Every vendor who sells to Target must exchange business documents electronically. There is no manual alternative. No email. No PDF invoice. No paper purchase order confirmation.
That system is called Electronic Data Interchange, or EDI, and Target uses it across every part of its supply chain: Merchandising, Transportation, Accounts Payable, and Distribution Operations.
Before your first shipment moves, you need to understand exactly which documents are required, in what order they flow, and what Target expects from each one.
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is a standardized method for exchanging business documents electronically in a structured, machine-readable format rather than through paper, email, or manual portal entry.
For Target, EDI serves a specific operational purpose. Every purchase order, every invoice, every shipment notification, and every compliance acknowledgment moves through the EDI network. Target uses it to automate receiving operations at distribution centers, reconcile inventory, process payments, and enforce compliance at scale.
When EDI data is accurate and timely, it eliminates the need for manual cross-referencing at distribution centers and speeds up invoice payment. When it is not, the system flags the discrepancy, and a chargeback follows.
Target requires all documents to be transmitted using the ANSI X12 EDI standard, which is consistent with most major U.S. retailers. All documents must conform to Target's posted mapping guides, which define the exact data fields, hierarchies, and formatting rules for each transaction type.
Yes. There are no exceptions for vendor size, product category, or fulfillment model.
Target requires all trading partners to be EDI capable before a purchase order is issued.
This includes:
Domestic vendors shipping to regional distribution centers (RDCs) and stores
Drop ship / Direct Vendor Ship (DVS) vendors fulfilling orders directly to Target.com customers
Import vendors, though import vendors are not required to complete EDI document testing before going live
EDI registration can begin the day after your Vendor Number is generated in Supplier Management (SM). The registration and initial setup process takes between five and seven days. Testing timelines vary depending on your fulfillment model.
Target gives vendors two primary paths for EDI connectivity. The right one depends on your shipment volume, technical capabilities, and internal resources.
AS2 (Applicability Statement 2)
AS2 is Target's preferred connection method. It transmits data over the internet using digital certificates and encryption, making it both secure and fast. AS2 does not require intermediary network fees at the same scale as older VAN-based systems, which reduces cost as your transaction volume grows.
AS2 is best suited for vendors exchanging a high volume of documents per year who have the technical resources to manage certificate configuration and connection maintenance.
VAN (Value Added Network)
A VAN is a third-party intermediary network that handles EDI transmission on your behalf. Target works with major VANs, including SPS Commerce and TrueCommerce. VANs are a practical option for vendors who do not have in-house EDI capabilities and want a managed solution. Your VAN provider supplies your EDI ID and Qualifier and handles the translation and transmission of documents between your system and Target's.
SFTP
SFTP is available for some vendors as an alternative connectivity option. It is less common than AS2 or VAN, but it may be offered depending on your vendor profile and setup discussions with Target's EDI team.
Regardless of which method you choose, your connectivity details must be registered with Target's EDI team before any documents can be exchanged. If you are using a third-party provider, have your EDI service provider name, EDI ID, and contact details ready before you begin registration.
These are the four core transaction sets every vendor must be able to send and receive before trading with Target.
|
No. |
Document Name |
EDI Code |
Direction |
When It Must Be Sent |
|
1 |
Purchase Order |
850 |
Target to Vendor |
At order creation |
|
2 |
Purchase Order Acknowledgment |
855 |
Vendor to Target |
Within 24 to 48 hours of receiving the 850 |
|
3 |
Advance Ship Notice |
856 |
Vendor to Target |
Within 60 minutes of the trailer closing at your dock |
|
4 |
Invoice |
810 |
Vendor to Target |
Within 24 hours of shipment |
Each document plays a specific role in the order lifecycle. Missing one, sending it late, or transmitting inaccurate data on any of them creates compliance failures that lead directly to chargebacks.
Direction: Target sends to Vendor
The EDI 850 is the document that starts everything. When Target wants to place an order with you, they send an 850. It is the electronic equivalent of a purchase order, and it starts the compliance clock.
The 850 contains:
Item numbers and UPCs
Ordered quantities
Agreed unit costs
Ship-to location (distribution center or store)
Ship window dates
Department and purchase order number
You do not send the 850. You receive it. Your job when an 850 arrives is to read it accurately and respond with an 855 acknowledgment within the required time window.
For domestic vendors shipping to stores and distribution centers, your first live purchase order is also used to complete the EDI testing process. For DVS vendors, Target sends test 850s specifically for testing purposes before any live orders are issued.
Direction: Vendor sends to Target
The EDI 855 is your response to the 850. It tells Target whether you can fulfill the order as submitted.
There are three possible responses within an 855:
Accept: You confirm the order exactly as submitted
Reject: You cannot fulfill the order at all
Accept with Changes: You can fulfill part of the order, but need to flag a discrepancy, such as a quantity difference or a pricing issue.
The 855 must be sent within 24 to 48 hours of receiving the 850. Delays in acknowledgment slow down Target's planning process and can flag your account for review.
Getting the 855 right matters beyond timing. If your acknowledgment does not accurately reflect what you will actually ship, the downstream documents (the 856 and 810) will fail to reconcile, which creates payment holds and potential chargebacks.
Direction: Vendor sends to Target
The EDI 856, also called the Advance Ship Notice or ASN, is the most compliance-sensitive document in the entire process. More chargebacks originate from 856 failures than from any other EDI document.
The ASN tells Target exactly what is in your shipment before it arrives. It contains:
Shipment details including bill of lading number, carrier information, and ship-from location
Pallet configuration and carton count
Item-level detail for every unit in the shipment
SSCC-18 (Serial Shipping Container Code) label data for every carton
Target's 60-minute rule: The EDI 856 must be transmitted no later than 60 minutes after the trailer closes at your shipping dock. This is a hard deadline, not a guideline.
