and how cartons or pallets are identified. The ASN must align with the physical shipment and label data.

What is a UCC-128 or GS1-128 label?

A UCC-128 or GS1-128 label is a standardized barcode label used to identify and track individual shipping containers or pallets. Retailers use these labels with ASN data to support receiving and inventory accuracy.

Do Walmart, Amazon, Target, Costco, Kroger, and Home Depot have the same EDI requirements?

No. Retailers may use similar transaction types, but each retailer can have different implementation guides, versions, labels, routing rules, data requirements, testing steps, and compliance rules. Always confirm the latest official requirements for the exact program you are joining.

How do suppliers prepare for retailer EDI testing?

Suppliers should gather implementation guides, trading partner IDs, item data, ship-from and ship-to information, label requirements, invoice rules, testing contacts, and sample transactions. They should test purchase orders, acknowledgments, ASNs, labels, invoices, and acknowledgments before go-live.

What causes retailer EDI chargebacks?

Retailer EDI chargebacks can result from late ASNs, incorrect labels, routing violations, missing acknowledgments, invalid item data, invoice mismatches, shipment timing errors, and failure to follow retailer-specific compliance rules.

Can one EDI platform support multiple retailers?

Yes. A modern EDI integration platform can support multiple retailers and trading partners by managing partner-specific requirements, maps, transactions, protocols, acknowledgments, monitoring, and exception workflows from one environment.

How does Cleo help with retailer EDI requirements?

Cleo helps suppliers connect to trading partners, automate EDI and API transactions, validate workflows, monitor document status, reduce manual work, and gain visibility across retailer order-to-cash and supply chain processes.

What should suppliers monitor after retailer EDI go-live?

Suppliers should monitor acknowledgment status, rejected documents, late ASNs, label mismatches, invoice exceptions, chargebacks, missing transactions, failed integrations, and recurring partner-specific compliance issues.

Sources and standards referenced

This article is designed as a practical retail EDI planning guide. Always validate requirements with the retailer's official implementation guide, routing guide, testing instructions, and current compliance documentation.