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X12 transaction guide · Finance

EDI 155 Business Credit Report

The X12 document used to transmit business credit information, such as identification, financial and payment experience data, to a trading partner.

Sent by
Credit reporting agency
Received by
Supplier, lender or other credit grantor
Standard
ANSI ASC X12
EDIFACT equivalent
BUSCRD

What is an EDI 155?

The EDI 155 Business Credit Report is the ANSI X12 transaction set used to transmit business credit information to a trading partner. It can convey identification, location, financial, payment experience and other information about a business.

Suppliers and lenders check a business's credit before extending terms. Receiving reports as data lets credit systems update limits and risk ratings automatically, and monitor changes such as worsening payment behavior across many customers. It is the X12 counterpart of the EDIFACT BUSCRD message, and some agencies also send update notices when a monitored company's information changes.

How the EDI 155 worksDiagram of the EDI 155 Business Credit Report. Credit reporting agency sends it to supplier, lender or other credit grantor. It usually starts the exchange. It is usually followed by 997. Inside the ISA, GS and ST envelopes, X12 release 008010 requires, in the heading: BGN (Beginning Segment) and the required 10000 loop with N1 (Party Identification) and detail: the required 20000 loop with HL (Hierarchical Level) and N1 (Party Identification). 3 optional loops are listed by their first segment.How the EDI 155 worksBusiness Credit Report: who sends it, where it fits and what the standard marks required1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSStarts the exchangeEDI 155SENDERCredit reportingagencyRECEIVERSupplier, lender orother credit grantor997 or 999 acknowledgment back, if the partners agreeUSUALLY FOLLOWED BY997FunctionalAcknowledgment2 WHAT X12 RELEASE 008010 REQUIRESInterchange: sender and receiver IDsISA … IEAFunctional group, ID code BCGS … GETransaction set 155ST … SEHEADINGBGNBeginning SegmentRequired loop 10000 · repeats up to 2N1Party IdentificationDETAILRequired loop 20000 · repeats many timesHLHierarchical LevelN1Party Identification+ 3 optional loops, starting with:NM1NX1INRBlue box: required loop. Optional loops are listed by the segment that starts them; when a loop is used, that first segment is required. Optional segmentsoutside loops are not drawn.Structure: required segments and loops in the X12 008010 listing for the 155. Your trading partner's implementation guide adds its own requirements.
How the EDI 155 worksDiagram of the EDI 155 Business Credit Report. Credit reporting agency sends it to supplier, lender or other credit grantor. It usually starts the exchange. It is usually followed by 997. Inside the ISA, GS and ST envelopes, X12 release 008010 requires, in the heading: BGN (Beginning Segment) and the required 10000 loop with N1 (Party Identification) and detail: the required 20000 loop with HL (Hierarchical Level) and N1 (Party Identification). 3 optional loops are listed by their first segment.How the EDI 155 worksBusiness Credit Report: who sends it, where itfits and what the standard marks required1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSStarts the exchangeEDI 155SENDERCredit reportingagencyRECEIVERSupplier, lenderor other creditgrantor997 or 999 acknowledgment back, if the partnersagreeUSUALLY FOLLOWED BY997Functional Acknowledgment2 WHAT X12 RELEASE 008010 REQUIRESInterchange: sender and receiver IDs (ISA… IEA)Functional group, ID code BC (GS … GE)Transaction set 155 (ST … SE)HEADINGBGNBeginning SegmentRequired loop 10000 · repeats upto 2N1Party IdentificationDETAILRequired loop 20000 · repeatsmany timesHLHierarchical LevelN1Party Identification+ 3 optional loops, starting with:NM1NX1INRBlue box: required loop. Optional loops are listedby the segment that starts them; when a loop isused, that first segment is required. Optionalsegments outside loops are not drawn.Structure: required segments and loops in the X12008010 listing for the 155. Your trading partner'simplementation guide adds its own requirements.

How to read this diagram: the top row shows who sends the 155, to whom, and which documents usually come before and after it. The lower part shows what X12 release 008010 itself requires: the envelopes around the 155 and the segments and loops the standard marks as required, area by area. Optional loops are listed by the segment that starts them rather than drawn in full. This is the standard's minimum, not a trading partner's requirement: each partner's implementation guide usually makes some optional loops mandatory, restricts the codes and may use a different release.

Expand diagram Download SVG

When it is used

  • Checking a new customer's credit
  • Monitoring existing customers' credit
  • Setting credit limits and terms

Where it fits in the document flow

This document 155 Business Credit Report
Usually followed by 997 Functional Acknowledgment

Structure

Mandatory segments in the 155 (X12 release 008010)

The segments X12 release 008010 marks as mandatory at their level, in order. Segments inside optional loops are needed only when the loop is used. This is the standard's requirement, not your trading partner's: each partner's implementation guide names the release it uses, adds the optional segments it requires and restricts the values. The requirement status comes from one published X12 reference listing and has not been checked against a second source.

  • ST
  • BGN
  • N1
  • HL
  • NM1
  • NX1
  • REQ
  • INR
  • INQ
  • LX
  • LM
  • III
  • API
  • CRC
  • IN1
  • CED
  • LQ
  • SE

Practical example

The 155 in practice

A distributor receives an order from a new business customer requesting 60-day terms. Its credit system requests a report, and the agency returns a 155 with the company's registration details, payment history with other suppliers and financial summary. The system sets a credit limit and approves the terms.

Implementation

Implementation considerations for the 155

  • Comply with laws governing credit information.
  • Map agency ratings to internal credit policies.
  • Refresh reports for active customers periodically.
  • Record the report used for each credit decision.

How ECOM helps

Automate the 155 with ECOM

Solution

Order-to-Cash Automation

Automate the flow from purchase order to payment across every customer channel.

Industry

Financial Services

Secure file transfer and B2B integration for banks and financial institutions.

Solution

Financial Document Automation

Automate invoices, remittances, payment files and bank statements from capture to posting.

More general questions about EDI are answered in the EDI FAQ.

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