Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is the structured exchange of business documents between companies in a machine-readable format. Instead of emailing PDFs or manually keying orders into portals, EDI allows systems to exchange documents like purchase orders, invoices, shipment notices, and inventory updates automatically.

Different regions and industries use different EDI standards — but the goal is always the same: faster, more accurate B2B operations.

The Most Common EDI Standards

1. ANSI X12 (North America)

X12 is the most common EDI standard used in the United States and Canada. It is widely used by retailers, distributors, healthcare providers, logistics companies, and manufacturers.

Common X12 Documents

• 850 – Purchase Order

• 855 – Purchase Order Acknowledgment

• 856 – Advance Ship Notice (ASN)

• 810 – Invoice

• 846 – Inventory Inquiry / Advice

• 997 / 999 – Functional Acknowledgment

Example X12 Purchase Order (850)

ISA*00*          *00*          *ZZ*BUYER        *ZZ*SUPPLIER     *260424*1200*U*00401*000000001*0*T*>~
GS*PO*BUYER*SUPPLIER*20260424*1200*1*X*004010~
ST*850*0001~
BEG*00*SA*PO12345**20260424~
N1*ST*Main Warehouse~
PO1*1*24*EA*12.50**UP*123456789012~
CTT*1~
SE*7*0001~
GE*1*1~
IEA*1*000000001~

X12 uses:

• * = element separator

• ~ = segment terminator

2. EDIFACT (International)

UN/EDIFACT is the global EDI standard used across Europe, Australia, Asia, Canada, and many international retailers.

Instead of numeric transaction codes like X12, EDIFACT uses named messages such as:

Common EDIFACT Messages

• ORDERS – Purchase Order

• ORDRSP – Order Response

• DESADV – Dispatch Advice (ASN)

• INVOIC – Invoice

• INVRPT – Inventory Report

• CONTRL – Functional Acknowledgment

Example EDIFACT Purchase Order (ORDERS)

UNA:+.? '
UNB+UNOA:1+BUYER+SUPPLIER+260424:1200+1'
UNH+1+ORDERS:D:96A:UN'
BGM+220+PO12345+9'
DTM+137:20260424:102'
NAD+DP+MAINWAREHOUSE'
LIN+1++123456789012:EN'
QTY+21:24'
UNT+7+1'
UNZ+1+1'

EDIFACT uses:

• + = data element separator

• : = component separator

• ' = segment terminator

X12 vs EDIFACT: Quick Comparison

Why This Matters

Many growing brands expand from domestic retail into international channels. That often means supporting multiple EDI standards at once.

For example:

• Walmart US may use X12

• A European retailer may require EDIFACT

• A Canadian specialty retailer may require X12 or EDIFACT

Managing these through separate providers or manual workarounds creates complexity, cost, and operational risk.

Built for Modern Growth

Whether you're onboarding your first retail partner or expanding globally, Crstl helps simplify EDI operations across standards, geographies, and systems.

One platform. Any standard. Global scale.