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X12 transaction guide · Acknowledgments

EDI 993 Secured Receipt or Acknowledgment

The X12 document that provides security error reporting, non-repudiation of receipt for authenticated data and transmission of authentication information.

Sent by
Receiver of secured X12 data
Received by
Sender of the secured data
Standard
ANSI ASC X12

What is an EDI 993?

The EDI 993 Secured Receipt or Acknowledgment is the ANSI X12 transaction set that provides three security services: security protocol error reporting, non-repudiation of receipt for X12.58-authenticated transaction sets or functional groups, and transmission of authentication information.

X12.58 is the X12 standard for security structures that authenticate and encrypt EDI data. The 993 lets a receiver prove it received the authenticated data, or report security errors such as a failed signature check. Many partners now rely on transport-level security, such as AS2 receipts, for these assurances instead.

How the EDI 993 worksDiagram of the EDI 993 Secured Receipt or Acknowledgment. Receiver of secured X12 data sends it to sender of the secured data. It usually follows 815. Inside the ISA, GS and ST envelopes, X12 release 008010 requires, in the heading: AK1 (Functional Group Response Header). 1 optional loops are listed by their first segment.How the EDI 993 worksSecured Receipt or Acknowledgment: who sends it, where it fits and what the standard marks required1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWS815Cryptographic ServiceMessageEDI 993SENDERReceiver of securedX12 dataRECEIVERSender of the secureddata997 or 999 acknowledgment back, if the partners agreeUSUALLY FOLLOWED BYNo business reply expected2 WHAT X12 RELEASE 008010 REQUIRESInterchange: sender and receiver IDsISA … IEAFunctional group, ID code NRGS … GETransaction set 993ST … SEHEADINGAK1Functional Group Response Header+ 1 optional loop, starting with:S4ABlue 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 993. Your trading partner's implementation guide adds its own requirements.
How the EDI 993 worksDiagram of the EDI 993 Secured Receipt or Acknowledgment. Receiver of secured X12 data sends it to sender of the secured data. It usually follows 815. Inside the ISA, GS and ST envelopes, X12 release 008010 requires, in the heading: AK1 (Functional Group Response Header). 1 optional loops are listed by their first segment.How the EDI 993 worksSecured Receipt or Acknowledgment: whosends it, where it fits and what the standardmarks required1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWS815Cryptographic Service MessageEDI 993SENDERReceiver ofsecured X12dataRECEIVERSender of thesecured data997 or 999 acknowledgment back, if the partnersagreeUSUALLY FOLLOWED BYNo business reply expected2 WHAT X12 RELEASE 008010 REQUIRESInterchange: sender and receiver IDs (ISA… IEA)Functional group, ID code NR (GS … GE)Transaction set 993 (ST … SE)HEADINGAK1Functional Group ResponseHeader+ 1 optional loop, starting with:S4ABlue 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 993. Your trading partner'simplementation guide adds its own requirements.

How to read this diagram: the top row shows who sends the 993, 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 993 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

  • Providing proof of receipt for authenticated data
  • Reporting security errors such as failed authentication
  • Returning authentication information

Where it fits in the document flow

Usually follows 815 Cryptographic Service Message
This document 993 Secured Receipt or Acknowledgment

Structure

Mandatory segments in the 993 (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
  • AK1
  • S4A
  • SE

Practical example

The 993 in practice

A government agency requires X12.58-authenticated submissions from contractors. When it receives an authenticated functional group, it returns a 993 providing secured receipt. When a signature fails verification, it returns a 993 reporting the security error, and the contractor resubmits.

Implementation

Implementation considerations for the 993

  • Agree the security standard and algorithms with partners.
  • Keep secured receipts as evidence of delivery.
  • Decide whether transport-level receipts already meet the need.
  • Manage keys with the 815 or another agreed method.

How ECOM helps

Automate the 993 with ECOM

Solution

Managed File Transfer

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Solution

B2B Integration

Connect every customer, supplier, carrier and bank across EDI, API, file and portal channels.

Solution

EDI Integration

Exchange X12 and EDIFACT documents with partners and integrate them directly with your ERP.

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

Related transactions

Related acknowledgments documents

All 9 acknowledgments documents

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