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X12 transaction guide · Shipping and logistics

EDI 861 Receiving Advice/Acceptance Certificate

The X12 document a buyer sends to report the receipt of goods, or the formal acceptance of goods and services, including any differences from what was shipped.

Sent by
Buyer or receiving location
Received by
Supplier or vendor
Standard
ANSI ASC X12
EDIFACT equivalent
RECADV

What is an EDI 861?

The EDI 861 Receiving Advice/Acceptance Certificate is the ANSI X12 transaction set used to notify a trading partner that goods have been received, or that goods and services have been formally accepted. It reports what arrived against the purchase order or ship notice, including shortages, overages and damaged or rejected items.

Suppliers use 861 data to reconcile shipments with invoices and to resolve discrepancies before they become deductions. In some industries, acceptance recorded in an 861 is the trigger for payment.

How the EDI 861 worksDiagram of the EDI 861 Receiving Advice/Acceptance Certificate. Buyer or receiving location sends it to supplier or vendor. It usually follows 856 and 850. It is usually followed by 997 and 810. Inside the ISA, GS and ST envelopes, X12 release 008010 requires, in the heading: BRA (Beginning Segment for Receiving Advice or Acceptance Certificate) and DTM (Date/Time Reference). 4 optional loops are listed by their first segment.How the EDI 861 worksReceiving Advice/Acceptance Certificate: who sends it, where it fits and what the standard marks required1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWS856Advance Ship Notice850Purchase OrderEDI 861SENDERBuyer or receivinglocationRECEIVERSupplier or vendor997 or 999 acknowledgment back, if the partners agreeUSUALLY FOLLOWED BY997FunctionalAcknowledgment810Invoice2 WHAT X12 RELEASE 008010 REQUIRESInterchange: sender and receiver IDsISA … IEAFunctional group, ID code RCGS … GETransaction set 861ST … SEHEADINGBRABeginning Segment for Receiving Advice orAcceptance CertificateDTMDate/Time Reference+ 3 optional loops, starting with:N1LMFA1DETAIL+ 1 optional loop, starting with:RCDBlue 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 861. Your trading partner's implementation guide adds its own requirements.
How the EDI 861 worksDiagram of the EDI 861 Receiving Advice/Acceptance Certificate. Buyer or receiving location sends it to supplier or vendor. It usually follows 856 and 850. It is usually followed by 997 and 810. Inside the ISA, GS and ST envelopes, X12 release 008010 requires, in the heading: BRA (Beginning Segment for Receiving Advice or Acceptance Certificate) and DTM (Date/Time Reference). 4 optional loops are listed by their first segment.How the EDI 861 worksReceiving Advice/Acceptance Certificate: whosends it, where it fits and what the standardmarks required1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWS856Advance Ship Notice850Purchase OrderEDI 861SENDERBuyer orreceivinglocationRECEIVERSupplier orvendor997 or 999 acknowledgment back, if the partnersagreeUSUALLY FOLLOWED BY997Functional Acknowledgment810Invoice2 WHAT X12 RELEASE 008010 REQUIRESInterchange: sender and receiver IDs (ISA… IEA)Functional group, ID code RC (GS … GE)Transaction set 861 (ST … SE)HEADINGBRABeginning Segment forReceiving Advice orAcceptance CertificateDTMDate/Time Reference+ 3 optional loops, starting with:N1LMFA1DETAIL+ 1 optional loop, starting with:RCDBlue 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 861. Your trading partner'simplementation guide adds its own requirements.

How to read this diagram: the top row shows who sends the 861, 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 861 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

  • Confirming the quantities received against a ship notice
  • Reporting shortages, overages or damage at receiving
  • Recording formal acceptance of goods or services

Where it fits in the document flow

Usually follows 856 Advance Ship Notice850 Purchase Order
This document 861 Receiving Advice/Acceptance Certificate
Usually followed by 997 Functional Acknowledgment810 Invoice

Structure

Mandatory segments in the 861 (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
  • BRA
  • DTM
  • N1
  • LM
  • LQ
  • FA1
  • FA2
  • RCD
  • SLN
  • SE

Practical example

The 861 in practice

A distribution center receives a shipment covered by an 856 listing 120 cartons. Two cartons are missing and one is damaged. The buyer's warehouse system sends an 861 reporting 117 cartons accepted, the shortage and the damage. The supplier adjusts its invoice to the accepted quantity, avoiding a deduction later.

Implementation

Implementation considerations for the 861

  • Match receiving advices to the original order and ship notice by their reference numbers.
  • Route shortages and damage to the team that issues credits or files freight claims.
  • Agree whether the 861 or the invoice controls payment when quantities differ.

Trading partners

Integration guides that include the 861

  • Ford EDI integration
  • John Deere EDI integration

How ECOM helps

Automate the 861 with ECOM

Industry

Retail

Retail and eCommerce EDI for suppliers and retailers, from purchase order to payment, with compliance built in.

Industry

3PL and Warehousing

Warehouse orders, shipping advice, receipts and inventory reporting between brands, 3PLs, carriers and retailers.

Solution

Order-to-Cash Automation

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

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

Related transactions

Related shipping and logistics documents

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