What Is an EDI Invoice (810)?
An EDI invoice, known in the EDI world as an 810 document, is the electronic version of a paper invoice. Instead of printing an invoice and mailing it to your retail buyer, the 810 is transmitted electronically through your EDI connection. The retailer's system receives it instantly and can begin processing your payment right away.
If you have ever sent a paper invoice to a customer, the concept is the same: you are telling the retailer what you shipped, how much each item costs, and the total amount they owe you. The difference is that EDI invoices follow a strict, standardized format so that the retailer's computer system can read and validate them automatically, without any human needing to re-key the data.
How EDI Invoices Differ from Paper Invoices
With a paper invoice, small discrepancies might go unnoticed or get resolved with a phone call. EDI invoices are held to a much higher standard:
- Prices must match the purchase order exactly. If the PO says an item costs $12.50, your invoice must say $12.50, not $12.49 or $12.51.
- Quantities must match what you actually shipped. If you shipped 48 units on the ASN but invoice for 50, the retailer's system will flag a mismatch.
- The PO number must be correct. A wrong or missing PO number means the retailer cannot match your invoice to the original order.
Retailers use automated systems to perform a three-way match between the purchase order, the advance ship notice (ASN), and your invoice. If any of these three documents disagree, your invoice will be rejected or held for manual review, which delays your payment.
Creating an Invoice in RetailReady
RetailReady makes the invoicing process straightforward. When you create a shipment, a draft invoice is automatically created with matching line items, quantities, and pricing from the original purchase order. Here is how the process works:
- Create a shipment. When you submit a shipment on an order, RetailReady automatically creates a draft invoice linked to that shipment. Each shipment gets its own invoice.
- Navigate to the Invoice tab on the order detail page. You will see the draft invoice with data pre-populated from the shipment and the original purchase order, including line items, quantities shipped, unit prices, and the PO number.
- Review line items and totals. Check that each line item shows the correct quantity and price. The subtotal and total should calculate automatically. If you edit the shipment's line items, the draft invoice updates automatically to stay in sync.
- Adjust tax if needed. If the order requires sales tax, you can set the tax amount on the invoice header. For most US retail EDI, retailers handle their own sales tax calculation — check with your trading partner if you are unsure whether to include tax.
- Submit the invoice. When everything looks correct, click Submit. RetailReady generates the 810 EDI document automatically and transmits it to the retailer.
Tips for Smooth Invoicing
- Since invoices are created automatically from shipments, your quantities and line items will match the ASN by default. Just review them before submitting.
- If you edit a shipment's line items while the invoice is still in Draft, the invoice updates automatically to stay in sync.
- Submit your invoice promptly after shipping. Many retailers have deadlines for invoice submission, and late invoices can result in chargebacks.
- Double-check your remit-to address in your company settings. An incorrect or missing remit-to address is a common cause of invoice rejections.
Good to know: You do not need to understand the raw EDI format. RetailReady handles all the technical details of generating and transmitting the 810 document. You just review the invoice in a familiar, readable format and click Submit.
Preflight Checks for Invoices
Before sending your 810 invoice, RetailReady runs these validation checks:
ASN Must Be Sent First
The ASN (856) must be sent before the invoice. Retailers require the shipment notice to arrive first for three-way matching. Go to the Ship tab and send the ASN before creating an invoice.
Remit-To Address Required
This retailer requires a remit-to (payment) address in the invoice. This is where the retailer sends your payment. Go to Settings > Profile and add your company address.
Quantity Mismatch Warning
The total shipped quantity differs from the PO quantity. This is normal for partial shipments but may need review to ensure accuracy.
Unit Price Required
A unit price is required for every line item on the invoice. Go to the order and set the unit price for each line item.
Invoiced Exceeds Shipped
You are trying to invoice for more items than were actually shipped. You can only invoice for what was shipped. Reduce the invoiced quantity to match the shipped quantity.
Price Mismatch Warning
The invoice price differs from the PO price. While small differences may be acceptable, large discrepancies will cause the retailer to reject the invoice or short-pay you.
Line Total Mismatch
A line item total does not equal quantity multiplied by unit price. Click recalculate or manually correct the line total.
Subtotal Mismatch
The invoice subtotal does not match the sum of all line totals. Click recalculate or manually correct the subtotal.
Total Mismatch
The invoice total does not match the subtotal plus tax. Click recalculate or manually correct the total.
810 Document Validation
After preflight checks pass, RetailReady validates the generated 810 EDI document structure:
- Missing BIG Segment — The BIG (Beginning Segment for Invoice) is required. It contains the invoice date and number. Ensure the invoice has both before sending.
- BIG Segment Incomplete — The BIG needs at least 3 data elements (invoice date, invoice number, PO date).
- BIG01 Invoice Date Invalid — The invoice date must be in CCYYMMDD format (e.g., 20260315). Set a valid invoice date.
- Invoice Number Required (BIG02) — Every invoice must have a unique invoice number. Enter one before sending.
- Missing TDS Segment — The TDS (Total Monetary Value Summary) is required. Ensure the invoice has a total amount calculated.