One 856 per RDC shipment: If you are shipping to multiple regional distribution centers on the same day, each RDC requires its own separate 856 transmission. You cannot combine them.
SSCC-18 accuracy: The carton label data in your 856 must match the physical shipment exactly. Mismatches trigger a chargeback and push the carton to a manual receive path, breaking Target's automated DC receiving process.
Monitoring your ASN after transmission
Sending the ASN is only part of the process. After transmission, check immediately for any rejection response. A rejected ASN must be corrected and retransmitted before the shipment arrives. An ASN that clears after the trailer gates in does not count as on-time.
Target evaluates ASN compliance across three dimensions:
Timeliness: Must pass validation before the shipment gates in
Accuracy: Item numbers and quantities must match what is physically received
Completeness: All fields in Target's ASN mapping guide must be present across every level of the shipment hierarchy
Review ASN acknowledgments daily, not just on shipment days. Errors that sit unresolved until delivery become chargebacks that could have been avoided.
Even with a well-managed ASN process, 856-related chargebacks still occur. A timing failure at the dock or a single label mismatch can result in deductions that show up on your remittance weeks later.
iNymbus automates the entire dispute workflow, pulling deduction data, matching it against your EDI and shipment records, and filing disputes automatically. Schedule a demo at inymbus.com.
Direction: Vendor sends to Target
The EDI 810 is your electronic invoice to Target. It is how you bill for the goods you shipped.
Target's accounts payable system works by creating a match between the receipt of goods and the vendor invoice. Payment is calculated from the receipt of goods date plus your negotiated payment terms. Payments are issued on Wednesdays and Fridays.
For the system to process your invoice automatically, the 810 must match Target's receipt record on all five of the following fields:
|
Field |
Why It Matters |
|
Vendor Number |
Identifies your account in Target's system |
|
Department Number |
Routes the invoice to the correct buying team |
|
Purchase Order Number |
Links the invoice to the original 850 |
|
Location Number |
Confirms which DC or store received the goods |
|
Total Cost Dollars |
Must match the agreed cost on the PO exactly |
If any of these five fields do not match, the system cannot process your invoice automatically. Manual reconciliation is required, which delays payment and increases deduction risk. A mismatch can also trigger a chargeback that must be disputed separately.
Submit your 810 within 24 hours of shipment, but not on the same day you receive the purchase order. The PO may not yet be active in Target's Accounts Payable system, which risks a false rejection. Wait until the shipment has moved and the PO is fully live before submitting.
After submission, confirm the invoice was accepted. A rejected status includes the reason, which must be resolved before resubmitting. Once Target pays an invoice, it cannot be voided. Accuracy before submission matters more than speed.
Non-compliance is not flagged and forgiven. It is flagged and charged back.
Target monitors every EDI transaction through its vendor portal, Partners Online (POL).
Your compliance scorecard tracks fill rate, on-time performance, and EDI accuracy in real time.
Penalties accumulate at the purchase order level and are deducted directly from payment.
Suppliers who do not monitor their compliance dashboards regularly often find that issues have been building across multiple shipments before anyone investigates.
Common EDI failures and their consequences:
|
Failure |
Consequence |
|
856 sent after the 60-minute deadline |
A chargeback was issued against the shipment |
|
SSCC-18 data does not match physical cartons |
Receiving a discrepancy, chargeback |
|
856 not separated by RDC |
Shipment processing errors, compliance flag |
|
ASN item numbers do not match the physical shipment |
Quantity mismatch chargeback |
|
810 fields do not match the receipt |
Payment held, manual reconciliation required |
|
855 not sent within 24 to 48 hours |
Order acknowledgment failure, account flag |
|
No EDI capability at the time of the first PO |
PO cannot be processed |
Penalties are applied automatically. They do not require a manual review trigger on Target's side. By the time a chargeback shows up on your remittance, the compliance event that caused it may have occurred days or weeks earlier.
Before your first purchase order can move, you need to complete Target's EDI onboarding process. There are five steps.
Step 1: Complete your Supplier Management (SM) profile Get your Vendor Number approved in SM. EDI registration cannot begin without it. Allow 2 to 10 days for this step.
Step 2: Register with the EDI team Contact the EDI Helpdesk once your Vendor Number is active.
Phone: 612-304-3310, option 1
Email: EDI.Helpdesk@target.com
Hours: Monday through Friday, 7 AM to 5 PM CT
Step 3: Choose your connectivity method
AS2: Target's preferred protocol
SFTP: Available for some vendors
VAN: Third-party network such as SPS Commerce or TrueCommerce
Have your EDI service provider name, EDI ID, and Qualifier ready before you call.
Step 4: Complete document testing
Domestic vendors: Use your first live PO for testing
DVS vendors: Test 855, 856, and 846 using Target-issued test 850s
Import vendors: No document testing required
Step 5: Go live Once your connection is certified, live purchase orders begin flowing.
The full process typically takes 7 to 12 weeks from contract signing to go-live.
Every step in this process, from pulling EDI documents and matching records to building compliance packages and filing disputes when something goes wrong, is exactly the kind of manual, repetitive work that iNymbus eliminates.
iNymbus uses RPA (Robotic Process Automation) to handle the entire back-end workflow automatically, so your team is not buried in paperwork every time a chargeback hits. Schedule a demo at inymbus.com to see it in action.
Target requires all vendors to be EDI compliant before trading begins. The four required documents are the EDI 850, 855, 856, and 810. The 856 carries the highest compliance risk due to its timing rules, SSCC-18 accuracy requirements, and per-RDC separation mandate.
Getting your setup right before your first PO protects your margins and your scorecard. When chargebacks do occur, iNymbus automates the dispute recovery process so your team is not handling it manually. Schedule a demo at inymbus.com.