EDI 810 — the ANSI X12 invoice document explained
In short: EDI 810 is the ANSI X12 transaction set for an invoice — the message a supplier sends to a buyer to bill for delivered goods or services. It's the third leg of the retail three-way match (850 order → 856 shipment → 810 invoice) and drives the buyer's accounts-payable automation.
Key capabilities
- Message purpose: Formal invoice sent by supplier to buyer, driving the buyer's AP automation and three-way match.
- Header segments: BIG (beginning: invoice date, PO reference), REF, DTM, N1 loops (buyer, seller, remit-to).
- Line items: IT1 loop: quantity invoiced, unit price, UPC/GTIN. CTP for pricing details, PID for description.
- Totals: TDS (total dollar summary), SAC (allowances/charges), TXI (tax), CAD (carrier details).
- Three-way match: AP system matches 810 against 850 (order) and 856 (shipment) — auto-pays on match, exception queue on mismatch.
- EDIFACT equivalent: In Europe, EDIFACT INVOIC plays the same role. For tax compliance in RO: UBL 2.1 e-Factura ANAF.
EDI 810 and modern accounts-payable automation
The EDI 810 is what makes touchless AP possible. A buyer receiving 10,000 supplier invoices per month cannot review them one by one. With EDI 810 + 850 + 856, the AP system reconciles three-way match automatically: 95%+ of invoices auto-pay on their due date, and only exceptions (mismatches, disputes) reach human review.
For suppliers, sending a clean EDI 810 (matching the PO exactly, referencing the correct ASN) means being paid on time without follow-up. For buyers, receiving clean 810s means AP staff can focus on exceptions instead of data entry.
Frequently asked questions
What is EDI 810?
EDI 810 is the ANSI ASC X12 transaction set for an invoice. A supplier sends it to a buyer after delivery, requesting payment. It references the original PO number, the ASN, item quantities and prices, and drives the buyer's AP automation.
What is the EDIFACT equivalent of EDI 810?
The EDIFACT INVOIC message. Both are invoice messages with the same business role but different segment structures (BIG → BGM, IT1 → LIN, TDS → MOA). A modern EDI translator maps between them.
How is EDI 810 used in three-way matching?
The buyer's AP system pulls the 810 (invoice), the 850 (original PO) and the 856 (shipment received). It matches PO number, item, quantity, and price across all three. If they match within tolerance, payment is scheduled automatically. If they don't, the invoice goes to an exception queue for a human buyer to review.
What is the difference between EDI 810 and ANAF e-Factura?
EDI 810 is a commercial invoice format (X12) used for B2B billing between trading partners. ANAF e-Factura is a fiscal invoice format (UBL 2.1) submitted to the Romanian tax authority. A supplier in Romania sends both: 810 (or INVOIC) to the retailer for AP processing, and e-Factura to ANAF for tax reporting. A modern EDI platform generates both from the same ERP export.
What causes EDI 810 rejections?
Common rejection causes: PO number does not exist or is closed, item UPC not on the PO, quantity exceeds ordered quantity, price does not match contract price, missing mandatory retailer-specific segment. Modern EDI platforms pre-validate outbound 810s against the PO to catch these before transmission.