EDI compliance: every document the way your trading partner requires it
Every retailer publishes a vendor manual and routing guide. Compliance means matching it: the right documents, sent on time, with the right labels. A technically valid EDI document can still draw a deduction. At BOLD VAN, compliance is not a separate service. It is built into how our products work.
What EDI compliance actually covers
Vendor compliance goes beyond sending valid EDI. It means meeting each trading partner's published requirements, document by document and shipment by shipment.
Documents and timing
The right transaction sets, such as the purchase order acknowledgment (855), advance ship notice (856) and invoice (810), sent inside the windows each partner requires. A late ASN is a compliance failure even when the data is correct.
Labels and packaging
UCC-128 / GS1-128 carton labels, pallet labels and pack lists that match what the receiving distribution center expects, in the format that retailer specifies.
Routing guide and spec changes
Trading partners update their requirements over time. A map or label built to last year's spec can fail this year's.
Deductions, not error messages
Most compliance failures show up later as a deduction on a remittance, not as an error when you ship. By then, the shipment already went out.
Compliance built into every BOLD VAN product
There is nothing extra to buy. Each product handles the part of compliance that matches the work it does.
BOLD Transmission and Connectivity
Every document is tracked in the portal, so you can search, requeue and report on any document anytime. Notifications keep you in the loop when something needs your attention, so you can act before it becomes a problem.
EDI VAN (BOLD Transmission and Connectivity)BOLD Integration
We map your documents to each trading partner's spec. When a partner changes its requirements, we update the map, and minor changes are typically handled at no cost.
BOLD IntegrationBOLD Fulfillment
Retailer-compliant UCC-128 and pallet labels, UPS and FedEx parcel labels, and customized pack lists for 100+ retailers out of the box, with the ASN (856) generated from the same order.
BOLD FulfillmentBOLD Exchange
Built-in field validation and controlled SKU selection catch order errors at entry, so orders from partners who do not do EDI still arrive as structured EDI your team can trust.
BOLD ExchangeProven at retailer scale: brands like Endust ship to major national retailers, including Home Depot, CVS and Target, through BOLD Fulfillment every day.
Right now, the mapping is on us
Move your trading partners to BOLD Integration, BOLD Fulfillment or BOLD Exchange during the 2026 Free Mapping Event, and we build maps to each partner's spec for free.
Free mapping covers initial maps and ongoing maintenance for the trading partners you set up during the 2026 Free Mapping Event, which runs through Dec. 31, 2026. New maps added later are billed at standard rates. See event terms.
See how it works
Video transcript
Shipped the order, but got paid less than you expected? Retail deductions often trace back to EDI compliance: a late ship notice, a label that doesn't match, a missed requirement.
Every retailer has its own rules. BOLD VAN builds them into the way you work.
However you work, compliance is built in. Ship from your own warehouse? BOLD Fulfillment prints compliant labels and pack lists for more than 100 retailers. Run an ERP or WMS? BOLD Integration maps your documents to each partner's rules and updates them when the rules change.
And every document is tracked, so you can see what happened.
Want fewer surprises on your remittances? Ask us for a compliance review.
What non-compliance costs
The cost rarely arrives all at once. It builds up across three places.
Deductions
Retailers deduct compliance chargebacks from what they pay you, often weeks after the shipment.
Delayed payment
Missing or incorrect documents, like an invoice that does not match the ASN, can hold up payment while the problem is sorted out.
Scorecard risk
Repeated failures lower your vendor scorecard, and a poor scorecard can put the relationship at risk.
Frequently asked questions
What is EDI compliance?
EDI compliance means your EDI documents and shipments match the specific format, timing and labeling requirements a trading partner publishes in its vendor manual or routing guide, not just that the document is technically valid EDI. If you are new to EDI itself, start with What is EDI?
What is a vendor manual or routing guide?
It is the rulebook a retailer or trading partner publishes for its suppliers. It covers which EDI documents to send and when, how to label and pack shipments, and how to route them. Each partner's is different, which is why compliance is partner by partner.
Is EDI compliance a separate product?
No. It is built into EDI VAN (BOLD Transmission and Connectivity), BOLD Integration, BOLD Fulfillment and BOLD Exchange rather than sold as a separate offering. If you want to know where your current setup stands, we also offer a compliance review.
What happens if a shipment is not compliant?
Most non-compliance shows up as a chargeback or deduction from the trading partner, often weeks later, rather than as an error at the time of shipping. Repeated failures can also lower your vendor scorecard.
What is the difference between a 997 and an 824?
A 997 functional acknowledgment tells you whether your trading partner received your document and whether it passed a syntax check. It can report a rejection, and it doesn't mean the order or its content was accepted. An 824 application advice goes further: some partners send it to report problems with the data inside the document, such as an invoice or ASN they rejected.
Do you update our maps when a trading partner changes its requirements?
On BOLD Integration, yes: when a partner changes its spec, we update the map, and minor changes are typically handled at no cost. On BOLD Fulfillment, retailer-compliant labels and pack lists are built in for 100+ retailers across retail, grocery, automotive OEM, apparel, hair care and distribution.
Can you review our current setup?
Yes. We offer a compliance review of your current trading-partner connections. Request a compliance review.
Still have questions?
Talk to a US-based EDI expert about your trading partners' requirements. No pressure and no obligation.
Curious where your current setup falls short?
Talk to BOLD VAN about a compliance review of your current trading-partner connections.
Request a compliance review
